STUDENTS at Tavistock College are benefiting from a newly developed 'Pets' Corner' at the school.

The new pets' corner houses a lionhead rabbit and three hens of different breeds. The BTEC students are now able to start their final unit of work, Maintaining Animal Health and Welfare, with regular work with the animals, and the year seven tutor groups are taking turns looking after the animals. When the hens start laying, Kitchen manager Lyn Roberts has offered to make cakes for the tutor group that has collected the eggs and cared for the animals that week.

Several students have helped to put the project together, with Richard Vallance in year 11 making the chicken ark and the rare breed hens were supplied by breeder David Carver in year 10. Both Richard and David are starting up their own businesses. Mrs Johnston from the maths department provided the hutch.

The pets' corner has a new permanent site and the college has exciting plans for its development — the art department has volunteered to paint murals, there are plans for a web-cam with the help of the media studies department and there have been offers of more rabbits and guinea pigs.