GOING to school is a whole lot easier for the students of Speers Point Public School with a four-legged friend waiting to greet them at the school gate.
Since 2019, golden Labrador Jean has spent time in the classroom and out in the playground offering support to special needs students. Now at nine years old it's time for the much-loved pooch to take a step back and there's big paws to fill.
Nine week-old border collie pup Millie is up to the challenge.
Speers Point Public School principal Chris Payne was in search of a family dog and support dog and when he met Millie, the stars aligned.
"I had to make sure she was going to be right for the family and also right for the noise and movement of children and when we met Millie and her parents it was spot on," he said.
In the week that he's owned her, Mr Payne brought Millie straight into the school grounds to familiarise her in the environment.
"It's really important to get Millie to acclimatise to the school environment. She's been in every single classroom and so far so good, she doesn't startle very easily," he said.
"She's showing all those right behaviours that we want for her to be able to be at school."
Mr Payne said with four special education units and many students living with autism and anxiety, having a support dog has eased the pressure of the classroom and playground.
"Jean does a lot, and Millie will do a lot, with students with anxiety or even school refusal," he said.
"We've had a number of times where students come to the gate, and they're just a bit too anxious to step through the gates, but if they walk through with Jean it's so much easier for them."
"A dog just lifts everyone up so much. They don't talk at you, they just sit there and listen and be with you. Children respond well to that."
Mr Payne said that when Millie was trained she would spent a maximum of three days at the school, and while Jean was taking a step back, she would still regularly visit.
"Jean is getting a little bit older now, she's done a fantastic job and we want to add to that," he said.
He said if having a support dog benefits student outcomes, every school should have one.
"It's becoming more popular and the schools that do it, do it very well," he said.
