On Wednesday, Year 2 had a fantastic visit from Cheshire Falconry, which has been a wonderful addition to their learning this term! 

Cheshire Falconry is home to over 70 raptors, varying in species of owls, hawks, eagles and falcons and, most importantly, they commit to the conservation of birds of prey by raising awareness and educating future generations. The session was very engaging and the children were thrilled to have the opportunity to get up close to some incredible birds of prey: owls. The children were introduced to four owls ranging in type and age. The children loved finding out their names, which included Nova and Samantha. 

This hands-on experience was the perfect way to enrich the Year 2 class text ‘The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark’, as it directly supported the children's preparation for the upcoming non-chronological reports they are writing as their final outcome of this half term. They had the chance to observe the birds' behaviour, learn about their unique features, and even ask expert falconers questions. This knowledge will support children with the vocabulary and understanding needed to write an effective, informative report. The children were particularly captivated by the owls’ silent flight, sharp talons, and the fascinating facts shared by the falconers, who were amazing with the children. Each child got to stroke an owl, and the session consisted of the owls around our main hall! The owls even perched on our piano and the PE apparatus. 

By engaging with these magnificent creatures, the children have gained valuable firsthand knowledge that will help them write detailed, informative, and creative reports. They are now well-prepared to showcase their newfound understanding of owls in their non-chronological reports, which we are sure will be full of impressive facts and observations. To link to the audience of their writing, the children will be publishing their reports, and we are looking to send them to the centre for their visitors to read and build knowledge on owls. As well as supporting their English and Science knowledge, it gave lots of the children an opportunity to demonstrate their fearlessness as they stroked the creatures.

Some of the children have commented on the experience and we would love to share some quotes with you:

“I had never seen owls in real life before, it was amazing!” 

“My favourite Owl was the Barn Owl called Samantha.”

“The owls flew over our heads and over our teachers.” 

“My favourite fact is that some owls are nocturnal, and some are diurnal which means they come out in the day.” 

“I saw two baby owls and they were really fluffy.” 

“We had to be really quiet, so we didn’t scare the birds. I got to touch an owl, and it was friendly.” 

We would like to thank Cheshire Falconry for making this experience so memorable for our Year 2 classes. We can’t wait to see the children put everything they’ve learned into their reports!

Year 2 Owl Visit