We are thrilled to announce the arrival of our new school wellbeing dog, Basil
Basil is a cockapoo and has been a member of staff at Bishopsgate since September 2024 and just like all of our new children, it will take him a little while to get adjusted.
We have spent the first month showing him around the school site – he particularly likes joining in with outdoor lessons and snoozing in Basil’s Base.
Basil will undertake training with the certified training academy – PAWS. The training will take place on school grounds, around staff and students. Basil’s role will be to work with all members of the school community, adults alike in order to support all aspects of wellbeing. He will spend his timetabled days visiting the classrooms, working outdoors and having one-on-
one sessions.
Basil and working at Bishopsgate
Basil loves coming to school. He is very happy and comfortable in his surroundings and Bishopsgate is now his second home. He enjoys working with groups of children from all ages and he visits and joins in with lessons wherever it is appropriate. He joins the children outside at break times for ‘wellbeing walks’ and there is usually a long queue of children hoping to hold his lead and walk him each day. He loves to chase or catch a ball and loves to join in with the children’s games.
The benefits of Basil
Therapy dogs/wellbeing dogs have been working in UK schools for the past five years but have been commonplace in schools in the US and Australia for many years. There are many benefits to having a school dog, including:
- a calming effect on pupils, particularly those with behavioural or learning difficulties
- improved behaviour and concentration, reduced stress and improved self-esteem
- encouraging expression and participation in more withdrawn children
- fostering a sense of responsibility
- motivating pupils to think and to learn, as most children have a high level of natural interest in, enthusiasm for and enjoyment of animals
- encouraging respect and thereby improving pupils’ relationships with each other, parents and teachers
- teaching children to nurture and respect life
- helping work undertaken with the most vulnerable children, and educational improvements with low achievers
- helping children build confidence in reading.
Research into the effects of well-being dogs in schools is showing a range of benefits including:
- increase in school attendance
- gains in confidence
- decreases in learner anxiety behaviours resulting in improved learning outcomes, such as increases in reading and writing levels
- positive changes towards learning and improved motivation
- enhanced relationships with peers and teachers due to experiencing trust and unconditional love from a therapy dog. This in turn helps students learn how to express their feelings and enter
into more trusting relationships.
For any questions or concerns, please contact basil@bishopsgatesch.uk or Mr J Cantelo
