Kate and William could be set to break with royal tradition and send their son Prince George to a co-educational school when he’s completed his primary education at Thomas’s Battersea.
The four-year-old may only just have started primary school, but it has already been reported that his parents may shun a single-sex school in favour of a mixed gender school like Brighton College.
A source told The Sunday Times: ‘The word on the street is that his parents want co-education and boarding when he leaves prep school.’
This would mean George following in the footsteps of his mother Kate who attended co-educational boarding school Marlborough College, rather than his father William and uncle Harry who both attended the prestigious boys-only Eton.
Prince George arrived for his first day of school at the beginning of September at Thomas’s Battersea
He was accompanied by his father Prince William – it’s thought that George’s parents may shun a single-sex school education when he finishes primary school
The Sunday Times reported that the most popular choice of senior education in recent years for Thomas’s finishers has been Brighton College.
Figures from 2017 indicate that more leavers opted for co-educational schools than single-sex schools.
The headmaster of Brighton College told the paper that it would be ‘groundbreaking’ for the royals to make such a decision.
He added that it reflected the ‘feeling of modern parents who feel increasingly strongly that segregating their sons from their daughters is unnatural and not obvious preparation for a world where women and men are equal partners at work’.
The third in line to the throne followed in his father and uncle’s footsteps attending Thomas’s – accompanied by William on his first day.
Unfortunately it was just weeks after his mother Kate had announced her third pregnancy and was suffering from extreme morning sickness, so was unable to attend.
Kensington Palace confirmed George’s place at Thomas’s in March, surprising royal experts who had expected the youngster to follow in his father’s footsteps by going to Wetherby.
Prince George has only just started primary school but there are already reports suggesting he could go on to a co-educational senior school instead of boys-only Eton like his father and uncle
The palace said in a statement: ‘The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will send their son, George, to Thomas’s Battersea from September 2017 this year.
‘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.’
George’s new private school has insisted the future king will get ‘no special treatment’.
He spent his first day meeting classmates and teachers, finding his peg, desk and the toilet, before some games in the playground.
The school places an emphasis on making parents ‘feel secure’ about leaving their children, and laid on a drinks reception, a handbook, and workshops to show them what their reception-year offspring would be learning.
Parents are also be invited to watch lessons and learn how to help their children with phonics at home.
William and Kate, pictured on their tour of Canada earlier this year with Charlotte and George, are expecting their third child