Animal encounters

Budding veterinary surgeon or not, letting children take on the responsibility of animal husbandry is vital to their education and should be encouraged, says Tessa Waugh

- Tessa Waugh

It was the late British naturalist and writer Gerald Durrell who said that all children should be surrounded by animals and books, so he would have enjoyed seeing schools that enrich the educational experience with their own animals. These vary from full-blown zoos to a few beehives, but each institution acknowledges the many advantages that they bring.

Kingham Hill School in Oxfordshire has sheep, goats, chickens, guinea pigs, a tortoise and a Shetland pony called Finn. The school was founded in the late 19th century on the Daylesford estate and, in those days, it had its own farm. ‘We are going back to our roots,’ says Isobel Frampton, who runs this section of the school’s co-curricular offering. ‘It is not a petting farm,’ she emphasises. ‘The children have to learn about the animals’ needs. Caring for animals teaches you so much about life—commitment, consistency, reliability —and it brings so much joy. You don’t get the cuddles without learning about the rest.’

Kingham Hill provides farm clubs for all pupils at the school, which takes children from 11–18, alongside opportunities for formal qualifications in this area. In 2018, it introduced a BTEC course in Animal Manage- ment, which pupils can take alongside their GCSEs and A Levels. The course explores subjects such as animal health and welfare, as well as the ethics of keeping animals. Mrs Frampton adds: ‘Pupils who take the BTEC tend to be those who want to become vets and those who want a more practical scientific discipline.’