News

The chickens have arrived!

It's been a busy few months here at Maypole Primary School, preparing for the arrival of our chickens! Sara Spellman, Outdoor Learning Leader and farm Manager at the Inspire Academy Movement, has spent many hours refurbishing the old chicken enclosure and ensuring it was secure ahead of the chickens' arrival. 

I'm sure many of your children will have already told you, but on Monday, February 24th, our four head pupils, Idris, Isla, Isla and Estelle did a fantastic job welcoming the chickens to the school.  The sun was shining, making it a wonderful day, and the chickens must have been super happy as they started laying eggs a few hours after they arrived!

Caring for the chickens

Our students will now have the opportunity to learn more about the husbandry of caring for chickens, including how to clean their coops, prepare their feed, and ensure they get fed and have all the necessary additional nutrients to stay healthy and produce lovely-tasting eggs!

In addition to caring for our chickens, Maypole students will continue to visit the Seal Community School Farm regularly, where we provide invaluable outdoor learning opportunities including farm management and how to care for various animals, including guinea pigs, chickens, ducks, sheep, and those pesky piglets!

We purchased our lovely flock from Fresh Start for Hens, a Community Interest Company that saves chickens from being slaughtered.  The beautiful ladies are only 18 months old, so they have plenty of life ahead of them, and we are looking forward to providing them with their forever home.  At the weekends the chickens will be looked after by our staff and parents, and we would like to express our gratitude to these individuals who are making this exciting new venture possible.

Meanwhile, chickens love to have a dust bath, and we would be grateful if any of our parents have any wood ash from a home fire that we could take off your hands.  If yes, just give the office a ring, and if you would like to purchase eggs, also contact the office on 01322 523830