The Duchess in Familiar Pieces for Children’s Mental Health Week Call

The Duchess brought back a familiar jacket for a call with teachers from Ribbon Academy in County Durham. 

The Academy has worked with Place2Be since 2002 to provide teachers and school staff with tools to support children and parents’ mental health, as well as their own.  The Duchess asked teachers some quick-fire questions on the call and heard from Headteacher Ashleigh Sheridan and teachers Hannah Rispin and Louise Tweedie about the pandemic’s impact on students. 

Here is a quick clip: 

What an inspiring group of teachers!

Although it’s Children’s Mental Health Week, we need to ensure our teachers are supported as well. @Place2Be have been champions of mental health in schools across the UK & continue to provide support to those in need throughout lockdown. pic.twitter.com/I7Oo0oCBVU

— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) February 4, 2021

She also heard about the ways Place2Be supports the whole school community, including teachers.

The Duchess is Place2Be’s royal patron. She spoke about the vital work teachers are doing in supporting children and their families during the pandemic. 

“You play such a vital role in looking after our children. It’s so important that you’re looked after too and have the appropriate networks and support systems to make sure you can really do the best job you possible can. I’m really glad that Place2Be is there [for you]. They’re needed across the country more now than ever. I wanted to say a massive thank you to teachers across the country for doing fantastic jobs. It’s been really hard work but please look after yourselves.”

And the Duchess spoke with Chris Reay, a High-Level Teaching and Learning Partner, who took part in Place2Be sessions following a traumatic event when he was a child; he now works at the school as an adult. 

Mr. Reay is one of five members of the teaching staff who have completed Place2Be’s Mental Health Champions Foundation Programme in the last five months. Kensington Palace reports “the fully-funded training program has been made accessible to 50,000 UK teachers and school staff this year and provides a five-week course on factors that contribute to positive mental health, what a child’s behaviour might be communicating about their underlying needs and the importance of positive mental health for the adults around a child.”

More about the call from this Express story:

Kate, who has previously spoken out on homeschooling George and Charlotte, added: “I’m so passionate about all the works that teachers up and down the country are doing.

“You are doing the most amazing job.

Here is the full 4:45 video. 

The theme for this year’s Children’s Mental Health Week is “Express Yourself,” and earlier this week Ribbon Academy students did an exercise in expressing themselves through creative drawing.

The Palace shared some of the artwork on social media earlier this week. 

Another wonderful piece of expressive art. 

Now for our look at what Kate wore for the call. She was in a jacket by Rebecca Taylor. 

We first saw Kate wearing the piece in 2017, along with a matching dress, when she officially opened a Ronald McDonald House serving families at Evelina Children’s Hospital. 

The ‘Sparkle Tweed Ruffle Jacket‘ is made of a cotton/acrylic/poly/acetate blend and showcases frayed trim at the cuff, collar, placket, pockets, hem, and waist seam. The fitted piece has a split collar, front pockets, and a wide front placket concealing a snap closure, and peplum.

The Duchess also wore her Rhodochrosite Gold Mini Pyramid Charm Hoops ($110) by Missoma. 

LINKAGE:

• Learn more about Children’s Mental Health Week at this website; visit the Place2Be Facebook page here; the group’s Instagram page is here