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Pet tortoise arrives at Aberdeenshire primary school

Ellon Primary School deputy headteacher, Jill Cooper, with Shrek the tortoise. Image: Chris Cromar / DC Thomson.
Ellon Primary School deputy headteacher, Jill Cooper, with Shrek the tortoise. Image: Chris Cromar / DC Thomson.

Pupils at a north-east school have welcomed a new addition – a pet tortoise named Shrek.

Ellon Primary’s deputy headteacher Jill Cooper first suggested the school could take on the pet, an eight-year-old tortoise originally from Serbia.

But instead of staff making the decision, they asked the youngsters what they thought about the idea.

Each class gave their opinions for and against and pupils were asked for their feelings on the issue, with questions being raised for staff to consider.

Ellon Primary School teacher, Amy Hawes and pupils with the tortoise. Image: Chris Cromar / DC Thomson.

As well as this, they learned about the responsibility of owning a pet and about what the tortoise would need to keep him safe and happy.

‘It was just great excitement’

After the children overwhelmingly backed getting the reptile, whose name was originally Dory, he was introduced to the pupils at an all-school assembly.

Mrs Cooper said: “When he first came in, it was just great excitement with the children and there was lots and lots of visitors. I think the poor guy didn’t get much peace to settle in straight away.”

Ellon Primary School has a unit for children with additional support needs (ASN) which has become Shrek’s home. He has been described as a “calming” influence.

Mrs Cooper said this was one of the reasons that getting him “seemed like a really good option”, as research has shown that animals benefit children with additional support needs.

Learning continues

Since Shrek came to the school last month, the children renamed him and have continued learning about his habitat, what he eats and what he does.

“It’s completely cross-curricular, you’ve got the science, the health and wellbeing, caring for someone else, even the geography of where he’s come from and the mathematics of how old he is and how long he’s going to live,” Mrs Cooper said.

Shrek in his new home. Image: Chris Cromar / DC Thomson.

Each classroom will receive a soft toy tortoise as they learn about the creatures, while during the school holidays, Shrek will live with teacher Amy Hawes.

Children and teachers will come and go, but with the long life expectancy of tortoises, Mrs Cooper expects him to “outlive everybody” and “be part of the fixtures and fittings” of Ellon Primary School for many years to come.

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