We are proud to announce that Portland College has won the 2026 Natspec Award for Innovative Approach to Mental Health and Wellbeing for our Donkey-Assisted Therapy programme. The award was presented during an online ceremony on 26 March 2026.
This award recognises initiatives that make a measurable difference to learners’ wellbeing. Our Donkey-Assisted Therapy project stood out nationally as the first of its kind within a SEND college, recognised for its creative and research-informed approach to supporting young people with complex needs.
As part of the initiative, we introduced a herd of donkeys and employed an Equine Assisted Therapist to train them as therapy animals. The programme supports learners who have experienced trauma, anxiety, behavioural challenges, or barriers to accessing education. It helps young people to develop resilience, self-regulation, communication, and confidence, while building meaningful bonds with the donkeys.
During the 2024/25 academic year, the initiative supported 42 learners. Using the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale, we found that 86% of learners experienced improved wellbeing. At the start of the programme, 43% of learners reported ‘low wellbeing’, while by the final term, 100% reported ‘moderate’ or ‘high wellbeing’. We also saw non-verbal learners find their voices and a significant increase in physical activity as learners engaged with the donkeys.
Angela Newton-Soanes, Principal of the College said:
“We are really proud to be recognised for our Donkey Assisted Therapy with this award. It may have raised a few eyebrows at first, but equine-assisted approaches have strong evidence base in supporting people with trauma. The development aligned closely with our focus on Mental Health and Wellbeing. Linked to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), this work provides a natural way to help reduce the risk of poor long-term outcomes for our learners.
We believe this is a first for a SEND college and are proud to offer it to all learners. This award reflects the passion and hard work of our team and is a shining example of our Ofsted Outstanding standard in practice.”
Richard Caulfield, Natspec Category Judge said:
“While animal-based therapy itself is not new, the College invested in an Equine Therapist, and using Donkeys in an education setting and having learners lead sessions themselves is a real innovation. There was really strong evidence that learners’ wellbeing scores have improved and there was also improved attendance. The College has also seen dramatic improvements in behaviours that seemed impossible and learners who previously refused exercise will walk miles with a donkey.”