School Dog
Meet Dexter
Some of you may have spotted a new addition to the Rutter-Brown household since the Summer holiday. Dexter the cockapoo has joined our family and is settling in very well and although Dexter will predominantly be a family pet, he is also going to start to visit the school, whilst training to be a therapy dog. Dexter will stay safely in the offices until satisfactory training has been completed. He will then, in time, work with small groups or on a one to one basis, but will always be accompanied by a trained adult.
When choosing Dexter there were certain things we needed to consider if he was also going to be coming into a school. Cockapoos are known to:
Be non-allergenic for people with allergies
Have a great temperament and a friendly demeanour
Be a breed recognised as one that makes a good therapy dog and a good companion.
Although I love animals, I am of course aware that many children and adults are not so keen, plus we have members of our school community that have allergies to pet hair. For that reason, on his visits to school, Dexter will only be allowed in my office and the ‘Nest’ which is our nurture provision room. He will not be able to move freely around the school and children will be invited to come and see him should they wish to do so. You can find our school dog policy on the website, along with a risk assessment, for further information.
Our school does have a ‘no dogs’ policy and dogs are not allowed anywhere on the school site. However, there is a risk assessment in place for Dexter and the school has a policy specifically for him. He will always be accompanied by an adult who knows him well and children’s time with him will be carefully monitored and supervised. We hope you will join us in welcoming Dexter to Kingsmead and embrace all that he can offer the school. More information about his progress will be in future newsletters. As this is a trial, the impact will be monitored and reviewed regularly so that the safety and education of the children is not compromised. Your feedback will be welcome and considered.
If you do not wish your child to be in contact with the dog whilst it is on the school premises, please let me know by emailing me on: lrutterbrown@kingsmead.cheshire.sch.uk