Education of the Cambridge Children, Part 1, Until 2022

[Pranter]

Adorable...love the outfit too! That one is going to be a handful.

Still reminds me of the Queen.


LaRae

 

[Missjersey]

Adorable...love the outfit too! That one is going to be a handful.

Still reminds me of the Queen.


LaRae

You can say that again Pranter—look out world here she comes!

 

[O-H Anglophile]

She's definitely a little girl now and not a toddler anymore.

 

[Rudolph]

In his reception year, George dabbled in French, Computing, Art, Music, Drama and Ballet, but the new year will introduce new subjects such as Science, History, Geography. The children will also be taught Maths, English and PE

As well as History and Geography, young George will have Religious Studies - in which, he will develop an awareness of "spiritual and moral issues in life experiences". He'll be taught the key understandings of Christianity as well as other major world religions. The curriculum here will focus on an introductions to the Bible, the New Testament and Church over the year.

Read more: Prince George's new school year: ballet, choir and more homework

 

[Mbruno]

Read more: Prince George's new school year: ballet, choir and more homework

From the link:

The school curriculum also states that Year One pupils will also be taught the days of the week, months of the year, numbers to twenty, common colour words, their names and addresses as well as the name and address of the school.

Isn't that too basic for Year One ? I would assume those topics would have been covered in preschool already.

 

[Rudolph]

From the link:






Isn't that too basic for Year One ? I would assume those topics would have been covered in preschool already.

Most children would know this even before they start school. But not ever child’s home life is the same and also St Thomas’s is a very cosmopolitan school. I think the website says it’s pupils speak around 19 languages, so I guess they make no assumptions, and make sure everyone is on the same basic level.

 

[TLLK]

From the link:






Isn't that too basic for Year One ? I would assume those topics would have been covered in preschool already.

Actually it is appropriate for that age level to review those items with students. As Rudolph pointed out there are students who are still learning English and students who might need the review. Also this is an opportunity for the staff to begin teaching students to recognize the words as familiar English language sight words.?
I do find it interesting that "joined up writing" aka "cursive" is taught at this age level. American schools often taught this at around ages 7-8 though now it's falling out of practice as more districts and schools are limiting the time spent on cursive or not teaching it at all beyond a signature.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

It was expressed that George would be expected to know his name in full. Which name: George Alexander Louis Mountbatten-Windsor or George Cambridge?

 

[Iluvbertie]

George Cambridge at this stage. Maybe his middle names in time but the Mountbatten-Windsor can wait. They may go with George Windsor seeing as Maud is in the same class and they are related but I would expect him to use whichever name he is most comfortable with at the moment remembering that at some time in the future he will change from Cambridge to Cornwall and Cambridge and then probably to Wales - all while still a schoolboy.

 

[LauraS3514]

George Cambridge at this stage. Maybe his middle names in time but the Mountbatten-Windsor can wait. They may go with George Windsor seeing as Maud is in the same class and they are related but I would expect him to use whichever name he is most comfortable with at the moment remembering that at some time in the future he will change from Cambridge to Cornwall and Cambridge and then probably to Wales - all while still a schoolboy.

Shades of Princess Margaret "I just learned to write 'of York' and now I am 'of nothing!'" She was six at the abdication...

 

[burbankstorylady]

I have this feeling that William and Kate will want to cater to the idea of "modernizing" and so they will send George to a co-ed prep school, like say they send George to the prep school Kate went to, and then it's Eton. For Charlotte, perhaps Marlborough College?

 

[Rudolph]

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge won't have to worry about preparing packed lunches for Prince George during his second year at school. Thomas's Battersea, where the young royal has been enrolled as a pupil since 2017, prides itself on offering seasonal, nutritionally balanced meals for students that provides them with the perfect fuel to get through the day - so no packed lunches for the future King! The school has a three week menu cycle that is repeated once throughout the school term. The menu changes with the seasons so they offer lighter lunches during the summer and more substantial meals on cold days.

Read more: See what is on the delicious lunch menu at Prince George's school

 

[Dman]

Read more: See what is on the delicious lunch menu at Prince George's school

Sounds more mouthwatering than the pizza, burgers and fries and nasty cherries Jubilee, we got in school.

 

[Rudolph]

“Ballet is taught to all pupils in Year One by a specialist teacher in one 35-minute lesson per week and each class is accompanied by a live pianist.

There are also no fewer than 24 after-school clubs at Thomas's. And don't assume George will be merely moulding Plasticine or painting papier-mache models.

George has the chance to join a debating club — it's never too early to train for the Oxbridge societies — study philosophy, learn Italian or try his hand at songwriting, fencing, golf or pottery.”

Read more: What Prince George will learn in Year One at Thomas's Battersea? | Daily Mail Online

 

[Countessmeout]

I have this feeling that William and Kate will want to cater to the idea of "modernizing" and so they will send George to a co-ed prep school, like say they send George to the prep school Kate went to, and then it's Eton. For Charlotte, perhaps Marlborough College?

Kate attended various schools ending with Marlborough. One was Downe which is not coeducational. It's also not close to London and I doubt they will send the kids away before 13.

William changed schools based on age. Weatherby only went to eight, and he went to Ludgrove after.

St Thomas is co Ed and goes up to 13. It seems logical he will stay there and then boarding school at 13. Eton like his dad or maybe even Marlborough like his mom and likely sister.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

It is an excellent idea that George learns a second language when he is young. What is the most number of languages that should be taught to a young child?

 

[Iluvbertie]

He is already learning Spanish from his nanny. I have even heard that he appears to have a bit of a Spanish accent when speaking English so he is being raised bilingual. In the past royals were raised at least bi and more likely tri or even quad lingual. It is only William's generation that largely weren't raised that way.

Charles generation and class largely learnt French throughout their schooling ... but like anything if not practised the skill drops.

Philip certainly grew up with three languages and probably elements of at least a fourth and maybe fifth. He is fluent in French, English and German - has some understanding of Greek but isn't fluent. A range of other Europeans would also have been around in his childhood so he is probably able to greet people in a range of other languages such as Danish (he was a Prince of Greece and Denmark until early 1947 afterall).

The last Tsar was fluent in Russian, German, French and English and also could be understood a bit in Danish.

 

[JR76]

It is an excellent idea that George learns a second language when he is young. What is the most number of languages that should be taught to a young child?

I know many kids that grow up speaking 2-3 languages (one for each parent and then Swedish) but I know kids that learn more from the friends at the playground etc... The record is an old co-worker who spoke Albanian, Turkish, Serbian, German, Swedish and English.

My brother has signed his kids up for an English language school from grade 3 so they'll be at least bilingual. That said they already speak some English aged 3 and 7 that they've learnt from TV, games etc

 

[Zaira]

He is already learning Spanish from his nanny. I have even heard that he appears to have a bit of a Spanish accent when speaking English so he is being raised bilingual. In the past royals were raised at least bi and more likely tri or even quad lingual. It is only William's generation that largely weren't raised that way.

Charles generation and class largely learnt French throughout their schooling ... but like anything if not practised the skill drops.

Philip certainly grew up with three languages and probably elements of at least a fourth and maybe fifth. He is fluent in French, English and German - has some understanding of Greek but isn't fluent. A range of other Europeans would also have been around in his childhood so he is probably able to greet people in a range of other languages such as Danish (he was a Prince of Greece and Denmark until early 1947 afterall).

The last Tsar was fluent in Russian, German, French and English and also could be understood a bit in Danish.

I have never heard that George has a little bit of Spanish accent...I have heard that he is learning it/speaks it well (I think William said it?) but IMO the accent would imply he spends a lot of time with his nanny than I would have thought given all the constant British accents he would be around.

I think it a real shame that William and Harry never became more fluent in a second language. William has some French, I suppose, but certainly not fluent. I think Harry has some Spanish, but I have never heard it said he has any mastery. Kate supposedly learned Arabic in Jordan and had some Italian instruction too. Meghan is supposedly fluent in Spanish (according to Nacho) and has formal training in French at a fairly high level but I am not sure she maintained it. Besides Meghan, the current young working generation didn't seemed to be pushed to pick up a second language seriously. A shame IMO.

The Spanish Infantas are learning Mandarin and English. I believe they are fluent in both. It would be wise for the Cambridge kids to continue to be fluent in Spanish, if they are being taught it, and learn a third language too IMO, especially while young. The other Euro monarchies certainly do this.

I grew up speaking English, French and Arabic and added Spanish in HS and college. I also learned some dialects and other languages at a decent level in college too. I honestly believe growing up in a multilingual family/community made languages much easier for me to tackle as an adult.

 

[HereditaryPrincess]

I've never heard that about George either in regards to a Spanish accent; though it wouldn't surprise me if he is/will be almost fluent in the language with help from Nanny Maria. Most schools in England teach either French, Spanish or German (and sometimes Italian as well as Latin and Greek - "the classics" are normally taught more at grammar and private schools) as MFLs or modern foreign languages. I learnt French at school since my mother used to live in Paris and has a combined degree in French and Italian, so she wanted me to keep up with French but I also had the option of German which I didn't take. I taught myself Spanish and Dutch outside of school - very frustratingly my secondary school introduced Spanish when I was halfway through my GCSE exams so I was too late to learn it as a school subject.
If students have backgrounds in a language that's not on the official school syllabus; they can take it as a GCSE and A level subject if they wish. I have a friend who is bilingual in Russian and Ukranian so she took a Russian GCSE. Another friend had a sister who took an Urdu GCSE as their family are Pakistani.

 

[muriel]

I think it a real shame that William and Harry never became more fluent in a second language. William has some French, I suppose, but certainly not fluent. I think Harry has some Spanish, but I have never heard it said he has any mastery.......... Besides Meghan, the current young working generation didn't seemed to be pushed to pick up a second language seriously. A shame IMO.

The Spanish Infantas are learning Mandarin and English. I believe they are fluent in both. It would be wise for the Cambridge kids to continue to be fluent in Spanish, if they are being taught it, and learn a third language too IMO, especially while young. The other Euro monarchies certainly do this.

Schools in the UK typically will offer French for most of the primary and secondary years. My son also did Latin and Greek as part of the curriculum for a few years. However, despite all the years of French lessons (from Year 1 till GCSEs) in a top London independent school and many trips to France over the years, neither he nor most of his peers can comfortably converse in the language. This unfortunately is the way that the current system works. The UK schools curriculum and instruction just does not deliver on languages. I suspect William and Harry were in the same boat.

In my view, is this bad? Yes, in that if you have spent all this time studying something, are you getting something meaningful out of it? If not, perhaps the time could have been better spent doing Computer Coding, or AI or something that might be meaningful.

As somebody who fluently speaks three languages, whilst I do not want to understate that the benefit of linguistic skills, at one level I do see the world converging around English. There have been very few times in the last 25 years where I have found myself held back by the lack of language skills. In a work context, there have been times where it would have been useful to better understand French, German, Swedish, Spanish, Italian and a few other European languages, but that was easily solved by involving a local colleague.

When I look at it from the perspective of William and Harry, I do not see the lack of foreign language skills as an issue at all. Multi-cultural Britain is their audience, not the French or Spanish. Unlike large parts of the US, we do not have very large Spanish populations. We have a far larger population that speaks Hindi and Gujrati, but not necessarily as their first language. The biys are just fine, IMO.

 

[burbankstorylady]

Yes, the Cambridge kids will be well fluent in Spanish because of their firsthand exposure to it from an early age. They will know Spanish better for having Nanny Maria than any child who just learns it in a classroom, which is really not learning it at all IMO. Most classroom language training is really sad, honestly. The only way to learn it is firsthand, real world, and that's how they're learning it.

 

[Denville]

Yes, the Cambridge kids will be well fluent in Spanish because of their firsthand exposure to it from an early age. They will know Spanish better for having Nanny Maria than any child who just learns it in a classroom, which is really not learning it at all IMO. Most classroom language training is really sad, honestly. The only way to learn it is firsthand, real world, and that's how they're learning it.

Why will they be fluent in Spanishs? I can see no reason why their nanny will be talking to them in Spanish

 

[Somebody]

It is an excellent idea that George learns a second language when he is young. What is the most number of languages that should be taught to a young child?

Up to three is typically doable for a child. For example, the Dutch princesses grew up speaking Dutch, Spanish and to a slightly lesser extent English. Within the household and among friends the family easily switches between these languages (with Máxima also being fluent in French and Willem-Alexander in German and the girls learning additional languages at school and probably also speaking quite a bit of German given their father's paternal family and their yearly holidays in Lech, Austria).

When I look at it from the perspective of William and Harry, I do not see the lack of foreign language skills as an issue at all. Multi-cultural Britain is their audience, not the French or Spanish. Unlike large parts of the US, we do not have very large Spanish populations. We have a far larger population that speaks Hindi and Gujrati, but not necessarily as their first language. The biys are just fine, IMO.

William and George should prepare to be kings of not just Britain but also of the other 15 nations that their (great) grandmother is head of state of. The number two nation in terms of inhabitants is Canada with French as it's second official language spoken as the mother tongue by many of them. So, imo speaking French would be the priority in terms of second language learning. Moreover, learning one foreign language makes it easier to learn a second or third or fourth if the situation calls for it...

 

[Mbruno]

William and George should prepare to be kings of not just Britain but also of the other 15 nations that their (great) grandmother is head of state of. The number two nation in terms of inhabitants is Canada with French as it's second official language spoken as the mother tongue by many of them. So, imo speaking French would be the priority in terms of second language learning. Moreover, learning one foreign language makes it easier to learn a second or third or fourth if the situation calls for it...

The western European languages that evolved directly from Latin, e.g. Portuguese, Spanish, Catalan, Italian , and even French, share mostly the same general grammar structure and a common core vocabulary, although that may not be immediately obvious for non-native speakers. So, if you learn one of them, learning another in the same group becomes much easier.



The Germanic languages, on the other hand, tend to be more dissimilar, but knowing both English and German, it should be relatively easy to learn Dutch, and easier to learn a Scandinavian language.



I hope William's kids have better opportunities to acquire foreign language skills than their father, who is pretty poor in that respect.

 

[Somebody]

The western European languages that evolved directly from Latin, e.g. Portuguese, Spanish, Catalan, Italian , and even French, share mostly the same general grammar structure and a common core vocabulary, although that may not be immediately obvious for non-native speakers. So, if you learn one of them, learning another in the same group becomes much easier.

The Germanic languages, on the other hand, tend to be more dissimilar, but knowing both English and German, it should be relatively easy to learn Dutch, and easier to learn a Scandinavian language.

I hope William's kids have better opportunities to acquire foreign language skills than their father, who is pretty poor in that respect.

Just learning any other language helps to get an idea for what it means to learn a new language (for example that it involves more than translating each word in a sentence - something I noticed an adult English speaker trying to learn Spanish as his first second language hadn't grasped).

In addition, it of course is easier to learn a language that is closer to a language you already speak than a language that is much further away in lexical distance (check this visualisation of European languages). Fun fact: from that perspective learning Frisian (the language spoken in the province I grew up in in the Netherlands) would be the easiest one to learn for English speakers...

 

[O-H Anglophile]

Why will they be fluent in Spanishs? I can see no reason why their nanny will be talking to them in Spanish

Why not? It is the easiest way for a child to learn a foreign language.

 

[HereditaryPrincess]

Why not? It is the easiest way for a child to learn a foreign language.

And Maria is Spanish herself so it's also the best way for George, Charlotte and Louis to learn a language (i.e. from a native speaker).
I think learning a language is very beneficial and there are many Spanish speaking communities in the world so it's not a rare language to learn.

 

[Somebody]

And if I am not mistaken, William went to Chile in his gap year, so might know some Spanish as well and therefore appreciate the language.

 

[Denville]

Why not? It is the easiest way for a child to learn a foreign language.

Why? She's their nanny, not their language tutor.. I doubt if she has ever doen more than use a few Spanish wrods to them.. if that...