The Dog Mentor is a full end-to-end affiliation and accreditation programme that enables you to achieve the most amazing impact across the whole of your school community while always making sure that the welfare of your dog is looked after at all times.
It's not just about the more common areas that you will think of such as communication, behaviour and well-being. It's also about educational improvement by using your dog to assist with teaching in educational areas too! It's also about staff well-being - a hugely important topic.
Here are some extracts from Ofsted inspection reports from Dog Mentor schools that have highlighted the positive benefit of their school dog...
"Leaders have introduced Stella, a school dog, under the Dog Mentor scheme. This initiative has had a very positive impact on pupils."
"The school invests in the professional learning of all staff. Staff value these opportunities. They swiftly apply their learning to support pupils. Staff are proud to uphold the nurturing ethos of the school. Morale is buoyant. Staff appreciate leaders’ support for their workload and well-being. They, along with pupils, enjoy spending time with Jasper, the school’s emotional support dog."
"All pupils are proud of Max, their well-being dog. They enjoy having him in lessons, taking him for walks and stroking him. Pupils say that Max promotes respect, calmness, focus and resilience when they work."
"Leaders want all pupils to thrive at the school. They have prioritised the emotional needs and mental health of the pupils. The much-loved therapy dog, Hugo, and the guinea pigs all help pupils manage their emotions. Staff use Hugo’s presence well to encourage the pupils’ physical development as they follow him down corridors or take him for a walk outside."
