Kate Middleton opens a school for excluded children in London
Kate goes back to work! Duchess is elegant in a forest green Emilia Wickstead dress as she opens a new school for excluded children in London on her return from Easter break
- Duchess of Cambridge opened a school for excluded children in London as she returned to work after Easter
- Pears Family School brings parents back into the classroom so they can learn how to help their children
- It is at the heart of the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families new Kantor Centre of Excellence
- Kate, 37, is elegant in a custom Emilia Wickstead dress, £495 Mulberry bag and £566 Gianvito Rossi heels
The Duchess of Cambridge returned to public duties today following the Easter break as she opened a new school for excluded children.
Kate, 37, appeared in excellent spirits as she arrived at the Pears Family School, part of the Anna Frued National Centre for Children and Families’ new north London headquarters.
The royal looked elegant in a custom forest green Emilia Wickstead dress, £495 Mulberry bag and £566 Gianvito Rossi heels for the outing. She finished the look with diamond and opal earrings by Kiki McDonough.
Beaming as she stepped out of the car, the Duchess was greeted outside the Kantor Centre of Excellence before making her way inside to learn more about the work being done to reintroduce youngsters into mainstream education.
While Kate joined her brother-in-law Prince Harry at the Anzac Day service at Westminster Abbey, today marks her first outing to one of her charitable causes since taking time off over Easter.
The Duchess of Cambridge, 37, appeared in excellent spirits as she arrived to open the Pears Family School, part of the Anna Frued National Centre for Children and Families’ new north London headquarters
The Duchess of Cambridge looked elegant in a forest green Emilia Wickstead dress and nude heels and matching nude clutch for the outing
Make like Kate in a fit a flare dress by Emilia Wickstead
Emilia Wickstead A-line wool crepe dress
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The Duchess of Cambridge turned to one of her favorite designers as she stepped out to an engagement today.
The royal wore a moss green dress by Emilia Wickstead, featuring a flattering A-line cut and square neckline. We love the pared-back simplicity of the design, which she teamed with a Mulberry bag, Gianvito Rossi shoes and Kiki McDonough earrings.
Kate has worn Emilia Wickstead on many other occasions and this dress is not too dissimilar in shape to a lilac version we’ve spotted her in before.
Emilia Wickstead has quite the royal fan base, as the Duchess of Sussex and Countess of Wessex famously love the label too. In fact, Kate’s sister Pippa wore a bespoke design in a very similar green shade to Princess Eugenie’s wedding.
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The Duchess of Cambridge smiled broadly as she arrived at the Anna Freud Centre of Excellence in London
The Anna Frued National Centre for Children and Families, of which Kate is patron, has moved its various departments under one roof, bringing together the best in research, policy and practice.
It is a space where leaders in neuroscience, mental health, social care and education work together with children and young people to improve understanding and practice.
Kate spent more than 30 minutes chatting to donors, supporters, architects and staff from the charity. Speaking about the new building the duchess told one group: ‘It must be so wonderful for you to see it.’
At the heart of the centre is the Pears Family School, which specialises in children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, which often cause them to play up in class.
Families are asked to come into the classroom to witness their child’s troublesome behaviour and are coached on how they can deal with it at home.
During the visit Kate will meet children and their families and take part in a music class.
Kate has made ‘early years’ intervention one of the cornerstones of her public work after seeing how so many problems faced by adults she had met – including those suffering with mental health issues, addiction and social exclusion – stem from their childhood.
Kate, pictured arriving today, has made ‘early years’ intervention one of the cornerstones of her public work after seeing how so many problems faced by adults she had met
The Duchess of Cambridge wore her hair in bouncy waves for the engagement in London
The Duchess was greeted outside before making her way inside to learn more about the centre’s work
The Duchess accessorised with a delicate pair of drop earrings and a matching necklace
Kate has enjoyed some time off over Easter but appeared keen to get back to her public duties this morning. Pictured, the royal arriving at the Anna Freud National Centre of Excellence
Kate plumped for a long-sleeved dress in a flattering shade of forest green. It is believed to be a custom creation by favourite designer Emilia Wickstead
The royal mother-of-three flashed a broad smile as she stepped out of her car in London
She has set up a task force of experts to investigate the issue, with a view to announcing a series of findings and recommendations later this year.
The Pears school, which has already been running as a pilot on a temporary site, is set to take 48 children aged five to 13.
All of those attending will have been excluded from school for bad behaviour caused by ‘conduct disorders’ and emotional problems.
In the first four years of the pilot, 60 per cent of the children were able to return to mainstream schooling after four terms – and 95 per cent of those children remained there.
The Duchess of Cambridge smiles broadly during the engagement at The Anna Freud Centre of Excellence, of which she is patron
The Duchess of Cambridge enjoyed a light-hearted moment as she learned more about the services offered to children
It has been so successful that the charity is now working with several local authorities across the country to replicate the model elsewhere.
School leaders say the intervention is vital to stop children becoming ‘stuck’ in permanent exclusion – which can make youngsters vulnerable to grooming by criminal gangs later on.
New research from the Anna Freud Centre shows excluded children are more likely to experience behavioural and attention difficulties, emotional problems, difficulties with peers, and perceived stress.
Stephen Taylor, founding head teacher of the school, said: ‘As part of the deal, the parent has to agree to be part of the school. Having parents there is key to making a change.
The Duchess of Cambridge is on hand to open a new building for the Anna Freud Centre of Excellence. At the centre of the building is the new Pears Family School
The Duchess of Cambridge carried a Mulberry clutch (left) and showcased her keen eye to detail with a pair of green amethyst and diamond oval drop earrings by Kiki McDonough (right)
The Duchess of Cambridge wore her Emilia Wickstead dress with a pair of £566 heels by favourite designer Gianvito Rossi
The Duchess of Cambridge appeared refreshed after her time off over Easter and smiled as she arrived at the centre
The Duchess of Cambridge is patron of the Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families and was on hand to open its new Centre of Excellence today
‘It means that when the child gets back into mainstream, this is a parent that is supportive of the school… rather than being a parent that maybe assumes that a school is picking on their child, or has got it wrong.’
Part of the journey is bringing parents out of the ‘denial’ that their child has a problem, Mr Taylor said.
‘It’s challenging for the parents because they have to acknowledge that there’s things that they could do differently,’ he said. ‘The change has to be about them as well as the child.’
The practices at the school are informed by world-class researchers at the Anna Freud Centre, who specialise in helping pupils with mental health issues.
The charity was founded as a clinic in Hampstead in 1952 by Anna Freud, daughter of Sigmund Freud, the creator of psychoanalysis.
Among the children it has treated are victims of knife crime, who often suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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