A child's first day of school is a milestone in any family, and for the royals, it is no different. Kensington Palace has confirmed that Prince William and Kate, both 35, will accompany their son Prince George to Thomas's Battersea when he starts 'big school' next Thursday. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be met on arrival by the Head of Lower School, Helen Haslem, who will then escort the royals to Prince George's reception classroom.
George has been enrolled in one of three reception classes. The future King, who turned four in July, will join a mixed class of boys and girls at the £17,604 per year school. According to the Good Schools Guide – an independent source of information on education – Thomas's Battersea gives children "the best English education money can buy".
William and Kate will accompany their son to school
Entry is competitive and oversubscribed, so much so that the school guide advises parents to register their children at birth. Like most pupils, George will have taken an assessment last November to start in September of this year. The school looks for children who "have a measure of confidence, are responsive, sociable, with a light in their eyes," the report adds. Academically, "teaching is deemed pretty good" although a lot of "anxious and ambitious parents" rely on extra coaching in upper years, the report says. George will be taking French from reception, while Latin will be compulsory from year five.
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Thomas's is located in an ex-grammar school building in Wandsworth boasting "modern additions and plenty of playground space". There are science laboratories, computer suites, a new music centre, two art studios, two pottery rooms with their own kiln and a "splendid" Great Hall with "huge productions" put on by each year group. The only drawback was that "they are always musicals – not much use if your child can't sing," said one parent.
Thomas's is located in an ex-grammar school building in Wandsworth
Prince William and Kate have done everything they can to give their children as normal an upbringing as possible, so it may come as no surprise that the couple plan to drop their son off for his first day of school. Kate, who is also the proud mum to two-year-old Princess Charlotte, has also said she will do the school run as often as she can.