Last summer holiday the Science Department lost one of its long term residents, Tara the tarantula. We’ve spent a long time thinking about a replacement and finally decided on a bearded dragon, an Australian lizard. We felt that this was more user friendly and that the pupils, under supervision, would be able to handle this creature, which they definitely couldn’t do with Tara! After some negotiation, the Friends of Lockers Park agreed to fund the purchase and this afternoon Mrs Ashburner went up to Amey Zoo in Bovingdon and came back with a young bearded dragon. He or she seems to have settled in well and enjoyed a meal of crickets once settled into their new home. In due course our bearded dragon will have a catchy name and we hope we will have him/her for the next 20+ years. The Science Department would like, once again, to thank the Friends of Lockers Park for their generosity.