Today we have officially welcomed a special four-legged friend therapy dog Jack to the school.

Jack is a 10-month-old black Labrador retriever and has been specially trained to work with children and staff. Since completing his training, Jack has been getting to know the children during his weekly visits. He is quickly becoming part of Broomhill’s family and the children can’t wait for his next visit. 

Jack helps progress the educational, social, emotional and physical development of the children. He is always with an adult and will be participating in classroom activities and targetted therapuetic wellbeing interventions with individuals and small groups. He will also be joining the children on forest walks, outdoor discovery and life skills classes, such as road safety. 

Headteacher, Miss Hayley is Jack’s owner and handler. “Jack’s friendly, gentle personality puts everyone at ease and has significant anti-stress benefits. He provides unconditional love and is always happy to greet the children. He is a good listener and has a wonderful ability to make children smile, even if they are having a bad day. It makes all the difference for the children to spend time with Jack and I am looking forward to him helping them to build confidence and new skills.” 

Risks or any concerns.

Jack was selected by a reputable breeder as having a calm and confident temperament. However, there are risks of having a school dog, although there are a variety of accidents which can happen within the school environment which far exceed the number of injuries or incidents caused by a dog. Therefore, it is just another risk that needs to be carefully managed through a detailed risk assessment.  Any parent who does not wish their child to interact with Jack is invited to share their wishes through messaging Miss Hayley on Class Dojo or telephone the school with any questions. This risk assessment will be reviewed regularly and the impact of a school dog will be evaluated by the school senior management team.