Earlier this week, Kensington Palace announced that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s eldest son, Prince George, will be attending Thomas’s Battersea School in London.
“Their Royal Highnesses are delighted to have found a school where they are confident George will have a happy and successful start to his education,” the palace said in a statement.
Prince William and Duchess Catherine’s choice is a rather momentous one, as it marks the very first time a royal will be taught in a co-educational environment.
The £6,385-a-term (approximately $AUD10,471) school currently has 544 day pupils, aged between four and 13.But that’s not all you need to know about George’s impending schooling…
The winter uniform (L) and the sports uniform (R).
1. A trip to the uniform pool will cost an arm and a leg
Wills and Kate will have to fork out upwards of $610 for the third-in-line’s John Lewis-designed uniform. As he’ll be starting in the chilly months, Prince George will be requiring a jacket, $69, a red long-sleeve skivvy, $19, navy Bermuda shorts, $49, a crested jumper, $41, a school rucksack, $21, socks, $23 – and those are just the winter basics.
He’ll also need to have sports gear, a painting smock and a ballet uniform, which brings us to our next point…
2. He’ll be channelling his inner Billy Elliot
That’s right! Our favourite little Prince will be taking up ballet as part of the extra-curricular activities on offer.
While we’re already picturing pirouettes and arabesques, he’ll also have the option to take up drama, music, art and technology.
Not sure about you, but we’re very excited for George’s first day of school.
3. He’ll be getting his passport stamped a fair few times
George’s top-notch education will take him global, with trips both inland and overseas as his learning progresses.
Along with regular excursions to the most historic sites London and surrounding cities have on offer, George will have the option of a trip to Northern France in year 6 and a geography tour to Wales.
A recent sports tour took a group of boys to Brazil, so it seems the sky’s the limit for the soon-to-be four-year-old.
4. Parlez vous Francais?
With language a key part of the curriculum, George will be learning French before he later moves onto Mandarin. In years 4 and 5, he’ll also have the option to learn Spanish.
Perhaps his beloved Gan-Gan Queen Elizabeth II, who’s fluent in French, can help him with his homework!
“Très bien, Georgie!”
5. Best friends will be discouraged
The prestigious school places large emphasis on the character they wish to build for their pupils. The number one rule is not “no hat, no play”, but rather “be kind”. It is for this reason, that students are discouraged from having best friends, so as to not ostracise others.
“We expect pupils at Thomas’s to be kind; to be good friends to those around them, always on the lookout for those in need of a word of encouragement or a listening ear. We expect our pupils not just to tolerate but to celebrate difference, including faith, beliefs and culture,” reads the school’s core values.
George will begin school in September later this year.
The school’s extensive grounds also include a kindergarten, which Princess Charlotte, 22-months, is expected to attend.
