When deciding what school Prince George and Princess Charlotte should attend, Prince William and Kate had their work cut out. Educating a princess and the future king of England is no easy task.
Factors like the curriculum, facilities and teaching staff all have to be considered. Whilst the school also has to be conveniently close to Kensington Palace - the Cambridge’s London home. Plus there's the matter of security to consider to. So how do you find a school fit for royalty?
Luckily for the royal couple, Prince George settled in so well at his selected school that his younger sister joined him. Even little brother, Prince Louis, is expected to join his siblings at the same institution when he's of age.
Though Prince George and Princess Charlotte returned to school in September 2020 with their classmates, the two are currently being homeschooled by William and Kate again, with schools closed once more during the pandemic. But what school does Prince George and his sister attend? We reveal all the inside details on the young royals' education...
What school do Prince George and Princess Charlotte go to?
Prince George and Princess Charlotte both attend the private primary school Thomas’s Battersea. Based in South West London, the school is just a short car ride from Kensington. The distance is ideal for Kate, who is regularly seen doing the school run.
Seven-year-old George and Charlotte, who turns 6 in May, are just two of 600 students at the private institution, which accepts boys and girls between the ages of four and 13. The school’s motto is to ‘Be Kind’.
The prince and princess study the same national curriculum as other school children across the country. This includes traditional subjects like English, maths and science.
There is also the opportunity to learn French and participate in a number of school clubs. The school boasts an impressive 60 clubs in total. So George and Charlotte could try anything from Judo to Gardening. We already know that when he first started at the school, Prince George had weekly ballet lessons and that Princess Charlotte also loves to dance just like her big brother. They could also join the debating and public speaking clubs - which will no doubt help prepare them for royal engagements later in life.
As befitting of a school with royal students, Thomas’s Battersea has achieved outstanding on two separate OFSTED inspections in 2014 and 2018.
Founded by actress Joanna Thomas in 1971, the school is one of four prep schools owned by Thomas’s London Day Schools. Past students include the model Cara Delevigne and singer Florence Welch. 2021 is a big year for the school as it celebrates it's 50th anniversary.
What year are Prince George and Princess Charlotte in at school?
At Thomas’s Battersea, middle child Charlotte is a Year One student, whilst Prince George is in Year Three. Last September saw a big change to Prince George's typical day, as he moved from Thomas’s lower school to the prep school which educates children from Years 3 to 6.
According to Vanity Fair, the seven-year-old enjoys school and has settled in well. “He’s very popular and has lots of friends, and there’s very little fuss made about who he is,” said a fellow parent at Thomas’s Battersea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3egMBKa-sEs
The young prince has shown a flair for sports which has only increased George’s popularity at school. He has also sweetly been nicknamed ‘PG’ by his peers - a shorter and easier version of Prince George. Some classmates have even started calling him ‘PG Tips’, which is a funny nod to the popular British tea brand.
Charlotte also goes by a different name at school. Princess Charlotte’s full name is not used at Thomas’s Battersea, with the five-year-old simply known as Charlotte Cambridge.
As a Year One student, the princess’s school work is considerably different to Prince George’s. Kate revealed that big brother George was jealous of Charlotte for this reason during the first lockdown - when the royal couple were homeschooling their children.
“George gets very upset because he wants to do Charlotte’s projects – because making things like spider sandwiches is far cooler than doing literacy work,” said the Duchess during an interview with This Morning.
Of course their third child, Prince Louis, is too young for school at present but it is presumed he will join his brother and sister at Thomas’s Battersea when he is old enough.
How much does it cost to send your kids to Thomas's Battersea?
It costs £18,915 a year to send a child to Thomas’s Battersea. What’s more, Prince George’s school fees have also increased since joining Year 3. His move from lower to prep school in September means his education has risen from £6,655 to £7,520 a term.
However, Prince William and Kate receive a special school discount for Princess Charlotte, because she is their second to have enrolled at the school. This discount will be extended to two-year-old Prince Louis if he joins Thomas’s Battersea too. His fees would cost £6,325 a term for the first three years - which is £330 cheaper than what Prince George had to pay.
These school fees don’t include additional costs such as Prince George and Princess Charlotte’s uniforms. It is compulsory for pupils at Thomas’s Battersea to wear the navy and red stripe uniform which features the school’s logo - a red unicorn reading a book. The school-wear is estimated to cost £550 per student and is sold exclusively at Perry Uniform.
Carrying such hefty school fees, it’s no wonder that children who attend Thomas’s come from other wealthy families. One parent revealed that Kate isn't the most prolific mum at the school gates. “We have a Victoria’s Secret model doing the school run, too, and the dads are far more interested in her,” a source told the Daily Mail.
What schools have royalty gone to in the past?
In the past, it was more common for royal family members to attend private boarding schools. After attending the pre-prep Wetherby School in London, Prince William and Prince Harry were both students at Ludgrove School in Berkshire. The two princes started at the boys prep school when they were just eight and boarded with other children until they were 13. Their late mother Princess Diana disliked boarding schools and was initially upset to send William away. However, she made sure to visit her boys most weekends.
Current school fees for Ludgrove are higher than Thomas’s Battersea - costing £9,420 a term. The Berkshire boys school is often a gateway to prestigious secondary schools such as Harrow, Radley and Eton. Sure enough, William and Harry both transferred to Eton College as teenagers. They boarded at the £42,501-per-year college between the ages of 13 and 18, both departing with great A-level results.
Their father, Prince Charles also attended several boarding schools as a young boy. He started his education at Hill House School in London but transferred to Cheam School when he was eight. England’s oldest private school, it was also attended by Charles’ father, Prince Phillip. For students boarding up to five-nights-a-week, fees at Cheam cost over £9,000 a year.
Unhappy at Cheam, the Prince of Wales later moved to Gordonstoun - another boarding school in Scotland. His brothers Prince Andrew and Prince Edward also enjoyed stints at Gordonstoun. Whilst Princess Anne went to Benenden boarding school in Kent.
The Queen and her late sister, Princess Margaret, did not attend school. They were instead homeschooled by their private governesses as was customary at the time.
Prince William and Kate are reportedly facing a huge parenting decision amid a possible move to Windsor.
