Placing an assistance dog in a school setting with a child is a complex situation that requires a lot of assessment to ensure that it is suitable for the child and the dog.
Find out more in our Quick Guide for those considering welcoming disabled students and or parents/carers who rely on assistance Dogs in School.
Read or download Welcoming Assistance Dogs in Schools
In the UK, disabled people have important rights under the Equality Act 2010 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (Northern Ireland). It is unlawful for public services, service providers, and local authorities to treat disabled people less favourably, e.g. refusing services or offering less services because a disabled person has an assistance dog.
If a student has asked to bring their assistance dog into school with them, then it is likely that this would be part of their Education Health Care Plan. If a student’s Education Health Care Plan ‘requires’ them to be supported by an assistance dog, then a school has a statutory obligation to make reasonable adjustments to meet that student’s needs.
If a school does not believe that it can meet the needs of the student, it would need to state why. If it is a ‘recommendation’ or the student has no plan in place, then the school should explore and assess how they can best meet the student’s needs, and if reasonable and possible, consider accommodating their highly trained assistance dog.
Reasonable adjustments might be different for each student and might not always result in full access for a student with an assistance dog but may include: