PUPILS from as far afield as Greece and Lithuania stayed with youngsters from Glory Farm Primary School in Bicester last week to learn about different cultures.

The European Union funded initiative called Erasmus Plus, aims to bring schools together so that children can work with and learn about other children from differing countries in the EU.

Pupils aged between eight and 13 from Poland, Sicily, Lithuania, Spain and Greece visited the school, staying with local families who have children in Year 5 or 6 at the school or Year 7 at The Cooper School.

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They tried new foods and discovered what daily life is like in England as well as participating in fun activities.

Glory Farm has been involved in Erasmus Plus since September 2018.

This year's theme was 'Drop of Water - A Reflection of Cultures' and throughout the week, children in the six partner schools engaged in work about water, looking at how we get our supply, the science and conservation of water and how the need for water has influenced society.

Children presented and shared work that has been done in their own schools and took part in activities like trampolining, singing and day trips to local areas such as Oxford and Stratford-Upon-Avon.

They also had the opportunity to create a news report all about water where they were asked to create a short script to present to camera in The Cooper School's Media Studio that talked about climate issues affecting water and possible solutions.

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Jane MacLachlan, headteacher at Glory Farm, said: “The feedback from the European countries has been exceptional. The whole school community will have lots of memories to treasure and hopes for the future.

"In our ever changing world, it is important that we offer a curriculum to our children that is ambitious and offers aspirations. Being a part of this EU funded project has enabled us to ensure we are constantly striving for the best for our children.”

Pupils from Glory Farm have visited Poland, Lithuania and Sicily and will visit Spain and Greece in 2020.