The Bilingual Education Alliance is a professional network comprising school leaders, academics, and policy makers dedicated to supporting and promoting schools with bilingual curricula in England. Founded by leaders from the independent and state-funded sectors, it provides a collaborative platform for sharing best practice, research, and resources. The alliance aims to standardise moderation and training while advocating for the unique needs of bilingual schools within the national regulatory and inspection frameworks. It serves as a collective voice to lobby government bodies on matters of funding, assessment, and the strategic value of bilingualism.
BEA Member Schools (2)
Azbuka Russian-English Bilingual School is a co-educational day school and nursery for pupils aged 2 to 11, located in Hammersmith, London. Established by the AZBUKA Foundation, which pioneered Russian-English bilingual education in the UK from 2000, the school opened its primary department in 2015 as the first of its kind in the country. The curriculum features an equal split between English and Russian, delivered by native-speaking staff. Operating with a small-school ethos, it focuses on immersive language development alongside a broad academic programme designed to support bicultural identity.
Kensington Wade is a co-educational day school in West London for pupils aged 3 to 11. Established in 2017, it is the first prep school in the United Kingdom to provide a fully immersive English-Chinese bilingual education. The curriculum combines a traditional British framework with Mandarin immersion, utilising the Shanghai Approach for mathematics. Facilities on Fulham Palace Road include a dedicated nursery building, two playgrounds, and a specialist STEAM room. Pupils also benefit from nearby swimming and sports facilities, while the younger children participate in weekly Forest School sessions.