A new face is doing his bit to improve standards at a failing primary school.

He's not a teacher, nor an authority on education. But his damp nose, glossy coat and tail which never stops wagging have won him many admirers among the children of Blackbird Leys.

Wellington the Labrador - Welly for short - has become a regular face at Pegasus First School after his owner, Jill Hudson, stepped in as headteacher.

Stroking him is a reward for good behaviour and now many of the 370 children eagerly ask: "Is it a Welly day?"

The puppy has also been known to lighten the atmosphere of governors' meetings with the occasional grunt.

Prior to Mrs Hudson's arrival the school had suffered the worst blow imaginable when it was branded 'failing' by inspectors from education watchdog Ofsted.

The report criticised inadequate teaching of reading, unsatisfactory teaching in two thirds of infant lessons and poor behaviour by a significant minority of pupils. Consequently when Mrs Hudson, who is permanent head at Lewknor CofE Primary School, arrived in Pegasus First School for a two-term seconded post earlier this year, it was not happy place. She decided Welly could help her improve the atmosphere.

She said: "In difficult times many people stroke a dog. It's quite a therapeutic thing. It's a symbol of caring and a very comforting, positive thing.

"I want school to be a positive, enjoyable experience for everyone. I think everybody ought to go away with a buzz from being here."

Welly's arrival is only one of numerous changes.

Mrs Hudson now insists that the walls should be adorned with children's work, which should be changed every few weeks, while classrooms, store rooms and school grounds are being transformed to improve the learning environment.

Vibrant friezes of pupils' work are now springing up around the school and there's even a three dimensional display of model spiders created by a blind student. In one classroom giant yellow sunflowers have been painted on a window.

Any visitor would certainly get the impression that this is somewhere where things are happening. A classroom has been transformed into a small library which children will be able use with their parents and a non-descript area of grounds is currently being turned into an attractive garden. There are also plans to convert a tiny covered court yard - previously used as a store room for junk - into a pleasant area where children can relax or listen to stories.

To Mrs Hudson such changes are anything but cosmetic. Improving the atmosphere and raising morale are, she believes, vital in order to improve standards. Another of Mrs Hudson's key tasks is to spend a large amount of her time in the classroom working with each staff member to improve standards.

Instead of being demoralised by the scrutiny she has noticed a new buoyancy emerging among her team.

She said: "They're excited by it. From feeling very flat and very down they're now buzzing. They're working really hard and thinking 'is this the best we could be doing'?"

Parents have noticed changes too, and more are getting involved in fundraising activities. Tina Davidson, a learning support assistant, whose children Declan, seven and Evangeline, four, are pupils, said: "The teachers seem to be more relaxed and the children are coming home with work. They seem to be enjoying their reading. Parents are becoming more involved - we had a jumble sale an a lot of parents came along to help."

Oxfordshire's education department shares her optimism about the school's future. Michael Dennison, deputy principal adviser for education, said: "A good atmosphere is so critical. It's very important to give it a sense of bounce and optimism We're confident now we're on course to meet the targets in our action plan."

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