The Duchess of Cambridge joins a science lesson teaching the importance of early childhood development

The Year 8 science lesson recapped on the learning which took place as part of the ‘Secondary Education around Early Neurodevelopment’ research project run by Oxford University. A project which is trialling new science curriculum content on early childhood development and neuroscience with Key Stage 3 pupils. 

The focus of this research aligns strongly with The Duchess and her work on early childhood as it is steeped in the understanding of the critical importance of early child development and its influence on an individual’s long-term health, wellbeing and potential in the future. 

After the lesson The Duchess then joined a meeting of Chief Executives of Academy Trusts at Buckingham Palace to discuss the encouraging results of the SEEN program which demonstrated that, of the students who completed the course:

• 86% could give a practical example of what they could do to maximise a child’s development

• Over 90% of pupils knew how a caregiver should speak to a baby to promote their language development 

• 80% understood that a child’s environment affects their development

• 80% correctly reported that a child’s brain develops fastest in the first 5 years of life