The Princess of Wales highlights how early childhood shapes lifelong wellbeing this Children’s Mental Health Week

Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales visited Castle Hill Academy in New Addington, Croydon, to mark Children’s Mental Health Week 2026, shining a light on the vital role early childhood plays in shaping lifelong wellbeing. As Patron of Place2Be, the children’s mental health charity that founded Children’s Mental Health Week in 2015, this visit underlined Her Royal Highness’s continued commitment to early intervention and the creation of nurturing, supportive environments for children and young people.

This year’s theme, “This Is My Place,” encouraged children to reflect on where they feel they belong and what helps them feel grounded and connected. Castle Hill Academy has worked closely with Place2Be for many years, embedding mental wellbeing across school life and providing sustained emotional support to pupils and families. During the visit, The Princess met children, parents, teachers, and Place2Be practitioners to hear how trusted relationships, creativity, and play were helping the school community explore the theme.

Her Royal Highness began by visiting the school’s Early Years outdoor play space, funded by Deloitte, a member of The Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood. The space was designed using Place2Be’s therapeutic principles and promotes emotional regulation, sensory exploration, and imaginative play, experiences that are fundamental in early childhood and closely linked to the social and emotional skills that underpin later learning, resilience, and relationships.

The Princess then spent time with parents who have benefitted from Place2Be’s support, including several who had accessed the charity’s services when they were pupils at Castle Hill Academy themselves.

In the school’s Art Studio, The Princess joined children working on the official Children’s Mental Health Week art project, developed by The Art Room at Place2Be. The children shared their “belonging maps,” creative reflections on the people, places and experiences that help them feel secure.

To conclude the visit, The Princess met with Castle Hill Academy and Place2Be leadership to discuss the school’s whole‑school approach to mental health and the particular challenges faced by children and families in New Addington.

Last year, the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood published The Shaping Us Framework, setting out the core life skills that help shape who we are, how we manage emotions and thoughts, how we communicate and relate to others, and how we explore the world around us. These social and emotional skills form the foundation for a healthy, happy life. They help us build meaningful relationships and a sense of connection and belonging, which support us to thrive in good times and cope with challenges throughout our lives. The work that Place2Be does in schools and nurseries is vital in helping families nurture these skills from an early age.