Establishing an animal house within Portfield Sixth Form offers a wide range of educational, cognitive, social, and emotional benefits for students.

Hands-on, concrete learning experiences with animals help to reinforce key areas of the curriculum, including communication, numeracy, and social understanding, by providing real-life, engaging contexts for learning.

The daily routines of feeding, cleaning, and monitoring animals encourage the development of executive functioning skills such as planning, sequencing, and organisation, while also fostering responsibility and empathy.

These activities build vocational and life skills that prepare students for future employment and independent living, mirroring the structure and expectations of a working environment.

Beyond practical skills, animal care promotes emotional regulation and wellbeing by offering students companionship, comfort, and opportunities to develop nurturing relationships.

Interacting with animals can reduce anxiety, enhance self-esteem, and support the development of social interaction and empathy - key areas for personal growth and readiness for adulthood.

We will introduce two female rats and a tortoise — chosen for their friendly, gentle nature. In time we hope to accommodate other animals such as guinea pigs.

All animals will be cared for under the guidance of staff and a local veterinary partner.

Overall, an animal house provides a rich, therapeutic, and multi-sensory learning environment that nurtures both cognitive development and emotional resilience.

Please help us to deliver this incredible learning space which we hope to have created for the students by the Autumn Term, 2026.