Research has shown that animals help reduce anxiety in children. School pets can help children develop emotional skills like empathy and social skills and can be a great help to support learning. Many animals enjoy being read to and reading to a support animal can help build the confidence of reluctant readers. They are also a great way to teach responsibility by helping to take care of the pet. We have two school guinea pigs who will be calling Farnham Primary School their new home when we return to school in April. They will live in a cage in our nursery and we hope to engage all children across school with their care. Please sign the form below to give permission for your child to work with, handle and care for our school pets.