We are proud to announce the success of Fishkeeper Fry 2018 which ended in March

Fishkeeper Fry is an innovative and interactive educational programme designed for primary school children, to develop the next generation of responsible Fishkeepers. 

The free, accessible and interactive, video-led learning experience for school children, aged 7-8 years, now in its second year, has proved an enormous success for 2018 with seventy schools across the UK, having spent the past eight weeks discovering the underwater world in this exclusive and interactive Fishkeeper Fry Programme.

All of the schools who participated were supplied with a free aquarium, livestock and equipment, alongside curriculum-based videos designed to teach and encourage primary school children to learn about the biology behind the aquatic ecosystem.  

This year, the programme included a range of fun educational task sheets designed to bring the video content to life and engage the children in their learning. The children embraced these activities with enormous enthusiasm and created some amazing creative narrative and works of art about their fishkeeping experiences.

We released weekly updates through our dedicated website page fishkeeper.co.uk/fishkeeperfry which included Fishkeeper of the Week winners, completed task sheets and photographs of clear, bright and healthy aquariums for all to see!

Many schools involved in the programme have left feedback on their experience - wholly positive and expressing the engagement that it created amongst all the children. One child has decided to become a marine biologist as a result of the programme, whilst another school put on an assembly in order to raise money to donate to WWF. Some of the children even wrote letters, thanking us for giving their schools the opportunity to look after their very own aquarium. 

“I would certainly recommend this programme to other schools and have already done so! The children learned a lot, not only about how to keep fish but also about important scientific concepts such as photosynthesis and digestion.” Homer First School

“Yes, I have recommend it to colleagues at other schools. It’s a brilliant way to introduce children to the joy of keeping fish.” Basildon Primary School

“The children loved the learning experience, and the project really brought learning to life.” – Oak Lodge Primary

“A really great learning experience for all involved. Many of the children are now talking about wanting their own tanks and one boy has decided to become a marine biologist!” Homer First School

Throughout the course of the eight weeks, the schools were supported by one of the 167 stores allocated to them across the UK. The store’s supplied the goods and the livestock, guiding their school through every step of the programme, and assisting them with any help they required. 

Many of the schools involved have opted to keep their aquarium on school premises, providing them with ongoing educational value from this experience. The stores have offered to further support their schools by continue to assist them with upkeep and maintenance, should they decide to keep their aquarium in school.

The programme will run again for its 3rd year next year (from January to March 2019).

In the meantime, we are thrilled to welcome these new and enthusiastic Fishkeepers into the world of aquariums and fishkeeping!