A new French school is to open in London to cope with the huge demand from wealthy families heading for the capital, reports the London Evening Standard.
It will be modelled on the £10,000-a-year Lycée Francais Charles de Gaulle in South Kensington, which is oversubscribed and one of the best French schools abroad.
The new 1,000-pupil school is expected to be popular with the super-rich coming to London to escape looming 75 per cent tax rates.
Former president Nicolas Sarkozy is one of those reportedly planning to move to the capital with his wife Carla Bruni and baby daughter Giulia. Composer Jean Michel Jarre and actor Christian Clavier are also rumoured to be moving to London.
Speaking about the demand for French schooling in London, a French embassy source said: “There are never going to be enough places.”
The new school will open in Brent Town Hall in Wembley in 2015. The Grade II-listed art deco building was sold by Brent council to the French Education Property Trust, which will run the school backed by the French embassy.
The school will cater for pupils aged between 11 and 18. They will study the French curriculum and take the Baccalauréat.
French Ambassador to the UK Bernard Emié said: “This historic building provides an ideal space and enjoys the perfect location to house our future school, which will enable us to increase the reception capacity of French secondary education in London.
Read more of this report from the London Evening Standard.