The headteacher of Prince George’s potential next school has issued a message to parents about the usage of mobile phones and screen time. Princess Kate recently toured Highgate School in north London, sparking speculation the school could be considered for George’s next educational step.
The 11-year-old prince currently attends Lambrook School in Berkshire alongside his two siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The headteacher of the prestigious institution in north London has issued a message to parents about the importance of screen-free family time. Adam Pettitt, who has led Highgate since 2006, urged families to ensure children have more time away from these digital devices. His comments come as Highgate maintains its own mobile phone ban, which Pettitt says has “reintroduced conversation to form rooms.”
As reported in the Times, Mr Pettitt said: “Age-based limits on mobile phone use are a welcome first step, but how adults spend time with children is paramount. We must not only limit screen time but actively promote what should replace it. Children need to play, to have protected screen-free time, and to enjoy fun, shared experiences with the adults who care for them.”
In his own household, the headteacher revealed that crosswords and cooking serve as shared activities.
“If we have wired into our routines time to be together for some part of every day, time to chat every day, we’ll see more quickly when they withdraw, we’ll notice if something is awry,” he explained in a previous letter to parents.
The school, which charges £32,640 annually including lunch fees, has attracted celebrity parents, including The Holiday actor, Jude Law.
During Princess Kate’s visit to the £31,000-a-year school in 2024, she spent considerable time with teachers, it was reported.
An insider told the Mail on Sunday she “spent quite a long time talking to two of the teachers there, including the Head of Drama, and was asking them about the drama curriculum and extracurricular activities and what opportunities there might be for appearing in school plays.”
The Princess of Wales also visited nearby University College School in Hampstead as the royal couple continue exploring options beyond Kate’s alma mater, Marlborough College in Wiltshire.
The Berkshire-based Lambrook school only educates children until Year 8, and with the future King approaching his 12th birthday this summer, in July, he will need to relocate to continue his senior school education next September.