After two laps of the field, our school dog Pippin refused to move – she lay down and that was that. Luckily more than 50 other dogs were happy to continue their sponsored walk, raising funds for a whole-school trip.
Pippin isn’t a therapy dog, but she comes into school every Friday. Children who need a break from class take her for a walk, read to her or stroke her. Research shows that dogs provide mental health benefits, and pupils love getting to know Pippin.
Funding is a big challenge here at Burrowmoor Primary Academy, part of The Diamond Learning Partnership Trust. We are in an area of high deprivation. Some 45% of our children are eligible for pupil premium funding, and 25% are on the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) register. About 70% of the SEND children are pupil premium too, giving them a double disadvantage. I knew my school budget wouldn’t stretch to a trip to the seaside resort of Hunstanton for everyone so I needed to find a way for the children to earn their trip.
We have a wonderful school field, and I believe spending time outdoors is hugely important for children, so I organised a sponsored dog walk. Before the summer holidays, the school distributed paper sponsor forms and a newsletter to parents. Pippin and I held an assembly to promote the walk. I prepared a risk assessment and disclaimer, making it clear that every participant had to clear up after their dog.
We held the walk on a September afternoon as part of the school day. We handed out poo bags and dog biscuits and provided plenty of water. Pupils with no dog could bring a stuffed animal or walk on their own. More than 300 parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends came along, and it was wonderful to see parents chatting with children, and children mixing with different families. We have a number of pupils who recently moved from Africa and Southeast Asia, who aren’t used to the idea of dogs living in the home as pets, and I was pleased to see how they joined in. The whole event created a lovely feeling of pride and community.
When we counted the sponsorship money, we realised we had raised more than £3,200 – enough to pay for the entire school trip.
Ruth Bailey, headteacher, Burrowmoor Primary Academy, March, Cambs (330 pupils including nursery)
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