Below is a list of frequently asked questions. If your question isn't here or you're not sure about an answer please do not hesitate to contact us.

General Questions

1. Who are the presenters?

David is a qualified teacher and Liona has a degree in zoology and an MSc in conservation. They both love working with children and animals.

2. Are you insured?

We have Public Liability Insurance which covers every aspect of the visit.

3. Are you CRB checked?

The Criminal Records Bureau is the government body that checks people ensure it is safe for them to work with children and vulnerable adults. For more information about what this means visit www.crb.gov.uk.

Both David and Liona have enhanced CRB checks through Leeds Education Authority.

4. Are any of the animals dangerous?

In the right hands none of our animals pose any danger. All our animals are well known to us and handling is always done in a controlled and supervised environment. None of our animals bite unless severely provoked so for the safety of the child and the animal we keep a watchful eye over all interactions.

Health and safety is always an important consideration for any event. To ease your mind we can provide a full risk assessment.

5. Is there any health risks associated with the animals?

All are animals have been checked by a vet and found to be fully fit and healthy. There is a very small chance that something could have been missed so to ensure there is no chance of any transfer we operate a strict hand washing rule for anyone who touches the animals.

Health and safety is always an important consideration for any event. To ease your mind we can provide a full risk assessment.

6. Can we request for no snakes, no rats or no spiders?

You can, but we would really rather you didn’t. It is essential that the children learn that animals are fascinating and none of the animals we bring are dangerous. We aim to show the real animals in a positive light to help prevent children developing the fears and phobias that come from negative portrayals. We are happy to discuss any fears you have and to come to some arrangement to satisfy everyone and of course if someone has a real phobia we can leave an animal at home.

7. How do we book?

Simply contact us by phone, by email or by filling in the form on our website to arrange a date. Please be aware that we may not always be available during normal office hours but leave us a message and we will endeavour to get back to you as soon as possible.

8. What would happen if you were unable to attend?

We would only ever cancel an event due to serious illness or injury of David, Liona or a member of their family. Under these circumstances we would give you as much warning as we can so you can make alternative arrangements for the day. Wherever possible we will rearrange the event for another day.

9. Where do the animals come from?

All the animals featured are David and Liona’s pets. They all came from reputable pet shops, breeders or animal rescue centres.

10. Which animals will be attending?

In schools we only bring the animals specific to that days presentations. To see which animals are used in which presentation have a look at their individual pages. For parties we bring as many animals as we can to fill an hour’s presentation. We try to bring a mix of reptiles, small furries and mini beasts.

We cannot guarantee that any of the animals will be at any of the events. The animals’ welfare must come first and if any of them are sick, stressed or moulting (snake, gecko, tarantula) then they will be left at home. For schools we have contingencies so that every part of the topic is still covered.

In the unlikely event that a significant number of animals are unable to attend we will discuss this with you in advance.

11. What area do you cover?

We are based in north Leeds with easy access to Leeds and Bradford. We will travel to most places in Yorkshire but distances of more than 15 miles may be subject to a fuel surcharge.

School Questions

1. What age is best for a school visit?

 

We can tailor our school visits to meet the needs of children of all ages.

 

2. Should we hold the event in a classroom or school hall?

Ideally for KS2 and KS3 the event should be held in a large space such as a school hall. This is because on arrival we move the large animals into large tanks/cages that they can be comfortable in for long periods of time. However, if a hall is not available we can be flexible to most spaces. Please discuss this with us before hand.

If you have booked a full day of events and you require the hall for lunch we can move the animals to a spare classroom or other space. Again, please discuss this with us before hand.

For KS1 and foundation groups the event is more suited to a classroom environment.

 
3. What equipment do you require?
 
We bring most equipment with us but there are a few items we require from you. We need 2-3 tables (depending on the size of the room and what’s available) that we can set the animals up on.
 
Hand washing facilities are essential and must be used by everyone touching an animal. We cannot provide wipes due to the risk of allergies.

 

We also require access to plug sockets for heating some of the animal cages. All of the electrical equipment has been safety checked.

4. Are the lessons differentiated for different abilities? 
 
All our activities are designed to cover the widest possible range of abilities and are accessible for all to a level. The presentations are given by experienced teachers that understand the importance of clear delivery and choice vocabulary. 

5. How is learning assesed during the lessons?

At the end of each session the students have a final activity that assesses all the areas of the national curriculum that have been covered. Upon completion of this activity they are presented with a certificate of achievement. All work completed on the day can be kept by the pupils or teachers to be formally assessed at your discretion.

Party Questions

1. Can you recommend a face painter?

For an extra cost we can bring a face painter. For more details contact us or visit our parties page.

2. What’s the best age group for a Lion party?

Typically our parties are for children aged 4-10 but older and younger children can all get something out of a Lion Learners experience.

3. How long is the show?

The presentation is around an hour. During that time we try to ensure everyone at the party gets to touch or hold one of the animals. The show is designed so that the children are not sitting down and concentrating for the whole hour but spend some doing activities, however an hour is a long time for young children and the presenter may decide to finish early and focus on one to one interaction. After the show has finished we can usually be avaiable for a while longer for a more informal meet and greet session but once food is served all the animals must be in their cages/tanks.

4. Should we have the event at home or hire a venue?

The more space the better but we can usually be flexible to almost any space. Although the performance area itself doesn’t need to be very large, the animals themselves take up quite a bit of space. Upon arrival we transfer the larger animals into cages and tanks that they can spend time in comfortably. These animals include the rats, the rabbits, the guinea pigs, the snake and the bearded dragon. If you feel you are going to be tight on space please discuss this with us.

If you are planning to serve food you need to have a space you can do so away from the animals. This can be done in the same room if the room is large enough; otherwise a kitchen or dining room area is more appropriate.

5. How many children should I invite?

We don’t put a cap on the number of children you can invite but I would recommend that around 20 is a good number. Too many more and you tend to be significantly reducing the amount of time each individual can spend with the animals. When deciding how many people to invite please take into account the size of the venue (see question 4 above). Especially if there are a lot of young children who may require the presence of a familiar adult. If you do intend to invite more than 30 please discuss with us the practicalities when booking so that we can alter the show if necessary.

6. Do you do catering?

We are unable to cater for parties as we cannot carry both animals and food for legal and hygiene reasons.

7. Do you provide party bags?

We do provide party bags for a small extra charge per head. For more information on these see our parties page or contact us. Due to the carriage of animals we are unable to include any sweets in the bags so on arrival we will hand the bags over to you to add any extra goodies or cake yourselves.

8. Do you provide invitations?

We do provide invitations free of charge. Examples of these can be found on our parties page. These can be personalised or generic and we can print them for you or send you them electronically to print yourselves.

9. When should we serve food?

It’s up to you but food is usually best after the presentation, an hour to an hour and a half from the start. All the animals must be in their cage or tank and all hands must be washed before food is served but we can discuss the practicalities with you beforehand.

10. When will you arrive?

We will usually arrive 20 to 30 minutes before the start of the party. This gives us a chance to bring in and set up all our equipment and animals, meet the hosts and discuss with you the practicalities.

11. What if you are late?

We will do our absolute best to be there in good time but if the traffic does get the best of us we will get in touch with you as soon as possible. As long as we arrive at least 10 minutes before the start we should be able to proceed normally.

12. Can we take photos or video?

Yes you can for private use. If you are taking photographs at a public venue legally you must obtain parents permission before doing so. Moderate flash photography is acceptable and will not cause any harm to the animals.

We may ask you to sign a form allowing us to take photos for use on our website or leaflets. It is up to you if you sign and we will not take any offence if you chose not to. If you do sign we reserve the right to use these images as we see fit. If you would like copies of any of our images we can usually provide these free of charge.

13. Will you keep control?

We require another adult to be present throughout the presentation. We have tried to structure the presentation so that the children do not get restless or bored.