A visit to the vet’s launched Pre-Prep School’s topic of this term, "Who are you and what do you do?" and gave children first-hand experience of how vets look after poorly animals.

It was the pre-school class’s first ever school trip (and for two children only their second day at Pocklington School) so the short walk to the Wicstun Veterinary Group was very exciting in itself. They were greeted by veterinary surgeon Andrew Moll, who showed them the treatment room and the cupboard where he keeps the medicine for the animals.

The children then went into the operating theatre and saw a cat called Teddy who had a poorly paw and talked about the operation he would need. Mr Moll showed the children the equipment he and other vets use in the theatre, such as the oxygen tank which helps keep the animals asleep. 

Some very exciting role play followed, when the children dressed up as vets and performed procedures on animals who were hurt, including bandaging a dog’s poorly paw. They looked inside the room where the cats and small animals wait with their owners before seeing the vets, and visited the three dogs who were waiting for their operation that afternoon.

Mr Moll showed children the X-ray room which was very dark and also the ultrasound machine, which creates pictures of the inside of animals’ bodies. They had a look at an x-ray of a cat on the computer and could identify its ribs, spine, teeth and even its microchip.

They ended the visit by asking Mr Moll some questions and discovered that his favourite animal is either a dog or sheep! The children also received a goody bag full of bandages to take back to school and use in their role-play area.

Pre-Prep School have more school trips to look forward to later this term, such as a visit to the dental practice and Pocklington police station.