Can I leave England to visit France if will be in the UK without a Visa?

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When you arrive at UK border control, you could be interviewed by an agent to ascertain whether your visit indeed meets the criteria for visa-free entry for US citizens. This could be a short, perfunctory "What are you here for?" - "Studying for less than 6 months" - "Carry on then"; but you could also be required to show relevant documents, evidence of sufficient funds, etc. While the vast majority of US citizens will face no issues entering the UK, refusal of entry is a possibility. It may also be the case that you just scan your passport at an electronic gate and enter the country without even speaking to a border officers.

When you show up at the French border, it is pretty much the same deal. As a US citizen, you can enter the Schengen-area for the purpose of tourism for up to 90 days in any 180 day period. But this is not an unassailable right, and you could again be refused entry if the border officer does not believe you're really there for Tourism, or that you'll leave as expected, or that you have enough funds to sustain you. The vast majority of US citizens travelling to Schengen will never have any problems, but there exceptions.

Once you return to the UK from France, you're back in the first situation. That you've already entered before would be relevant to how the interview goes, but it wouldn't change anything about the process itself.

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