Kate Middleton went to Foxcubs Nursery, an Ofsted outstanding run by the Early Years Alliance (EYA) yesterday (Wednesday 18 January) where staff, parents and children shared their experiences of the early years and discussed the value of early education.
Alliance chief executive Neil Leitch also attended the visit and took the opportunity to thank the Princess for her ongoing work to highlight the importance of early education, and briefly discussed their #WeAreEducators campaign, which aims to recognise those working in the early years as educational professionals.
Speaking about the visit on Twitter, the Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) said, ‘Learning through play at Foxcubs Nursery! Outstanding early years settings like this play a huge role in positively shaping a child’s development. The collaboration between staff and parents is just one of the ways children here are supported in their first five years.’
The Princess of Wales with EYA chief executive Neil Leitch (top left) and children and staff from Foxcubs Nursery, photo courtesy of Kensington Palace.
Commenting on the visit, Leitch said, ‘It was an absolute privilege to welcome The Princess of Wales to Foxcubs Nursery.
‘We know that early education is a key focus for The Princess and the work of the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood has been pivotal in changing perceptions of early childhood and raising awareness of the critical importance of the early years.
‘Given that our current campaign, #WeAreEducators, is all about shining a light on our fantastic educational professionals, we are incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to showcase the outstanding early years provision at Foxcubs to The Princess today.
‘We would like to express to The Princess our deep gratitude for her unwavering commitment to our sector, and we look forward to supporting the continued work of the Royal Foundation on this important issue.’