A Wandsworth specialist school has welcomed a visit from a therapy dog.

Students at Oak Lodge School in Nightingale Lane were delighted to meet Faith who joined in with a game of football at break time.

Faith specialises in working with deaf or young people with communication difficulties and was awarded a Citizen’s Award from the mayor of Wandsworth for her contribution to the local community.

Rescued and rehomed after suffering mistreatment at the hands of her owner as a young puppy, Faith now lives with a new member of the Oak Lodge school team, Beatrice Gbadebo.

The school's assistant head for additional needs, Janet Palmer, praised the visit. She said: “It’s been a fantastic experience for pupils who have walked, communicated and spent time with Faith who greatly enjoyed the day and went home very tired from all the attention.”

Research has suggested that interactions with therapy dogs can affect the release of various positive neurotransmitters in the brain such as oxytocin and dopamine whilst lowering cortisol levels which are associated with stress.