Stress-busting dog arrives at Brighton girls’ school to help calm exam nerves of Covid-era students

Pip the Cavapoo to the rescue! Stress-busting dog arrives at £15,000-a-year Brighton girls’ school to help calm the nerves of anxious A-Level students who have NEVER sat a public exam because of Covid

Year 13 pupils have no experience with external exams due to Covid restrictions At one £15,000-a-year school, a dog is helping students cope with the stress The therapy dog, called Pip, is a cross between a spaniel and a miniature poodleBrighton Girls School said the dog was helping students with their mental health 

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A Cavapoo called Pip has been brought in to help calm frayed nerves and pre-exam jitters for pupils taking exams for the first time.

Due to the Covid pandemic, A-level candidates across Britain have never sat a public examination before.

But Brighton Girls School felt they could help their pupils mental health and well-being during this stressful time.

Pip, a cross between a cavalier King Charles spaniel and a miniature poodle, has been sitting in on exam classes at the senior school to help as well as helping younger pupils with their reading groups.

And she has been going down a storm with the girls who say she has helped calm nerves and concentrate their minds.

Pip the Cavapoo has been brought in to help calm frayed nerves and pre-exam jitters for pupils at Brighton Girls’ School taking exams for the first time – with Covid having cancelled their GCSEs. Pictured: Pupil Molly with Pip the emotional support dog

Pip, the emotional support dog, is a cross between a cavalier King Charles spaniel and a miniature poodle

Introducing dogs in schools has been growing in popularity since educationalist Sir Anthony Seldon declared he believed all schools should have a dog or other pet in order to reduce stress in the classroom – although critics argue it could cause harm to both animals and children if done incorrectly

Molly Kronhamn, 17, who is taking A-levels in history, classics and English literature, said: ‘Having never officially sat our GCSEs, it’s the process and the formality of the A-levels that feel a bit overwhelming as they approach.

‘I have been OK with the revision, it’s just the thought of the actual moment of the exams that has been nerve wracking.’

Molly, who is hoping to go get into the University of York, said: ‘It was lovely to have Pip with us when we have been revising – she is a calming distraction and takes your mind off what’s ahead for a little while so you come back to work with a fresh mind.’

Cluny Graham, 17, who is studying A-levels in biology, economics and sports science, said: ‘While I like the learning side of my studies, I strongly dislike the actual exams and the stress they bring. 

‘It’s been a difficult time and Pip has been a lovely calming influence during revision.’

Introducing dogs in schools has been growing in popularity since educationalist Sir Anthony Seldon declared he believed all schools should have a dog or other pet in order to reduce stress in the classroom.

In 2019 he explained: ‘The quickest and biggest hit that we can make to improve mental health in our schools and to make them feel safe for children is to have at least one dog in every single school in the country.’

Year 13 students have never sat an external exam before, due to their GCSEs having been cancelled during the Covid pandemic

Brighton Girls’ School, which charges £15,000 a year, said it introduced Pip the canine to help students’ mental health

Rosie McColl, headteacher at the £15,000-a-year Brighton Girls, said: ‘There is growing evidence of the benefit of a school dog for children’s and adults’ social and emotional wellbeing.

‘It has been an incredibly tough time for Year 13s over the last two years. 

‘They were the ones who had to deal with the mental blow of having their GCSEs cancelled when the pandemic first hit and consequently they have had no experience of what it’s like to sit an external exam.

‘Pip’s presence really changes the atmosphere when they are revising – and the girls really seem to respond to that in terms of their mental health.’

Last year the school introduced ‘laughter classes’ to help the pupils adjust to help reintroduce camaraderie and fun after pupils returned to school following months of lockdown.

‘A dog in every school’: The risks of integrating a canine into the classroom

The influential educationalist Sir Anthony Seldon said at a conference in 2019 that he believed dogs could be ‘a powerfully cost-effective way of helping children feel more secure at schools’.

Sir Seldon said every school should adopt a dog or other pet so as to reduce stress in the classroom.

However, one headteacher at a school in north Somerset said the novel idea could lead to both dogs and children being put at risk.

Nik Gardner, headteacher at Winford CE Primary School, wrote: ‘Unfortunately, a number of dogs have now bitten children in schools, and each time the dog in question has sadly been put to sleep. 

‘Many dogs are being treated like a toy, dogs are being kept in crates in a classroom all day, and puppies are being handled inappropriately, which could lead to a long-lasting trauma.

‘Dogs are sentient beings with complex emotional needs, and if a dog is simply taken in without any prior training or assessment, it can prove to be a very stressful environment for that dog to be in. 

‘If this is compounded by children and adults who have very little idea of how to treat and be around a dog, through naïvety and lack of education, this could be disastrous.’

The Society for Companion Animal Studies said before a dog is brought into a classroom, a ‘multidisciplinary approach’ must be designed, based on input from a veterinarian and animal behaviourist. 

The charity said any classroom dog must be carefully assessed for temperament, health and behaviour before being inducted into an emotional support role for children.

They added that playtime with children must be time limited to prevent the dog becoming stressed. 

In addition, the canine must be free to ‘opt out’ of spending time with children whenever it is tired of the attention. 

The craze of ’emotional support animals’ goes beyond just dogs, with ostensibly uncomforting animals like snakes, rats and even spiders being used by therapists. 

Emotional Support Animal Co., a consultancy, claims snakes are ‘prime candidates’ for support animals, especially for people with fur allergies.

They explained that serpents’ natural impulse to constrict could be interpreted as a hug by people in need of soothing.

Meanwhile, a rat in Georgia, the United States, has undergone training to withstand being passed around and loud noises – so as to qualify it to act as a therapy animal for children.

And Business Insider writes that even tarantulas can be emotional support animals, as they ‘have hair’, ‘very low venom levels’ and can survive with little care – needing just one cricket per week to avoid starvation.

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