PUPILS at a Stalybridge school will soon have feathered friends as a donation will go towards a chicken coop.
Elizabeth Way and Company funeral directors have handed over £1,000 to Millbrook Primary and Nursery as part of its community assistance programme.
And the funds will go towards the addition to the Bank Road school, with its nursery children taking care of the animals when they arrive.
But first, parents will be getting their hands dirty to build it next to its forest school, with a target date of February.
Teacher Sophie Davis said: “The children are really excited.
“We shared the news with them and they’re really excited to have the chickens back. The staff are too.
“We’ll do four to five chickens, because obviously we’ll be moving them during the summer. So we need to make sure it’s the right size.
“And Anthony Benedict, of the Ambition Community Trust we’re part of, is involved with a pupil referral unit.
“That has lots of animals. They’ve got sheep, cows, everything. So, there’s a lot of potential.”
Excitement is already building among Millbrook’s nursery pupils ahead of the chickens’ arrival, with a naming competition set to take place in the run-up to Easter.
The school has had chickens in site before, but problems with frats getting in meant they had to be moved.
Leeanne Frost will take care of them during school holidays and they can be more than just nice things to look at.
She said: “It’s a wellbeing thing and it means we can spend more time outside doing things with the children and the staff.
“I’m naturally a wild person, so chickens running around the house will be fine.
“And there are loads of ideas. Our deputy headteacher brings in her dog in every Friday and it does lots of sensory activities with some children.
“So moving forward, I know there are more options. We’re looking at guinea pigs, rabbits and different kinds of therapeutic animals.
“And we’ve already had some silly names put forward, and some rap ones.
“But Bob has been one of the popular ones and we’ll do a competition, I think. I’s a nice idea near Easter.
“We have had them before, so we know what we’re doing.”
Millbrook Primary and Nursery has already had one chicken visitor this week in the form of Lady Victoria Peckham.
And as he cradled it, Ben McCutcheon, of Elizabeth Way and Company, explained how important the handout may prove.
He said: “This is the final round of this year’s community assistance programme. We’ve given out £3,000 this year.
“And it’s nice to do something different and give back.
“The idea of kids looking after chickens is quite an important thing too. It’s really nurturing.”
