Rosie: Our School Dog
As of January 2018, our schools welcomed a new member to our staff, Rosie the Labradoodle!
A number of schools in the Havering area have a range of pets, which are used for a variety of reasons, such as therapy or learning about animals.
Rosie is based around the school office areas and will have contact with children under direct supervision from staff. A hygiene pack is also carried by staff who take Rosie out of the office area, so any fouling is cleared and the area cleaned immediately.
Rosie will be kept on a lead at all times when in school.
There is no cost to the schools for the care, feeding or cleaning of the school dog.
The breed of labradoodle is well known for having an excellent temperament and they also have minimal shedding fur.
A full risk assessment is in place for the school dog, which has been reviewed and agreed by the Havering Health and Safety team. This risk assessment is reviewed at least annually, or as required.
More photos coming soon of Rosie in action....
Research shows that there are schools in the UK and many schools in America that have a dog in school for the following reasons;
- Building confidence and self esteem
- Providing comfort and breathing space
- Alleviate Pupil and Staff Stress
- Improving behaviour and concentration
- A dog can have a calming effect on pupils with behavioural and learning difficulties.
- Improving literacy – There is an organisation called ‘Bark and Read’ that has evidenced a marked improvement on children’s reading ages. Within six weeks 60 per cent of the children taking part improved their reading age by more than three months.
The schools respects the views and wishes of staff and parents/carers for them or their children to not have contact with animals. If this is the case, please notify the school office, so we can ensure Rosie does not have close contact with them.