Following the sad passing of our beloved Pets As Therapy (PAT) dog, Ffion, we have been looking for a school pet and have been waiting on the PAT list for some time now, but to no avail. We have been thinking about the different possibilities and staff have been discussing potential pets for a little while, however we haven’t come to any firm conclusions… until now!
Reuben, Y6 House Captain for Owls, has made it his mission to get a school pet. He has researched, planned and even costed out the possible options, and together we have decided upon school Guinea Pigs. Reuben delivered assembly with Miss Darmanin this week where he shared some of his initial ideas – writing a speech which he delivered confidently to the whole school. As you can imagine this went down rather well! Children and staff are very excited and we are keen to get this underway. The children know that in order to have the pets we need to be fully prepared and able to meet the responsibilities of having animals to look after in our school – there is such a lot to think about!
Our next steps are:
- To visit a local school that already have Guinea Pigs, to learn form their best practise.
- To visit the pet shop to complete the costings.
- To raise some money to help us to buy all the things they will need to make them a comfortable, safe and happy home.
- To create our school policy and promises setting out how we plan to look after them at all stages of the school year including holidays and weekend, and what their roles will be.
We aim to have the guinea pigs in the next few weeks/months so that they can be enjoyed by children as soon as possible. We will love and care for them, helping children to understand how to care and nurture something. We will also read to them, like we did to the PAT dog and we will enjoy the mutual benefits of stroking an animal and feeling a sense of warmth and belonging.
If you or a family member would like to support us on this new adventure to getting our school pet, please contact school, we would love to hear from you. Maybe you know someone who had/has Guinea Pigs and can provide us with some top tips, maybe you have some equipment that we could have or maybe you have some good ideas about how to set up their home. Ideas and support are very welcome.
Please note that we take our responsibility very seriously and we will ensure the animals are well cared for, maintaining their welfare at all times. The aim is that children will be able to handle them, much like they can if they visit a farm. Handling will be under adult supervision only, and only if children wish to participate. We will also seek parental permission and confirmation of any allergies before the children begin to handle or care for them.
