“Everybody knows Madonna wants her daughter to be educated in Britain, but this way she gets the best of all worlds.”MADONNA PAL LONDON – Madonna has reportedly given a top British boarding school the French kiss-off.
The Material Mom has reportedly decided not to sign up 2-year-old daughter Lourdes to attend Cheltenham Ladies College, an ultra-traditional boarding school.
Instead, she is said to have signed up the toddler at the multicultural Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle, which follows the national curriculum of France.
“Madonna is fluent in Italian and very good at French and Spanish. She has found her languages invaluable and is determined that Lourdes gets the opportunity to be immersed in a different culture,” a pal told the Sun newspaper.
Officials at Charles de Gaulle would not reveal whether Madonna has said “oui” to the $1,500-a-term school in fashionable South Kensington.
“We don’t give out information about our students,” said a spokeswoman, who nevertheless managed to drop the name of a famous alum, actress Jacqueline Bisset.
Cheltenham was taking the report in stride. Though principal Vicky Tuck refused to say whether Madonna had been in contact with the school, she emphasized that enrolling in Charles de Gaulle would not rule out a transfer to Cheltenham.
“She has a very young daughter and we don’t take girls until age 11. I’m sure like many parents she’s thinking about her daughter’s education, but nothing would happen until much nearer the time,” Tuck said.
“We had a girl who came to us from the Lycee and is now going on to Cambridge.”
Cheltenham, founded in 1853, offers a “unique blend of tradition with the contemporary” for just under $7,000 a term.
The girls, who consistently place high on Britain’s academic rankings, are expected to attend daily morning prayers.
Charles de Gaulle, founded in 1915, was originally designed for a small group of expatriates in London. It has 2,700 students at three campuses.
Two-thirds of the students are French; the remainder come from 60 different countries.
French is taught from the start; English lessons begin at age 7. Students don’t tackle reading until they’re 6. When they’re 14, students can stay in the French program or switch to an English section to prepare for British exams.
“Everybody knows Madonna wants her daughter to be educated in Britain, but this way she gets the best of all worlds,” a friend of the singer said.
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