Surrey school builds 'Nurture Farm' complete with pygmy goats and ducks
It aims to teach children responsibility and support their mental wellbeing.
Snug and Snout are among the new starters at Pirbright Village School this academic year.
Barbara, Jerry and Margo can also be found at the primary school’s very own piece of the good life.
Teachers, parents, grandparents and the kids themselves have all mucked in to transform a piece of land lying derelict in the corner of the school into a precious animal haven, known as the Nurture Farm.
It has taken a year and nearly £18,000 to create and shows the therapeutic value of a social project, especially involving creatures this fluffy.
As well as the rabbits and Indian Runner ducks there are five baby pygmy goats, hens and the not so cuddly bearded dragons and tortoises.
The school says looking after the animals not only teaches the children responsibility and promotes empathy; stroking them is a calming re-set button in their day.
Teacher Dan Smith, who came up with the idea, said: “Some of the children find traditional learning very challenging, they take to more context-based, practical learning and they love to be outside.
“For those with autism, we find spending time with the animals releases them from the expectations that adults have of them.”
Everything has been built from scratch by volunteers in their spare time.
“The kids helped to create the bug hotel and were varnishing and hammering nails into fences, it was all hands-on deck,” said Mr Smith.
“We already had school guinea pigs and therapy dogs coming in and we had plenty of space.
“I just thought with our beautiful grounds we had the potential to offer much more.
“We presented our dream to the Guildford Lions and they were the first people to back it.”
Other contributors are Community Foundation for Surrey and the Military Covenant Fund, with volunteer support from the Woking Community Matters Partnership Project.
Pygmy goats Rosie, Rhubarb, Rita, Rae, and the aptly named Remedy, came from Merrist Wood agricultural college in Worplesdon.
Rae was a special addition as she was underweight and they were not sure she would make it.
Mr Smith said: “The guy who was breeding them said she wasn’t very well and they were worried.
“We’d seen them up at Chobham Adventure Farm where they were nursing them to begin with, and she was really approachable and sociable, and then when she survived they said, ‘Do you know what, you can have her for free, because she’s a lovely little thing and she’ll go so well with your others’.
“And so she became part of the five.”
Other schoolchildren are welcome to visit Pirbright Nurture Farm by booking at farm@pirbright.surrey.sch.uk