As we were designing and creating our Nurture room at school, we kept noticing something was missing. After much thought and research we decided that we needed a therapy pet. We thought long and hard about which animal would be right for us. Eventually we came to the decision to get a school rabbit. Mr Oreo arrived at school in April 2023 and we instantly saw the benefits of our furry little friend:- 

• Having animals to care for ties in with the school curriculum of emotional and social needs – empathy, care, love, compassion, understanding, commitment and building confidence
• Pets can encourage a child’s learning needs, especially in reading, communication, observation and speaking. This is a useful tool when teaching all children but can be particularly helpful for those with special educational needs (SEN).
• They can help children with behavioural needs as time with the pets can be used as a reward;
• For many children, it will be their only contact with a pet as they don’t have them at home.