Prince William wants George and Charlotte to feel 'happy and emotionally supported' when they start school
As part of the Heads Together campaign, the royal parents have been speaking out about the issues surrounding children and mental health.
Prince William has said that when it comes to his children starting school, he wants to make sure Prince George and Princess Charlotte will feel emotionally supported as well as being able to reach their academic potential.
The Duke and Duchess are soon to visit Stewards Academy in Harlow, Essex, to learn about how today's teenagers manage with life pressures.
In a blog that was published on the Heads Together website, William wrote:
'The truth is, for many young people, changing schools or starting a new academic year is really difficult to deal with.
'Catherine and I have young children who will be going through this themselves in a short period of time, and like all parents we will want to make sure that our children are not just able to achieve their academic potential at school but are also happy and emotionally supported.' Kate and William will be visiting the school to promote their Heads Together campaign, which they launched in May alongside Prince Harry, in the hopes that it will encourage a healthy discussion surrounding mental health issues in the UK.
The three of them are also collaborating with different organisations and charities in the mental health sector.
In the same blog post, William also wrote: 'If we could end the old-fashioned idea that feeling down is something to be ashamed of, something that you shouldn't burden others with, we would make our society a much happier and healthier place.
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'By encouraging children to talk and to get support, we could stop these feelings developing into more serious problems that continue into adulthood.'
Stewards Academy is one of the schools supported by Place2Be, a children's mental health charity, as part of the Heads Together initiative.
William wrote about Stewards Academy: 'What Stewards Academy practises is the belief that children should be comfortable with admitting if they ever feel overwhelmed (it is very normal to feel like that, after all) and that children should know that they can ask for help.
'The sooner children learn in life that asking for help is okay, the better. It better equips us for adulthood - just as much as good academic results.'
While the royal couple are visiting the school, they'll join in on a 'big change' run involving students from the school's mentor scheme, in which older students help the new students joining the school in their first year.
They'll then watch a school assembly, hear speeches and watch performances by students, based on the topic of coping with large changes, after which William is set to deliver a speech.
William and Kate will also be introduced to some parents to talk about how adults can help children to talk about the big changes in their lives.
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