The gorgeous Honey, Florence and Archer!
Creating a culture of wellbeing with animals in schools
During a recent visit to a primary school in North Dorset, I was met by the Headteacher and her two dogs.
The dogs were playful and delighted to welcome visitors with a wag of their tails and an over exuberance of excitement as they came for cuddles and fuss. Then walking around the school, I became aware of two more dogs in different classrooms, lying on the mat or checking in with the children as they were working, a friendly head on a knee or lying beside a group as they tackle their maths problems.
The dogs were real members of the school community and loved by the children, parents, and staff within the school. On a visit here, it isn’t unusual to see children taking the dogs for a walk in the grounds, or the dogs wandering around checking in with the children, sitting alongside them and resting a head on a child’s knee, particularly when they are struggling with learning, or are upset or cross about a situation that has happened at playtime or in the classroom. The dogs are not only part of the school family but bring a wealth of benefits in terms of the emotional wellbeing for the children and the whole school community.
A visit to another local school and the value of animals and the outdoors is again an intrinsic feature, with chickens, guinea pigs, rabbits and bees as part of the school curriculum and culture. These are mainstream primary schools with a real awareness of the benefits animals can bring to their children in terms of everyday life skills, feeding the animals, caring for them, and developing awareness and a mutual respect.
It is powerful to see how the animals help the children with their emotional regulation, calming them when they are upset or angry, the physical touch and soothing nature of stroking them or taking them for a walk and talking to them with a sense that the animals are really understanding and connecting to the children. For many children the animals bring healing, a sense of being loved without judgement, and a real sense of companionship and care where children can begin to trust in another and can begin to explore some of their feelings in a safe way.
It was extremely evident how these animals are part of the daily life of the school, part of the community, but most strikingly, part of a culture of connection and wellbeing where relationships matter and children feel valued and safe.
Look out for my next blog ‘The therapeutic benefits of animals and pets in schools’ where I look in a bit more detail at some of the top 10 benefits of animals and pets in schools.
