There was a visit to Pegasus Primary School in Oxford for The Duchess of Cambridge today, who was there to see how the organisation, FamilyLinks, encourages emotional wellbeing.
Catherine, who focuses a lot on children’s mental health, was greeted by flag-waving pupils outside the school upon her arrival in a cream coat; more details on her outfit over at Replicate Royalty.
The Duchess of Cambridge during a visit to Pegasus Primary School in Oxford, where she learned about the work of the charity Family Links. Picture by ROTA / i-Images
The royal visitor also said hello to nine-month-old Tillie, who enthusiastically waved her arms at Kate, whilst being held by her mother.
Inside, the Duchess joined a ‘Circle Time’ session, in which Year 2 pupils get to speak about any worries they have and are encouraged to discuss problems, such as bullying and stress.
The Duchess of Cambridge meets baby Tillie, 9 months, and mother Diane Leach at Pegasus Primary School in Oxford. pic.twitter.com/3i5adkQcoF
— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) March 6, 2018
Family Links works with schools across the UK to support children and parents with their emotional health and wellbeing. At Pegasus Primary School, it forms part of the school’s attitude and approach to teaching.
Jodie said the group discussions about their emotions made it made things easier to deal with: “It helps us get all our emotions out so we don’t feel all bottled up.
“You don’t think about it so much. You tell someone, and when you’ve told someone it makes you feel a lot better. It helps us focus on our work, and not think about it for the rest of the day.I am so used to sharing my emotions now, because I trust everyone.”
HRH chats to students Jodie, Zhara and Emelia about how ‘Circle Time’ helps them to talk about difficult issues and support their classmates. pic.twitter.com/Eu5qzsSyf4
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) March 6, 2018
Zhara Gathenya, 10 added: “It is very important, because otherwise you just cannot focus properly. It is not good to keep yourself bottled up. It can cause problems at home as well.
“If you can solve your problem at school, it will be OK when you go home.”
Kate was very impressed with the session, praising the children’s work to be open. “I am very impressed by all of you. Having met lots of grown-ups who have not had this opportunity to speak about their feelings and emotions, you are setting yourself up for a fantastic start in life.”
“Keep up the hard work. It was very nice to meet you as well. Good luck. Say hi to your mums and dads.”
In another part of the school, she heard from families that had been supported by the charity.
The Duchess meets parents to hear more about how their families have overcome challenges with the support of @FamilyLinksUK. pic.twitter.com/V3C8fIRaXw
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) March 6, 2018
Sarah Darton, the chief executive of Family Links, told the Royal: “The cornerstone of the nurturing programme is empathy. And helping children, parents, teachers – all of us us – develop our capacity for understanding another person’s feelings, and to reflect those back.’
kate, duchess of cambridge, spoke to staff about emotional well-being in school (kensington palace)
Speaking to staff, The Duchess of Cambridge said: “There is so much emphasis on academic achievement. But so much of their social skills and their life skills are built through this.”
“Just to hear them speak so articulately… it’s extraordinary.”
During the visit, Catherine – who is expecting her third child next month – was given a personalised book of lullabies. It said ‘Prince George, Princess Charlotte and the New Royal Baby’ on the front cover.
Joyce Mobeka, who presented Kate with the book, told her: “You’ve had the practice of singing to your kids.”
