The Duchess of Cambridge visited pupils and staff at Bethlem and Maudsley Hospital School in Beckenham on Tuesday 10 February in her role as patron of charity
Place2Be. The visit was private and was not publicised in advance.
A Kensington Palace spokeswoman said: “This visit was arranged through Place2Be, of which Her Royal Highness is Royal Patron, after learning about their work during the Place 2 Reflect conference last year to further develop her knowledge of the sector."
The Duchess listened to the school's head teacher Dr John Ivens, an educational psychologist; speak at the
Place2Be conference on children's mental health in June.
Dr John Ivens said: “The Duchess`s visit went exceptionally well. The pupils in the school who came from Acorn Lodge, the Bethlem Adolescent Unit, Snowsfields Adolescent Unit and the Intensive Treatment Programme, were able to meet and talk with her, either directly or by video conferencing.”
“I am sure it was an experience that they will remember forever. The visit came as a result of a talk given last summer on the work that goes on both in the hospital and the school. The Duchess`s three hour visit showed this was of keen interest to her.
“The Duchess also took part in a science experiment with children at the school`s Maudsley site through a video conference."
The Duchess became patron of
Place2Be - the leading UK provider of school-based mental health support in 2013 and is passionate about its cause. She has become closely involved with its attempts to provide early intervention for children before problems escalate.
The school, which is run by the London Borough of Southwark, provides education to SLaM inpatients at Bethlem and Maudsley Hospitals up to the age of 19.
Whilst at the school the Duchess recorded a video message to support the UK’s first Children’s Mental Health Week (16 – 22 February 2015).