Birds of prey prove a winner at Danetree Primary

​Pupils at Danetree Primary School in West Ewell had a close encounter of the feathered kind the other week when the Falconry UK birds of prey experience visited the school and brought some of their most spectacular birds with them.

​The visit was part of Year Three’s learning topic for the autumn term, Predators, and allowed the children a rare chance to observe some of nature’s strongest and most beautiful predators up close and personal within the confines of the school hall.

“It was an amazing experience,” said Kerry Patel, the lower school’s Director of Studies.

“They brought a wide variety of birds, from relatively common ones such as owls to ravens and even kookaburras. Some of the children were a bit wary of approaching them at first, but as the handlers explained about how they are trained and tamed, they grew more confident and once they got close to them, they were absolutely transfixed.”

The visit was another high point of what is proving to be a busy term at Danetree Primary, a member of the rapidly expanding GLF Schools multi-academy trust. 

The first primary academy in Epsom and Ewell, Danetree recently added a nursery and an additional reception class, making it one of the biggest primary schools in the area. This term pupils have been on a residential trip to France and the school has also opened a brand new science laboratory, as well as playing host the visiting Kent SEPnet Astrodome project.

“The feedback we’ve had from children about the Birds of Prey visit has been overwhelmingly positive,” added Ms Patel. “Studying creatures like this on the page or the screen is one thing, but when you actually have them in the same room as you, and you can reach out and touch them, the subject comes alive in a whole new way. It really inspired them, and we’re extremely glad they came to visit.”