Charlotte Begins Nursery School

 Princess Charlotte of Cambridge has started at Willcocks Nursery School close to home in Kensington.  

Kensington Palace released two photos of Charlotte to mark the occasion. Charlotte's mum Catherine took the pics.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge escorted their 2 1/2 year old daughter on her first day and helped her settle in to her morning class routine. 

Willcocks has a strong emphasis on numeracy, early reading, poetry, art, crafts and music. The classes are structured but allow plenty of time for free play. 
   
Charlotte's older brother George attended Westacre Montessori School in Norfolk as the family was based at Amner Hall at the time. George started "big school" at Thomas's Battersea last September.

 Kensington Palace has released a 2017 highlights video:

For our final highlights video, let's take a look back at some of the key family moments this year. pic.twitter.com/gwVftwrcso

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) December 31, 2017

 

George's First Day At School

Prince George begins formal schooling today when he joins the Reception class at Thomas's Battersea. 

Four year old George had attended Westacre Montessori preschool in Norfolk near his family's home Anmer Hall since January 2016. 

It is hoped that both parents will drop George off at school on his first day, but due to extreme morning sickness Catherine may not be able to. 

Headmaster Simon O'Malley includes the following passage in his welcome page on the school website:

"Whilst we are proud of our record of senior school entrance and scholarship successes, we place a greater emphasis on a set of core values, which include kindness, courtesy, confidence, humility and learning to be givers, not takers. We hope that our pupils will leave this school with a strong sense of social responsibility, set on a path to become net contributors to society and to flourish as conscientious and caring citizens of the world."

Term fees for the first stage of three years are 5868 pounds. Like the other 560 students, George will be dressed in the school uniform of navy and red which is available at John Lewis. 

We look forward to seeing a few photos of this very important event in anyone's life -royal or not.

George's New School

Kensington Palace has announced plans for Prince George's first "big school".

George, who is currently at Westacre Montessori School in Norfolk, will commence his formal schooling at Thomas's Battersea day school in September. 

Thomas's Battersea is part of a group of Thomas's day schools in London. The school is co-educational and has three, three year stages. There are approximately 540 boys and girls at the school currently. 

The young prince will be four years of age when he starts school.

According to the express.co.uk
"Mr Ben Thomas has been headmaster of Thomas’s Battersea since 1999 but will step down this summer to focus on his wider role as principal of the whole group of schools.
His successor, appointed last May, is Simon O’Malley, currently headmaster of Wellesley House School in Broadstairs, Kent."

The tweet from Kensington Palace:

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have announced that Prince George will attend Thomas's Battersea School in London from September 2017.

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) March 24, 2017

Thomas's Battersea

Which Nursery School For Charlotte?

Princess Charlotte of Cambridge is only 19 months old but sometime in the next year she will most likely start at a local nursery school. 

An increase in royal engagements for her parents and possible retirement from his role as helicopter pilot will dovetail with Prince George starting school later this year. 

This will most likely mean the Cambridges relocate to Kensington Palace as the main family home in the coming months.

George January 2016

Last January, George started at Westacre Montessori school near the family's Norfolk country home, Amner Hall. He was almost 2 1/2 at the time. The prince attends the school a few mornings a week and is expected to move onto a Pre-Prep school later this year.

The Queen and Prince Philip are ageing and whilst they currently fulfil more official engagements than Prince William, Catherine and Prince Harry combined, are slowly handing over more patronages and duties such as investitures to the their children and grandchildren.

Prince William's contract as part time helicopter pilot for East Anglia Air Ambulance will soon be up for renewal. The time for William and Catherine to become more active members of the royal family may now be here.

Given all of this, which London nursery schools are options for little Charlotte?

Proximity to Kensington Palace is important as is the Montessori philosophy. For these reasons, Princes William and Harry started school life at Mrs Mynors in Pembridge Square, Notting Hill. It has since been bought by Alpha Plus and re-badged The Minors Nursery School.

http://minorsnurseryschool.co.uk/

Ladbroke Square Montessori School in Notting Hill has to be high on the list for Charlotte. Like The Minors, it is very near to Wetherby and just around the corner from Kensington Palace. Intakes are in September, January and April for this school, established in the 1940s.

http://www.ladbrokesquarenursery.com/index.php

Miss Delaney's in W11 is very highly regarded and has Montessori in it's philosphy. It has a secure garden playground on-site so for security purposes this has to be a plus.

http://missdelaneys.co.uk/

The Acorn in Notting Hill has no website. However it is so highly regarded that applications for a place on the wait list are recommended shortly after the birth!

The Square is similarly located to the other contenders. It has small sessions of 18 children and adheres to the Montessori way of learning.

http://www.thesquareschool.com

Last but not least is Young England Kindergarten in Pimlico where William and Harry's mother Diana, Princess of Wales was an assistant before her engagement to Prince Charles. Montessori based, "Miss Diana" was a favourite with the children. One of Lady Diana's students, Clementine Hambro ( descendant of Winston Churchill) became a flower girl at the Royal Wedding! 

http://youngenglandkindergarten.co.uk/

You can also read my earlier blog post about Montessori Nursery Schools for the royal children here:

http://williamandharryschildren.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/mrs-mynors-nursery-school.html

William 1985

Harry 1987

Lady Diana 1980

George Starts Nursery School

source: Kensington Royal

Young Prince George of Cambridge has started at Westacre Montessori Nursery School near Anmer Hall in Norfolk.

source: Kensington Royal

William's first day 1985

The Duchess of Cambridge released two photographs of George's first day on 6th January. The prince is almost 2 1/2 and will attend a few mornings a weeks at the school. 

George To Start At Nursery School

Prince George will start his schooling in late January at Westacre Montessori School in East Walton, Norfolk.

The little prince who will be two and a half at the time is expected to start off attending several mornings a week. The Nursery is in a converted church building and is close to the Cambridges home, Anmer Hall. 

Westacre charges GBP 33- per day and is further evidence that Catherine and William intend to give George and his sister Charlotte a relaxed country upbringing for as long as possible.

The Montessori system is very familiar to Prince William as he himself attended a Montessori nursery school from the age of three. Mrs Mynors Nursery School was only a short drive from Kensington Palace and William's brother Harry followed him there a couple of years later. 

I discussed William's nursery education in a blog eleven months ago.  
Here is a quick link:

http://williamandharryschildren.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/mrs-mynors-nursery-school.html

The princes' mother Diana, Princess of Wales was a teaching assistant at the Young England Kindergarten in Pimlico when she started dating Prince Charles in 1980. This was also a Montessori school.

William's First Day at Mrs Mynors