P.A.W.S. – Supporting Children’s Voice and Wellbeing Through Puppy Companionship

At our school, we are always looking for innovative ways to help every child feel safe, valued and ready to learn. Funded by a single benefactor, our pioneering P.A.W.S. (Puppy-Assisted Wellness and Speech) Programme brings together wellbeing, communication and learning through the unique bond between children and a specially trained puppy. Designed particularly to support Service children and pupils with additional needs, the programme provides a calm, nurturing space where children can develop emotional regulation, confidence, communication and social skills. Through carefully structured sessions, pupils take part in activities such as storytelling, vocabulary games, emotional literacy, listening activities and puppy-care routines, helping them to find their voice while building trust and a sense of belonging.

What makes P.A.W.S. particularly special is the way it brings together approaches that are often delivered separately. Our puppy becomes more than a source of comfort: through carefully planned and supported interactions, the puppy helps children practise communication, empathy, turn-taking, listening and emotional regulation in a natural and engaging way. The programme has been developed with the needs of our children in mind, including the particular experiences of Service children who may face relocation, parental deployment and changes in relationships and routines. By combining therapeutic principles, speech and language development, pastoral support and animal-assisted intervention within the school day, we are creating opportunities for children that traditional interventions may not always reach.

P.A.W.S. reflects our commitment to doing things differently when it makes a real difference to children. It is an ambitious, inclusive and child-centred approach that puts relationships, wellbeing and communication at the heart of learning. Through this pioneering programme, we are creating a school environment where children can feel secure, develop their confidence and discover that their voice matters.