Case Studies

Case Study: Vicki Cutting and Wilf Vicki Cutting is an Emotional Health Worker and SEND Personalised Programme Mentor at the Respect Collaboration of Schools in Derby, which caters to 11-16-year-olds with diverse educational needs. With over 30 years in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), Vicki has dedicated her career to supporting children with social, emotional, and mental health difficulties. She has worked extensively with children experiencing anxiety, autism, and other challenges. Vicki also provides support in care homes as part of the Virtual School, holding qualifications in Animal Assisted Therapy. Her work with therapy dogs has become a crucial aspect of her approach to creating safe and supportive learning environments for these students. About your dog Wilf, Vicki’s current therapy dog, is a male cockapoo trained as a Facility (Assistance) Dog through Darwin Dogs Assistance Dogs Charity. Purchased from a breeder with the intent of being trained for therapy, Wilf supports students across several Respect School campuses three half-days per week. Vicki is by his side during all sessions, and special resting areas are provided to ensure Wilf’s well-being. His primary tasks include playful interaction, “pressure” (placing his chin on a student’s knee for comfort), and aiding transitions within the school. Your School The Respect Collaboration of Schools serves students with complex needs, including a Special School for pupils with social, emotional, and mental health issues, a Pupil Referral Unit, and provisions for students with medical needs who have Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). Many students have faced significant challenges in previous schooling, with histories of exclusion, low academic skills, or minimal formal education. The school prioritises turning around students’ attitudes toward learning, and Vicki’s work with Wilf is central to this mission. Why Did You Decide to Get a School Dog and How Did You Go About This? Vicki saw the potential for a therapy dog to play a transformative role in supporting Respect students, especially those struggling with anxiety, trauma, and behavioural issues. Drawing from her previous success with her first therapy dog, she introduced Wilf to provide comfort, companionship, and a safe emotional outlet for students. Wilf’s training was tailored to his role in school, ensuring he could effectively engage with students while managing the unique demands of a school environment. Vicki collaborated with school leadership to develop comprehensive policies, protocols, and risk assessments to protect both Wilf’s welfare and the students’. Current Achievements and Examples of Successes with Pupils Wilf’s presence has had a profound impact on students at the schools. Students who were previously disengaged from learning now attend classes with confidence, motivated by their bond with Wilf. He offers a “breathing space” for students in between challenging moments, whether it’s through walking around school grounds, sitting quietly, or participating in emotional support sessions. Students frequently express that Wilf’s kindness and patience make them feel “safe,” “welcome,” and eager to improve their reading and social skills. Wilf has also been instrumental in supporting students during transitions, helping them navigate the school day with reduced anxiety. His presence has enabled some students to feel comfortable expressing emotions, boosting their confidence in communicating with school staff. Wilf’s work with speech and language therapists has further supported students in their rehabilitation and preparation for reintegration into mainstream schooling. Things That Work Well To protect Wilf’s well-being, he works only three half-days per week, with a strict focus on resting time. His key tasks—play, pressure, and transition—are tailored to support student needs while considering his comfort. Kingsmead has created a “literacy box” with animal-themed books and colouring supplies for when Wilf isn’t present, so students can still connect with him indirectly. Additionally, Wilf has a social media presence, which the school uses to raise awareness of mental health issues and foster a safe space where students can communicate with Wilf online, with responses managed by staff. Contribution of the National School Dog Alliance (NSDA) to Schools Vicki believes that the NSDA can play an invaluable role in supporting schools by establishing standards and guidance for introducing therapy dogs. The NSDA’s input could help schools develop safe, effective protocols tailored to the unique dynamics of educational settings. By fostering shared practices and creating a network for schools with therapy dogs, the NSDA could facilitate knowledge-sharing and professional development, empowering schools to implement animal-assisted interventions safely and compassionately. The NSDA’s support would be instrumental in formalising practices that prioritise both the well-being of therapy dogs and the needs of students. This case study encapsulates Vicki Cutting’s dedication to her students’ emotional well-being through her innovative work with Wilf, illustrating the transformative power of dogs in education.

Emma and Robbie Richards Miss Emma Richards SENDCO and Assistant Principal About yourself I began my school journey as a 1-1 SEN support assistant. I increased my hours to become and class teaching assistant and then decided to take the plunge and complete a BA (Hons) in Primary Education. I qualified as a teacher in 2013 and then joined Inspire Academy in 2016 where I became SENDCO and a member of the senior leadership team. About your dog Robbie is a six-year-old, black Labrador retriever. Robbie started coming into school when he was just 8 weeks old to have a sniff and to say hello. He then joined fully when he was around 14 weeks old back in September 2018. Robbie loves to explore and will spin around during the ‘zoomies’ which is his signature move. Robbie loves to swim and would spend hours going in and out of the sea chasing his ball. Robbie’s two favourite things are snuggling and eating – he will eat anything! Robbie doesn’t want to miss out – he often sleeps in between the children’s chairs or if we pause for a movement break he will join us at the front of the class for a dance. Robbie loves to pull the stuffing out of toys – he thinks that is the aim and will then carry around an empty toy. He loves going on walks and will make eye contact with people until they stroke him when we are out. About your school Inspire Academy is a very special place to work. We are a two-form entry primary school and we have around 440 pupils on roll. We are based in Ashton-under-Lyne which is a market town in Tameside, Greater Manchester.  Our school only opened in 2015 and we added a new year group each September, growing year on year until we were finally full. This was an amazing experience to be a part of because it helped us to bond and develop the relationships between the staff, parents and children. We are part of the Victorious Academies Trust which currently has around 13 schools in Tameside. We have a vision for education that builds pathways for all, focusing on personal progress, academic progress, character development and progress to employment. Lifelong learning, professional development and community involvement are core to our purpose.  Why did you decide to get a school dog and how did you go about this? The school senior leadership team attended a speech and language conference and there was a therapy dog there. The therapist spoke about how engaging it was to have a dog and the positive impact that it had on the children’s development. We all joked and said that we wanted a school dog for Inspire Academy. However, the more we thought about it the better an idea it became – it stopped being a joke and we began to research properly.    We researched dog breeds and settled on a Labrador due their affectionate, loyal and loving nature. We discovered that many specialist schools had animals and dogs but that it wasn’t as common in Mainstream settings. We managed to find and make links with a couple of schools who had dogs and discussed best practice with them. I presented my research and findings to the school Governors and Trust Senior Leadership Team to get the final seal of approval. Once everything had been agreed officially I began my search for a reputable breeder. We discussed the plan for the dog and the breeder helped us to choose the most appropriate pup. I then attended a 2-day course with Archie Therapy – a successful school dog and his owner in Blackpool – and gained invaluable knowledge and experience surrounding how school could benefit from the human-animal interaction and how to implement it ethically, safely and effectively. We wrote to our parents to let them know that a new member of the Inspire staff team would be joining us in September 2018 and created a Twitter page so that the school community could follow Robbie’s story from the moment that we collected him. What are your current achievements eg examples of successes with pupils Things that work well Robbie loves to go on the school gate in the mornings and greet the children and parents. Robbie is good at helping children come into school if they are feeling unsettled and struggling to separate from their parents. Robbie attends local trips with pupils (e.g. over to the local park or nature walk). Robbie can help pupils to settle when they are feeling dysregulated. We take him for a walk or just sit with him. We have stickers printed with Robbie’s picture on – children will bring their work to show Robbie and he will give them a tail wag and a smile. Robbie meets guests when they visit school – he has met Olympians, dinosaurs, scientists and authors. Robbie’s twitter page is really successful – I think it’s a real honest reflection of his time in school. The children like to see what he gets up to and the parents can follow his journey too. Robbie spent a lot of time with Year 6 during the SATS period and gave lots of snuggles to keep everybody calm and settled. The children always find ways to include Robbie which is lovely – Easter egg making competition their were entries of Robbie. We had a ‘dress as something you love’ day and a child came dressed as Robbie which was lovely. Other schools within our Trust now have school dogs and we try to meet within the year for doggy play dates. Things that I think are important to mention: We have the Blue Cross charity come into school each year to deliver a dog safety assembly. They discuss dog behaviour and how to interact with a dog. I also mention how to interact with Robbie during assemblies and all staff reinforce this when children interact with Robbie. The