The Duchess goes back to school: Kate Middleton looks stylish as she joins secondary school pupils in North London
- Replies 1
The Duchess goes back to school: Kate Middleton looks stylish as she joins secondary school pupils in North London
Kate Middleton donned a stylish look as she visited a north London mixed-ability comprehensive secondary school on Wednesday.
The Duchess of Cambridge sported a $554 Hobbs pink coat which she matched with a $138 roll neck jumper, also from Hobbs, a pair of tailored trousers, and suede pumps for her visit to Nower Hill High School in Harrow.
The Duchess of Cambridge looked stylish as she visit the Nower Hill High School in Harrow. Credit: PA.
The royal joined 27 students, aged around 13, in a year 8 science class headed by Louise Voden.
The science lesson focused on neuroscience and the importance of early childhood development on the brain — a topic that is closely related to one of the Queen in waiting's royal works.
Kate launched The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood earlier this summer. The initiative aims to show the importance of early childhood experiences in influencing the development of the brain, highlighting that positive relationships, environments, and experiences during this period are so crucial.
Kate tried her hand at a worksheet while asking students if they found the lesson 'interesting. Credit: PA.
The Duchess, who shared a desk with some of the pupils, said that she found the enthusiasm of the pupils inspiring.
The royal mother-of-three then told the children about how 'passionate' she feels about the subject.
‘I was so fascinated when I first learnt about this. How babies’ brains are formed and how they developed and what this means for us when we grow up,' she said to the pupils.
The pupils were recapping the learnings as part of a SEEN programme - Secondary Education around Early Neurodevelopment - run by Oxford University that looks to embed the key principles of early childhood development and neuroscience in students.
The science class, which was being taught by Mariam Kassir, was surprised when the class head, Louise Voden, and head of science education, Zoe Watson, greeted the 'mystery VIP visitor' as she walked inside the classroom.
The Duchess then sat quietly in a chair, sharing a desk with four other pupils.
‘It’s a great programme, isn’t it?’ she said to the four pupils she was sitting with. ‘The depth and the detail is amazing. Does it really resonate?’
The Duchess of Cambridge shared a desk with four other pupils as she joined the science class covering neuroscience and the importance of early childhood development on the brain. Credit: Pool/AFP/Getty Images.
The teacher showed photographs demonstrating the neurodevelopment of a young child’s brain via a projector.
She also showed a video of a toddler playing by looking through a magnifying glass and was tasked with answering a series of questions including what happens in the brain in the first five years of life and what advice would you give to a new parent.
Kate then asked the students: 'Hopefully you can teach me about the things you are learning.’
One student enthusiastically told her that encouraging children to learn through play was like ‘bodybuilding, but for your brain’ followed by another who said that a child's brain grows fastest between the ages of 0-2.
The enthusiasm of the students left the Duchess smiling.
‘You really are taking it on board,’ she smiled encouragingly. ‘What’s the most interesting thing you have done so far?' she asked.
Kate then showed a picture of a young girl playing before adding: ‘What is the child thinking? She has lots of different things, doesn’t she? From your knowledge do you know what parts of the brain she might be using?'
‘It’s important to understand how important play is for babies as they develop. It’s not only enjoyable but it helps them to develop. Is your school good and do they encourage you to play a lot and to be creative? Did anyone inspire you? And why do you think learning about the brain is so important?’
The Duchess declared that she was ‘very impressed with all the knowledge in this room’ before leaving.
She told the class: ‘So really well done and I hope you found it interesting. It’s a real passion of mine, learning about babies' brains and how our adult brains develop and how our early childhood influences the adult brain. Keep thinking about it, keep chatting about it with your friends. Well done, super impressed and thank you for having me.’
The SEEN research project has been commissioned and funded by Kindred2, the early-years charitable foundation, and developed by the University of Oxford which tested a new science curriculum with Key Stage 3 pupils.
So far, the program has conducted three-part lessons to over 3700 11–14-year-olds.
The lessons cover the neuroscience of how brains are built and how experiences impact brain development.
The Duchess then joined a meeting with the Chief Executives of Academy Trusts at Buckingham Palace who have been briefed on the results of Oxford University’s research project.
.png){kind=icon}
