THE latest arrival at a Wirral school is proving to be more than just the teacher’s pet.

Bebington High Sports College welcomed their newest “staff member” this week – 12-week-old sheep dog 'Leif'.

The adorable ball of fur will be spending the summer working with a sheep dog trainer before returning to the Bebington school – which operates its very own working farm complete with sheep, pigs, goats, chickens and ducks – in September to work with animal management students.

Leif – whose name is Dutch and means ‘Dear’, chosen as he will be looking after the Zwartbles sheep at the farm – will be kept away from those who are not involved with the school’s animal care courses.

Dianne Moore, from the school, said: “This is a ground breaking project and we believe it will be first of its kind nationally.

Wirral Globe:
Leif gets to know one of his new friends. Picture: Paul Heaps.

“The puppy will be resident in our school working on the farm. This will give our students an opportunity to understand the training, working and welfare that is required to look after a working dog and therefore further enhance their knowledge of animal welfare and the work that goes into running a school farm.”

Pete Fearon, co-ordinator for land-based science at the school, will have lead responsibility for the day-to-day supervision of Leif and his instructional needs.

He said: "I went up to a farm in Cumbria over the Easter holidays which we've made a link with. It's a sheep farm and I saw the way the sheep dogs were working and I thought it would fit in really well with what we're doing here.

"He'll go away over the summer holidays to be trained and come back in September and I'll continue his training and the students will have a hand in that too."

Pete added: "We are going to start grazing some of our sheep away from school so we'll need a sheep dog for that."

Leif has proven to be an instant hit with students, with many staff at the school wanting to take their pupils to see him. 

Dianne said: “Our school farm is going from strength to strength and growing rapidly and as with all livestock farms, the farmer is helped out by a well-trained Border Collie dog.”

Wirral Globe:
Pete Fearon with sheep dog Leif. Picture by Paul Heaps.

Bebington High became the country's 100th school to have a farm and produces organic meat and vegetables for school meals and cookery classes.

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