3rd Class had an amazing year taking part in the Roots of Empathy Programme with Baby Luke. Lisa-Ann from our School Completion Programme facilitated the sessions with Luke and his mum Emma. They watched looked grow and were fascinated at the different milestones he achieved throughout the year.
Roots of Empathy is a programme for primary school children. The programme’s aim is to increase empathy – the ability to understand how another person feels. Children learn to care for and respect each other, which leads to a reduction in bullying and aggression. At the heart of the programme was baby Luke and Emma who engaged so well with our pupils. Children become more competent in understanding their own feelings and the feelings of others (empathy) and are therefore less likely to physically, psychologically and emotionally hurt each other through bullying. A number of randomised controlled trials have found that children already identified as having bullying and aggressive behaviours, and who participated in Roots of Empathy, had a reduction in these behaviours of 88% compared to those identified children who did not receive the programme. The latter group had an increase in aggression and bullying behaviour of 50%. The observed reduction in aggression among the former group continues for at least three years after completion of the programme.
We are so grateful to Emma for facilitating us and we hope to see herself and Luke next year to see even more progress and milestones. Thanks Baby Luke. We will miss you XXX
