Sally Lees

Sally Lees has been an educator for 30 years, beginning her career as a music teacher before becoming Head of Performing Arts in a secondary school. She now serves as an Assistant Headteacher and Designated Safeguarding Lead at the largest secondary academy in Gloucestershire. Sally studied at Cardiff University, completed her PGCE in Secondary Music at Bath College, and gained the National Award for SENCo from the University of Worcester in 2016.

Sally’s career is driven by a deep commitment to student wellbeing and to helping young people better understand and manage their mental health. Combining this passion with her lifelong love of dogs, she has spent the past six years leading and developing the therapy dog and animal‑assisted intervention programme at Cheltenham Bournside School. Central to her work is a dual focus: nurturing the wellbeing of students and ensuring the highest standards of welfare for the therapy dogs involved.

Working alongside her black Labrador, Lottie, Sally has achieved the Kennel Club Good Citizen awards and completed the Therapy Dog Training UK assessments. Lottie is now a familiar and valued member of the school community, supporting students and staff on a daily basis. In 2024, Lottie had a litter of seven puppies, three of whom have begun their own training journeys, following in their mother’s pawprints. One of them, Olive, has joined the school programme and is already working alongside Sally and Lottie.

Alongside her role in education, Sally is continuing her professional development with the IMDT and contributes to national work on establishing clear guidance, best practice, and consistent standards for schools wishing to implement animal‑assisted learning.