Something fishy going on at Sunderland primary school

Children at Broadway Junior School decided their 11-year-old goldfish, Metaphor and Simile, were cramped in their old home and wanted to get them a new one.

Teacher, Carole Summers, bought the fish 11 years ago to help bring a calming influence on the children who needed extra support, especially in English and maths.

Now, Metaphor and Simile are older than the children they bring enjoyment to.

Mrs Summers said: “Over the years, Metaphor and Simile and have created lots of writing opportunities for the children.

“The children have also learnt how to take responsibility for feeding and looking after the goldfish and Metaphor and Simile have had a calming influence on my classroom.

“Metaphor and Simile are now older than the children I teach and over the years have grown quite large. The tank they had lived in for the last nine years has become quite tatty and scratched. In fact, it had become so discoloured with algae that the children could hardly see in or the fish out.”

The youngsters wrote their own letters to Pets at Home and were delighted when the company sent them £195 in vouchers to buy a state-of-the art fish tank for their little friends.

Mrs Summers’ class went along to Pets at Home at Hylton Riverside Retail Park to look at the tanks and get advice on the best one.

The teacher said staff from the store even delivered the tank to the school and set it up for the fish to move into.

She said: “Metaphor and Simile are now settled into their new home. We are really grateful to Pets and Home for all the help they have given us.”

The children have also written their own reports about the project for the school magazine.