Set in 52 acres of idyllic Berkshire countryside, Lambrook School gives its students ‘feathers to fly’ and a ‘delightful sense of freedom’.
His new royal charges, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, will enjoy a rewarding education at an independent, coeducational day school and boarding school for children aged 3 to 13 near Ascot, just 10 minutes drive from their new home in Windsor.
The Good Schools Guide describes it as a ‘classic prep school’ with a ‘heart of gold’ and tells how youngsters can ‘run and run’ through the vast grounds with ‘complete freedom to explore, provided you have your rubber boots. Lambrook boasts of ‘first class teaching and superb facilities’ which include a 25 meter swimming pool, nine hole golf course, astroturf, hard courts, squash court, cricket pitches and other sports fields.
It has a Diamond Jubilee performing arts studio, dance studio and gym, as well as a new £6million Queen’s Building for ICT and university learning. The flyer quoted a parent as saying: “It’s the most magical place for our children to spend time, and you can often see them rosy-cheeked and perfecting headstands, throwing balls or running towards tree stumps .”
There is school on Saturday mornings followed by an afternoon of sports meets for students in grades 5 and up, including nine-year-old George.
Lambrook offers flexible, weekly boarding for boys and girls from the age of seven, with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge having the option of letting George and Charlotte stay for as little as one night a week on an ad hoc basis, sleepovers being booked online. . George and Charlotte will be day pupils for the time being.
Lambbrook School’s main building is a large 19th century white country mansion. Lambbrook was founded in 1860
“Weeknights sound like a hoot; think Harry Potter parties and hot chocolate shots,” Talk Education said in its review of the school.
Fridays are the most popular night for ad hoc advice, leaving parents free to host dinner parties and nurse hangovers, the Telegraph reported.
Fees cost £4,389 per term for pupils from Reception to Year 2 such as Louis, £6,448 per term for Years 3-4 such as Charlotte and £6,999 per term for George up to Years 5-8 , with an additional £1,481 per term for boarding for Y3-8. This means William and Kate will spend over £50,000 a year on their children’s private education.
The bill stands at £53,508 in fees in 2021-22, not taking into account a potential reduction for siblings if available, fee increases or the cost of uniform or travel. Boarding for Cambridge’s two oldest children would cost an additional £8,886 a year if chosen at a later date.
Lambrook, a Christian school, prides itself on its high academic standards, with a 100% pass rate on the Common Entrance Examination – taken by students from private schools as part of the selective admissions process to the 13 years old. With 620 pupils, it is a larger-than-average pre-prep and prep school, but touted as less pushy than its London counterparts, with some of its staff bussed in from West London and the UK. Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Surrey.
Year 8 leavers join prestigious schools such as William’s alma mater Eton, Wellington College, Marlborough College, where Kate went, and Charterhouse, among others.
Principal Jonathan Perry is known for his charm and performed a rock and roll dance and jumped on chairs to cheer up students during the lockdown. His wife Jenny works with the pastoral team, with the couple being praised for their focus on emotional well-being, perfectly in line with William and Kate’s mental health campaign.
Mr Perry says on the school’s website: ‘We give our students the ‘feathers to fly’ so that when they take the next step in their educational journey, they will spread their wings and take flight; as confident, happy, engaging, mature, considerate and thoughtful young adults who are outward-looking citizens of the world.
Lambbrook’s on-site orchard is home to pigs, chickens and rabbits, available for cuddles during guardian-time welfare walks, bees with hives and visiting lambs, and George and Charlotte will have an after enrichment lunch every Monday to complete their university studies.
They will be able to rely on a wide range of activities for this, including agriculture, beekeeping, chess, mountain biking, ballet, tap dancing, jazz, mini-masterchef, polo, creation of podcasts, scuba diving, skiing, as well as rescue, survival, debating and public speaking.
Louis, who will be at the reception, will take advantage of ‘Forest Fridays’ and will be ‘taken on a journey of discovery in the beautiful nature’, says the school’s prospectus, reflecting the philosophy of the Duchess of Cambridge on the importance of outdoor play and spending time in nature.
Talk Education said there was a ‘sense of delightful freedom’ while the Good Schools Guide said one mum was ‘mystified by the way they collect pupils for lessons, but like clockwork, they fall, cheeks flushed and full of fresh air’.
And parents enjoy the convenience of not having to deal with muddy PE kits. The games outfits are handed out at the start of the school year and remain there to be washed by the staff, before being sent home at the end of the term. Each item must be named, but only sewn-on labels are permitted.
The main school building is a large 19th century white country house. Lambrook was founded in 1860 and two of Queen Victoria’s grandsons, Prince Christian Victor and Prince Albert of Schleswig-Holstein, took part, with Victoria traveling from Windsor Castle to watch them in plays and cricket matches.
Uniforms consist of blue and green tartan kilts for girls and navy blue corduroy pants for boys, as well as plaid shirts, navy sweaters, and blue and green ties.
William and Kate can also immerse themselves in the busy social life of the school amid reports of Lambrook’s many get-togethers and helpful WhatsApp groups. Lamborghini, Ferrari and Range Rover apparently fill the parking lot.
But one Mumsnet user wrote: ‘I was rather put off by the size of Lambrook and the reputation of the ‘Lambrook’ parents. We are not super rich, nor are we city dwellers or landowners!
School trips abroad include trips to France, Italy, Iceland and South Africa. But Year 7 pupils preparing to embark on a canoe trip in Sweden must each first raise £500 to help a disadvantaged child do the same through the Teenage Wilderness Trust.
Sustainability – no doubt a hit with eco-conscious William – is also key, with the children planting 400 saplings to create a new forest.
