Dog falls foul of school inspectors

Dog falls foul of school inspectors

Quote :

This elderly small dog appears well socialised and pupils respond to it readily
Ofstfed report

A West Highland Terrier found itself in the dog house with schools inspectors after being taken in by a head teacher.Rosie, an 11-year-old rescue dog, was in danger of being banned from The New School in Exminster, Devon. Ofsted
inspectors were concerned that pupils were petting the dog and that she
was allowed to roam the corridors and gardens of the school.
They asked for a risk assessment and eventually she was allowed to stay, the Times Educational Supplement reports. 'Unbelieveable' Head
teacher Michelle Taylor took the dog from a rescue home 18 month ago
and brought her in to school after checking she was safe. She
says Rosie is "the most docile animal you've ever seen in your life"
and that the children love her and "give her a hug if they're upset".
She told the Times Educational Supplement (TES) she was
confused about why the inspector was so concerned about the dog.
"I couldn't believe it to be honest. "Occasionally she will go to the toilet,
but the children tell us and we clean it up."
Concerns were raised about the dog and the safety of the building during a spot check in February. There was a follow-up visit from England's schools inspectors Ofsted a month ago. This time, the dog received a good report. The
inspector wrote: "Following the unannounced visit, the school was
required to conduct risk assessments relating to the safety of the
premises and the presence of a pet dog". He added: "This
elderly small dog appears well socialised and pupils respond to it
readily when it ventures away from the head teacher's office. "A
risk assessment has been undertaken and pupils have been instructed to
wash their hands after handling or stroking the dog. Some pupils were
noted doing this. "No concerns have been expressed by parents."
'Health and safety
A spokeswoman for Ofsted said: "As an independent school, Ofsted inspects
it at the request of the Department for Children, Schools and Families
to check that it has met the appropriate regulations. "Between
the inspection and the progress monitoring visit, Ofsted made a further
visit, at the request of the DCSF, to follow up a complaint concerning
health and safety of the children owing to poor repair of the building
and the presence of a dog." The school was given an "outstanding"
rating for the education it provides when it was fully-inspected in 2007.



The head says pupils pet the dog if
they are upset

i think it's a great idea



http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8407859.stm