Prep R Enjoy Wonderful Hands-On Learning with Chicks and Lambs

It has been a truly exciting and memorable time for our Prep R pupils, who have been enjoying a series of wonderful hands-on learning experiences centred around caring for animals and understanding how living things grow.

The adventure began in the classroom with a very special delivery, a set of living eggs carefully placed inside an incubator. Over several days, the children eagerly observed the eggs, ensuring they stayed warm and patiently waiting for the moment when the chicks would hatch. The anticipation quickly turned to excitement as the first tiny cracks appeared and fluffy chicks began to emerge.

Once hatched, the chicks were moved into a larger enclosure where they could eat, drink and grow. Prep R pupils have been carefully observing them each day, learning about how to care for animals, the importance of nurturing living things, and how chicks develop in their first few days of life. The children were even given the opportunity to gently hold the chicks — a moment that brought plenty of smiles and delight.

The excitement continued later in the week when the class enjoyed a special trip to their ballet teacher’s farm on a beautifully sunny Wednesday morning. There, the children met some adorable newborn lambs and learned more about life on a farm. They discovered how lambs are born, how farmers help match lambs with their mothers, and even had the chance to bottle-feed the lambs themselves.

There was no shortage of laughter as the pupils also helped herd the sheep before returning to school full of wonderful stories to share with their families. Experiences like these provide invaluable opportunities for our youngest learners to explore the natural world, develop empathy for animals and gain a deeper understanding of how living things grow and thrive.

A huge thank you to the Westholme Association for supporting our Living Eggs project and helping to make these enriching experiences possible for our pupils.