Dougie Time

Welcome to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Page

St Edward’s Catholic First School will be taking part in an exciting new program called ‘Dougie Time’.

Dougie, our school dog, will be working with Mr Keohane (SENDCo) to support the delivery of Animal-Assisted Therapy.

Animal-Assisted Therapy is an intervention that supports educational, behavioural, and emotional development in young people. Animal-Assisted Therapy can help to:

·       Improve emotional wellbeing

·       Improve overall academic achievement and social skills

·       Aid attainment in literacy

·       Provide a calming influence in the classroom

·       Boost self-esteem and confidence

·       Increase motivation

Meet Dougie

School Dog Policy

Follow Dougie on his own Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/dougie_the_school_dog/ 

To ensure all of the children know how to be safe around Dougie and understand him, each class received an exciting, informative workshop. The children had the opportunity to see a dog called ‘Tigger’ who belonged to the Dogs Trust. They learnt about how to care for a dog; what dogs need to be healthy and what we can do to help train dogs.

Dogs Trust E-Certificate

Dougie has become certified!
Dougie has worked very hard to complete his certification to become a school therapy dog. A representative from Canine Assisted Learning has been coming into school each term to train him as part of their Affiliate Programme. He has learnt a variety of tricks but also has been taught to be a calm influence in sessions. Each time the trainer has visited, she has commented on how well he has done and also how settled he is in school. We are very proud of him and his achievements. Well done Dougie!

Dougie's Therapy Dog Certificate