Class pet in Infants - anyone got any tips and a good risk assessment please?

Our Head is not an animal lover but has finally agreed that I can have a class pet in my mixed YR/Y1/Y2 class this year provided I have 'thought of absolutely everything including a full risk assessment' so I'm looking for some good recommendations of suitable pets and any ideas about the risk assessment please.

I'm guessing I'd have to send out a letter to check for any allergies and, of course, I'd be taking the pet home at weekends and holidays.

Do you think a rabbit (or two) would be a good pet for school? I've got a cat, chickens and ducks at home already but don't think any of them would really be suitable!

Thanks for any advice.

 

I saw this thread and couldn't resist telling you about our school pet - a beautiful tabby cat who left his home two years ago and adopted us instead. His previous owners tried taking him back several times, but never persuaded him to stay there, so now he's ours officially. He sleeps in an old suitcase on a cupboard in the classroom (once part of a WWII evacuation display). A bit of fundraising by the children and an occasional whip-round in the stafftoom has paid for food and vaccinations. Risk assessment basically means making sure the asthmatics/allergy prone aren't seated too close, and making sure he doesn't get shut in at night. Definitely a soothing presence in the classroom for stressed pupils and teachers. I'd never recommend delberately choosing a cat, of course, but since we're the ones who were chosen, it seemed unfair not to make him welcome. Fortunately, he's got the ideal temperament - permanently chilled-out. He's very keen to get to know the goldfish in Year 4, however...

We've had land snails, too - they do grow to an amazing size. Not sure I could get fond of them!

 

I know this was posted a year ago but I would be very interested in snseaking a peak at your rirsk assessment. My head has agreed to me having gerbils in my year 6 class provided I can come up with a risk assessment. I've not written one before so I'm a little lost here! Thanks in advance,
claire_eke@blueyonder.co.uk

 

Hi
I wonder if you can help me. I want to set up a fish tank in my reception class but I have been asked to write a risk assessment for it. As I am an NQT I have never written one before and was wondering if I could have a little look at yours?
Regards
wibwibs

 

Have you tried googling "school risk assessment for pets" or something similar?We have a guinea pig and I got ours from our LEA Intranet which has risk assessment proformas for nearly everything.

 

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=school%20pet%20risk%20assessment&source=web&cd=7&ved=0CIYBEBYwBg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegrid.org.uk%2Finfo%2Fhealthandsafety%2Fdocuments%2Frisk%2Fkeeping_animals_school_2010.doc&ei=ADn8ToX5PMSC8gPWn5jRCw&usg=AFQjCNEV0Y4i_i7PmLMBfhooN9QyjukSlA&cad=rja

Does that work?