Busy Year Ahead For The Cambridges

It is shaping up to be a busy 2017 for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

In our last blog post we canvassed possible choices of London nursery schools for Charlotte. There were suggestions the family would be moving to their Kensington Palace apartment this year for Prince George to begin school. This has since been confirmed in an announcement from William and Catherine.

Prince William's helicopter pilot role with East Anglia Air Ambulance will come to an end in the summer. This position was perfect for William to transition from his RAF Search and Rescue role before assuming full time duties on behalf of The Queen.

Flying for EAAA meant that the Duke could work and live in Norfolk at the couple's home Anmer Hall. The family were able to enjoy a more relaxed, private life away from London but commute to the capital when royal duties demanded. Anmer will continue to be their home but Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace will become their weekday residence. 

It has become apparent that the younger generation of royals will need to step up to more full time roles in the near future. Whilst Her Majesty and Prince Philip carry out more engagements than William, Catherine and Harry combined, they are ageing and need to reduce their workload. 

Kensington Palace Hedge Planting For Privacy

The Queen's illness at Christmas saw her miss several church services over the festive period. This was a wake up call for many who have only ever known Queen Elizabeth as the nation's Monarch and saw her as immortal. 

Prince George is rumoured to be starting school at Wetherby but not at the Notting Hill campus where Princes William and Harry attended! A new, smaller Wetherby Kensington is opening in September in time for George to start his formal schooling. 

Wetherby Kensington is located at 4 Wetherby Gardens near Gloucester Road, not far from Kensington Palace. It is a more discreet building than the original Wetherby and will cater for Reception through to Year 3. From there, boys will have an automatic place at the original Wetherby School in Notting Hill. The school will open with just the first two Reception Classes and grow as the years progress. 

With fewer pupils and parents it might be perfectly low key for the Cambridges. 

So a move to London to enable Catherine and William to undertake more official duties and starting school and nursery for the children means a momentous year ahead.

Site Of Wetherby Kensington

Wetherby School

Monday 10th August, 2015

William's First Day January 1987

In exploring future options for the education of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, I had written last January about Mrs Mynors Nursery School where Princes William and Harry started their schooling. 

Now we will look at Wetherby School in Notting Hill Gate, West London which William joined on 15th of January, 1987 at the age of 5. The Prince left the school on 5th July 1990. 

According to wetherbyschool.co.uk
Wetherby School will be celebrating its 60th Anniversary in 2011. Founded in 1951, by Mr and Mrs Gerald Russell, the school was originally in Wetherby Place SW7. It remained there for the first twenty years of its life before moving to Pembridge Square in 1971 when it became part of the Family Educational Group Davies, Laing and Dick. In 2002 the family sold to the Alpha Plus Group (www.alphaplusgroup.co.uk) and the school expanded to three form entry to meet the increasing demands on the waiting lists in the area.

In 1984 Miss Frederika Blair-Turner was appointed headmistress upon the retirement of Mr and Mrs Russell and was in post for the next fourteen years. In 1998 Mrs Jenny Aviss succeeded her as head and in 2008 Mr Mark Snell becomes the first headmaster in the history of Wetherby School.
 

Harry's First Day September 1989

Wetherby is a boys pre-prep school so this would not be an option for Charlotte but George may well find himself pulling on the grey and red trimmed uniform and cap in another two years. 

Boys can start in the Reception class in the September after their 4th birthday. For George that would be in 2017. This first year is very much a preschool foundation year and teachers formulate the curriculum according to the needs of that particular cohort. 

From there the children progress to the formal school curriculum where they stay until the end of years 2 or 3. The form teacher teaches the core lessons whilst specialist teachers instruct the boys in such things as music, French, art, drama, sport, ICT, etc.

At the end of their time at Wetherby School, the headmaster will advise parents on which schools will best suit their child. Approximately 10-15 percent of Wetherby School children will go onto a boarding school.

The Reception and Little Wetherby is located at 19 Pembridge Villas, whilst the main Wetherby School is at 11 Pembridge Square. Pembridge Square Gardens across the road provides a place for the boys to run and play during breaks.

Busy Duchess Talks About New Baby

Tuesday 20th January, 2015

Source: Clarence House

The Duchess of Cambridge has had a busy week of engagements in London.


Last Thursday, Catherine officially named the Clore Art Room at Barlby Primary School. This engagement was postponed when she was very ill with extreme morning sickness. So it was lovely that Catherine could now attend in her capacity of Royal Patron of The Art Room. This charity provides therapy for children in the form of art.

On Friday The Duchess visited the Fostering Network offices in Islington, north London to find out more about the work of foster families. 

And yesterday, Catherine undertook three engagements in her local area of Kensington and Chelsea. First the Duchess attended Family Friends which provides mentoring for families and children in need. 

Then it was off to open a rebuilt Kensington Leisure Centre which replaces an ageing facility. It was here that Princes William and Harry had swimming lessons when they were pupils at nearby Wetherby school. Catherine remarked that she hoped son George would have swimming tuition here too. 

Her Royal Highness was presented with a large inflatable duck shaped flotation ring and a swimming bag for George. The Cambridges were also given a family life membership for the leisure centre.

Catherine commented when asked about the new baby ,"It's moving all the time. I can feel it kicking now." She also said she did not yet know the gender of the new Cambridge baby.

Finally, Catherine opened the new Kensington Aldridge Academy which started classes in temporary buildings last September.