Best in class

An increasing number of schools are enlisting the services of dogs to help with everything from reading to homesickness and even conducting tours for parents

- Written by Lucy Higginson

AS PRIVATE schools, in line with hotels and theatres, have realised they must work harder to secure our spend, parents have been wooed with robotics, forest schools, 3D printers and more. But if you really want to wow a prospective student, get a dog. “I’ve definitely noticed more dogs featuring in our reviews,” says Janita Clamp, from The Good Schools Guide. “They’re being used more creatively, and are more integrated into schools as part of the pastoral department.”

While nervousness about litigation and discrimination has impeded some school adventures, dogs have become more popular than ever, with hounds in all corners of Britain eagerly leading the way in the school cross-country, helping to clear the dining room and being sick as the school inspectors arrive. Nowhere are they more prolific – or welcome – than in a country boarding school where many of the staff live on site, making ad hoc appearances in classrooms and sports pitches eminently manageable.

Sunningdale, a family-owned peach of a prep near Ascot, is a case in point. Headmaster Tom Dawson is invariably accompanied by at least one black labrador lounging in front of the fire. Both Dawson and his sister Amy (also head of boarding and art) have labradors – “They’re so gentle; I know I can trust them” – and many of the teaching staff bring in dogs, too. Tom Dawson’s dog Freddie is missing as I arrive. “He’s out showing prospective parents around,” I’m told and assume this is a joke but Dawson is deadly serious. “No, he rests his head on their knee while we chat, and as soon as I stand up he leaps up to guide them round the school – he knows the route.”