Information for families

One of the things we pride ourselves on at Sidegate, is the quality of pastoral care we extend to our pupils and their families. We are always looking for ways to enhance our offer and as part of this, and following a successful Year 5 election campaign, we introduced a school therapy dog in November 2021. Since his induction, Wilbur has worked with a variety of pupils from across the school. For example, he has supported pupils who are learning to work together, walked with pupils struggling with anxiety or coping with bereavements, listened to children read and even played a starring role in an assembly about the role of dogs in the First World War. 

If you would like more information about how we manage dogs in school, please see the Sidegate School Dog Policy and accompanying risk assessment on the school website. I have also included some ‘frequently asked questions’ with this letter, which have been taken from the policy. 

Wilbur Heaven

Hello! My name is Wilbur Heaven and I am one of the Sidegate School Therapy Dogs. I am a six-year-old yellow labrador and I love walks in the forest, my local park and the beach; chasing my ball; sleeping in strange positions and; eating anything and everything I can get my paws on. When I am at home, my two-year-old human sister keeps me busy eating imaginary food and listening to stories so I am used to children. I have been working at Sidegate for just over a year and have had lots of fun getting to know different pupils. 

If you would like to know more about how we use therapy dogs at Sidegate, Mrs Heaven has put some important documents at the bottom of this page with lots of useful information for you and your families.