This term, we have had the privilege of welcoming a whole range of therapy dogs into Notley. Essex Therapy Dogs are a charity that pair up dogs with places such as care homes, hospitals and schools to help bring smiles and relieve tension.

Nala, the Newfoundland, has been paired with the school. She has been coming in once a fortnight to work with small groups of students and has proven to be a big hit with everyone. Despite the fact she looks like a bear, she is actually one of the most docile and gentle dogs anyone has ever met – perhaps in part because she has enjoyed visiting to get a rest from her eight 8 week old puppies!

During the March mock exam period, we were delighted to welcome a whole range of dogs before each exam to help calm Year 11 before they sat down to write. Coco the German Shephard, Clemmie the Cocker Spaniel, Rosie the Golden Retriever, Rori the Red Setter and Sam the French Bulldog joined Nala across the week. They spread real joy, and we cannot thank them (and their owners) enough for the help they offered to us. We are hoping that this will be replicated in the real exams in May and June to help ensure our GCSE and A Level students are in the right frame of mind to achieve really highly.