To think the Cambridges should send their 3 to state school

[lightisnotwhite]

Why not? They don’t need to get top grades to pursue careers and if they do turn out to be academic they can still be doctors and lawyers like other state kids.
They don’t need to mix well socially or learn the manners and etiquette. In fact they could probably do with mixing a bit more widely.
The beefed up security could help the new school in general as could their contribution to the PTA. Lots of state schools do Forest School and they could pay for extra sport coaching.
Sounds like a plan to me.

Yep, and I do, several reasons. We did consider private, briefly, but I think the elder dd would feel under so much pressure she would collapse in a heap.

• education is far more than just academics, it's about being able to get on with everyone and understanding that education isn't as easy for some as it is for others for lots of reasons.
• it's important to have social groups / friends near by - that's much easier if you can walk or cycle to school and not have to get a bus or be dropped off to as school where your peers live in a 40 mile radius. Also important for dd to get some independence rather than us having to drive her around if she wants to see friends.
• I'd rather save for their futures and support them to leave university with less debt and potentially support with a house deposit than spend £££ on private schools, and pay for them to do extra-curricular activities close to home with friends they know.

Now I'm lucky in that my kids don't (currently) need academic support and the schools around seem pretty good, maybe I would feel differently if they had bad experiences or where struggling with being larger classes. They also have pretty good pastoral support in the schools around here too.

I have only ever used this name on MN.

Yes, but you should try and make educational opportunities equal rather than just accepting that there will never be true equality.

By the way, it’s ‘etc’ not ‘ect’.

@User2145738790 Not me sweetie.

Mine is a lighthearted hence on the Royal Family thread. Although I do think they would be some of the only kids that state school could offer more than private.

But then it could be argued that trying to make it all equal to begin with, is only going to become unequal, once the lessons begin, due to some being more academically gifted than other, then you would need to use specialist people to help the less academically able, then already the system is not equal, and the reverse can be applied, academically gifted using tutors etc, to advance quicker.

Human brains are not all the same, therefore no matter how perfect we wish or want the education system to be e.g. Equal for all, once lessons begin, people will.need extra help in one form or another.

if it was all truly equal same teacher quality, same information for each subject, then likely the results would be, down to the individuals, some would excell, some moderate and some would need extra help, but in an equal system if you have help for the struggling, then you have to have help on offer for those that want to do better.

They should have taken advantage of excellent primaries a stone’s throw from Kensington Palace while they had the chance (eg Fox Primary and St Mary Abbots). The prime minister’s children were at SMA so presumably they were happy with the security there.

Such a goady ridiculous post

As fecking IF you really think royal children ought to go to state school!?

What the heck have they been putting in the water round your way??

All of my little nephews and nieces go to private school and they're definitely not little princes/ princesses, so why the heck would actual princes and a princess go to state school??

Someone made this up 100% - no one in their right mind would fly to Inverness to get to Balmoral....

@ClaudiusTheGod Yes, but you should try and make educational opportunities equal rather than just accepting that there will never be true equality.

And how would you propose that should happen?

Nope. Never going to happen. Would be a refreshing change if they did though!

I wonder if George will end up at Eton...

Who do you imagine I’m trying to goad?

Its a light hearted thread.

However they don’t need highly academic education. They have every opportunity imaginable and every door open to them.

A lovely state village primary in an affluent area won’t be any greater normal security risk than 52 acres of unsecured land surely? State schools have barriers to keep out paparazzi and surely less risk of terrorism than schools that attract high wealth individuals.
I’m not stupid. Obviously they are going to go private. But just debating the idea that they really they don’t need to.

@lightisnotwhite well then neither do the millions of youngsters who's parents are wealthy and will pass down wealth.
you want the children's early years to be pleasant and that's exactly what the parents are doing choosing a pleasant environment for their children.
legally state schools may not be able to let go of staff with family members who pose a risk to the cambridges. there may be several good reasons why state isn't the better option.

I think it would be brilliant. They would go massively up in most peoples estimation. The “security” reason not to is a load of old bobbins.

Perfectly normal for many families 🤷🏻‍♀️

Perfectly normal for well-off families. Your average child does not go to private school.
But then your average family does not use helicopters instead of cars.

Perfectly normal for well-off families. Your average child does not go to private school.
But then your average family does not use helicopters instead of cars.

Its around 7% of children - which doesn’t sound like a lot but it is substantial enough to not be uncommon. The UK has a lot of private schools - they accommodate more children than just those of the fancy super elite. You certainly need to be fairly well off - but I don’t think you need to be exceptionally loaded, unless you plan on sending your kids to private school for their entire school life, but I think plenty of people actually don’t. My cousin went to an independent school for just her sixth form years, a few from her state secondary school did, my uncle is a police officer and my aunt works in a school kitchen. They’re certainly not in the queen’s social circle!
I don’t know the statistics for using helicopters instead of cars but I imagine it’s a fair bit lower than 7% 😄

If you are in the top 7% you are rich.

They may not 'need' an education to get a job but many people believe in educating their children for the sake of being educated people! State schools can't offer anything like what private schools can offer. There's no chance those children were going to state school.

Wouldn't it cause too many Mumsnet threads when George keeps getting all the speaking parts in the play and Charlotte's always Mary 😁

I’d love to see them all at a state school! Just imagine Wills and kate sitting outside the classroom at parents evening! Being fined for taking them out of school for an important royal event.

As a side not-even private school children get nits & worms. So no benefit there!

Yes Aberdeen would be a quicker road transfer but by helicopter there might not be much in it.

Considering the funding and staffing crisis in state schools, I'd encourage anyone who can afford it to send their kids private.

Personally, if I'd had enough money, I'd have sent mine to private school because I believe they just get a better all round education.

A quarter of all pupils in Edinburgh go to private school.