How Labrador Opal is Helping Frodsham Pupils to Read

Frodsham Primary Academy has seen an improvement in its pupils’ reading ability and confidence thanks to a good dog.

Labrador Opal visits Frodsham every week, along with owner Suzie Dickens, to listen to children read.

Over the last 18 months, the Read2Dogs initiative from charity Pets As Therapy has been rolled out in local communities in the North West thanks to a three-year grant from Pets at Home’s charity the Pets Foundation – with the Frodsham school being one of the many schools in the area to benefit.

Each week, pupils are invited to read aloud to therapy dog Opal, and owner Suzie Dickens, providing a calm reading experience. It has been particularly effective at supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), helping to improve their literacy skills, confidence and concentration in the classroom.

With schools across the UK increasingly struggling to meet the demand for SEND provision, the Read2Dogs scheme is an example of how charities are stepping in to provide additional support. As a result of Opal’s weekly visits, the school has seen a marked improvement in the children’s reading and communication skills – from being more willing and engaged to communicating more confidently with their peers.

Rachael Charterey, parent to Louis (age eight), said: “As a parent there is nothing better than seeing your child develop a newfound love for books and reading.

"Opal’s weekly visits are the highlight of Louis’ week – I’ve loved watching his reading skills grow and the confidence they now have when it comes to reading out loud and in front of other people. I always know when Opal has been to school as Louis jumps through the door in excitement and cannot wait to tell me which parts of the story Opal liked best that day.”

And Jen Whittle, parent to eight-year-old Izzy, said: “When reading at home with Izzy, it was always a difficult task as she complained it was too hard and she was not enthusiastic.

"Since starting with Opal, she has been extremely engaged in her reading and become more confident. For example, at a recent school event, in front of a room full of parents, she read out a poem that she’d worked on that day, and that was an extremely proud moment.”

Gemma Callaghan, headteacher at Frodsham Primary Academy, said: “We know just how important it is to nurture confidence when it comes to reading – it’s the foundation for all their learning.

"For those children who find literacy more challenging we are always looking for new ways to inspire them. Opal has enabled us to create a unique environment for the children and their reading is flourishing as a result. We are hugely grateful to Opal and her owner Suzie for supporting our school community in this way.”

Matthew Robinson, head of income generation at Pets As Therapy, said: “We are delighted that the pupils at Frodsham Primary Academy are benefitting so much from Opal’s visits.

"We are grateful to volunteers such as Suzie and Opal for giving up their time to make such a difference to the lives of young readers. The work we are doing in the North West has only been made possible thanks to the funding we received from the Pets at Home charity, the Pets Foundation, who have generously donated nearly £350,000 over the last three years.”

Amy Angus, head of charity and community at Pets Foundation, said: “This is just one example of the life-changing impact pets can have on people’s lives.

"It’s so heartwarming to see the difference we are making in local communities and in this instance, in children’s lives. It’s only because of the ongoing generosity of our colleagues and customers that we can support initiatives like this, which helps our mission of creating a better world for pets and the people that love them.”

Therapy dog Opal is assigned to the school through the North West Hub of the charity Pets As Therapy, which has been funded by the Pets Foundation.

Pets As Therapy provide animals to schools, hospitals, prisons, care homes to help support the health and mental wellbeing of people in communities across the UK. Currently there are 1,350 schools nationwide which are enrolled in their Read2Dogs scheme.

To find out more about Pets As Therapy, visit petsastherapy.org