2007 National Pet Month ‘Teacher’s Pet’ Competition
In 2007 there were joint winners - a school - Grange Park School in Leybourne - and a group of Rainbow Guides from Whitchurch in Hampshire.
Using the National Pet Month theme ‘Love is...’ for inspiration, schools up and down the country produced scrap books which reflected the charity’s top tips for responsible pet ownership. The competition was judged by a panel of National Pet Month trustees and Grange Park School came out on top.
Grange Park School
Grange Park is a Community Special Day school for pupils aged between 11 and 19 years. It provides education for pupils with autism and associated learning difficulties. The school is set within the extensive grounds of the former Leybourne Grange Hospital.
According to Teresa Ostridge at Grange Park “A total of 28 pupils were involved in the project and they really enjoyed the work. Many of the children respond particularly well to animals and succeeding in a challenge like this will be a real boost to their confidence”.
One of the National Pet Month trustees, Nicole Harrison visited Grange Park to present the prize. Nicole added “Pet ownership can be incredibly beneficial for children, from giving them a sense of responsibility at a young age to increased sociability. The competition helps educate children on how to look after their pets in a fun way”.
Whitchchurch Rainbow Guides
In recognition of their good work, National Pet Month trustees visited the guide group at Whitchurch Primary School in Hampshire for a presentation ceremony on 3 March 2008. They were also joined by Claire Bevan of the Whitchurch Cats Protection branch who talked to the children about pet care.
The Whitchurch Rainbow Group included 18 children aged between 5 – 7 years old.
According to Nicole Harrison of National Pet Month: “The Rainbow Guides follow a programme for planning their weekly meetings, there are 4 parts – Look, Learn, Laugh and Love. Getting involved in the National Pet Month competition enabled the children to be part of a fun and educational project that helped them fulfil the ‘Learn’ element.”
Sue Turrill, the Rainbow Guides leader said: “The girls really enjoyed the project which was done over a 5 week period. There was a real buzz of excitement when they heard they had come joint first. I will certainly be talking to the school’s art coordinator to get involved next year”
