Our School Dogs
We are so lucky at Cheltenham Bournside School to have two school dogs! They are very special members of our school community and can be found on site every day.
Lottie
Let us introduce you to them. Firstly, we have Lottie.
Lottie is our eldest school dog. She is a friendly five year-old black Labrador and who joined Cheltenham Bournside School in June 2021, when she was just 8 weeks old.
Lottie is a key member of our pastoral and culture team in the school. She is on-site daily, and works with students on an individual basis, as well as spending time with as many students as possible during social times. Lottie loves attention and cuddles and her presence at school never fails to put a smile on the faces of everyone who meets her throughout the day. We believe that animals can have a significant positive impact on mental health and wellbeing, and Lottie is brilliant at helping us all to be present in the moment.
We are committed to continuous profeesional development for ALL members of our team, and Lottie has been no exception! She worked hard to achieve the Gold Award in the Kennel Club Good Citizen Scheme in July 2022. Then, in March 2024 she, alongside her handler Mrs Lees, worked through the training workshops, whilst Mrs Lees completed written assignments. Lottie then passed the temperament assessment with Therapy Dogs Training UK. They were finally awarded the TDT UK Therapy Dog Training Award. Lottie now proudly wears her TDT UK coat whilst on duty!
In July 2025, Lottie went to London as one of the National School Dog of the Year finalists. It was an exciting day, as she headed off with Mrs Lees, Mrs Lloyd and two students, Thomas and Holly. The final took place in the Palace of Westminster, and she was one of the 12 inspiring finalists from nearly 60 nominees selected by a panel of experts and celebrities.
“Reading all of the nominations was a joy,” said Professor Helen Lewis. “They confirm how transformative a well-managed school dog programme can be.”
“Dogs never judge or criticise,” added Dr Abraham. “They reduce stress, improve empathy, and help children learn at their own pace.”
As the NSDA continues to shape best practices, these finalists stand proudly as dogs making a big difference.
Olive
In July 2024, Lottie became a mum, and we were so proud to welcome one of her pups to our school. Olive joined us in October this year when her brothers and sister left for their forever homes. She is currently undertaking the same training journey to hopefully follow in her mum’s paw prints and become a fully qualified Therapy Dog.
Olive’s training update, March 2026
Olive has completed her basic training and is now working through her training assessments in preparation for her temperament assessment in the coming months with TDT UK.
She loves being in school with the pupils and adores her time having cuddles in our Welfare Hub.
National School Dog Alliance (NSDA)
An exciting part of our journey is that Lottie and Olive, along with two of her other pups are working with the National School Dog Alliance. The NSDA brings together education professionals, researchers, veterinarians, charities and dog behaviourists, all with a shared interest in how to promote best practice in canine-assisted education. The alliance has been working together for 18 months. Its vision is to see the right dog in the right school, working with the right learners.
The alliance aims to:
- provide high-quality guidance and resources to support positive human-school dog interactions
- establish a community in which innovative and research-informed practices are shared and discussed
- inform key stakeholders, including school leaders and policymakers, about current opportunities, issues and challenges
- educate teachers, children and handlers so that interactions are safe
The work of the alliance is based on core values of:
- Compassion: promoting compassionate human-dog interactions
- Respect: respecting dogs as sentient creatures
- Safety: ensuring the safety of all participants
As we saw the launch of the Alliance we started to follow the journey of Olive alongside Murphy, who is at Warden Hill Primary School, Cheltenham and Maggi, who is at Nancledra Pre-School in Penzance, Cornwall.
Murphy and Maggi are flourishing as they grow, and they are making an impact in the lives of the students and staff they work with.
Follow Murphy’s journey at @murphytheschooldog on instagram
We are very proud to now feature as a case study on the National School Dog Alliance website.
Positive impact
Studies have shown that school dogs can have a positive effect on students, from helping students who are struggling with things in school, reducing anxiety, improving reading confidence (by being read to), and generally being a calming influence. Children can benefit educationally and emotionally, increase their understanding of responsibility, and develop empathy and nurturing skills through contact with a dog. Children also tend to take great enjoyment from interaction with a dog.
Positive effects of having Lottie and Olive on site, include:
- Learning, including reading and literacy
- Knowledge and understanding of animals
- Reducing stress
- Love and support for groups of students
- Developing self-esteem and interest, especially for some of our most vulnerable groups
- Anger management
- Coping with bereavement
- Developing responsibility
- A feel and sense of community
- Some curriculum involvement
Follow Lottie and Olive's Lead
You can keep up-to-date with their school journey on social media:
- Facebook: bournsideschooldog
- Instagram: bournsideschooldog
Remembering Molly
Molly, a black Labrador Retriever from the same breeder as Lottie, joined the school in September 2020. Molly was chosen as our first school dog because of her mild temperament and excellent behaviour. She had previously qualified as a Pets as Therapy dog and in 2017, was awarded first place in the Veteran’s Class and Reserve Best in Show in the Gloucestershire Labrador Owner’s Club Competition in 2020.
Sadly, Molly passed away in January 2022, having reached the grand age of 13 years and 8 months. We remember Molly fondly, and we were proud to see her contribution to the school recognised in the local press.
