Children at Hagbourne Primary School learned how pupils in East Africa make footballs from banana skins.

"It was a stark lesson in recycling for the benefit our children," said Hagbourne headteacher Richard Jones during a visit from Josephine Nkibuuka, acting headteacher of Mengo School, Kampala, with which it is linked.

Mrs Nkibuuka was among a group of teachers and headteachers from Uganda, who have spent a week in the UK as part of a schools link programme.

Pupils presented Mrs Nkibuuka with five real footballs to take back to her school, as well as a sports bag, a camera and a pump.

Hagbourne School's PTA and governors also presented Mrs Nkibuuka with $300 (£200), to buy paint to decorate her school.

Mr Jones, who visited the school in Kampala last year, said both Hagbourne and Mengo School were involved in an education project designing and making toys from recycled materials.

Hagbourne School also has links with schools in Germany, Greece, Spain, Australia, the Czech Republic, and the USA.