Pupils from eight schools experienced a day of Pakistani culture and heard about life in Pakistan from a teacher on an exchange scheme.

70 children from Allonby, Plumbland, Broughton Moor, Westnewton, Bothel, Home St Cuthbert’s, Ireby and Oughterside schools enjoyed taking part in different workshops to experience aspects of Pakistani life at an event at Allonby School yesterday.

They enjoyed sessions in cricket, language, art, geography and music in the village hall, with Steven Strachan, where the children tried out Indian subcontinent instruments the Sitar, Dholak and Bansuri.

Dylan Harrison, 11, took part in a geography workshop and said: “The day has been good, I enjoyed making a mini booklet about Pakistan.”

With a £3000 grant for connecting class rooms and linking schools from the British Council, Allonby linked with the Islamabad Convent School in Pakistan.

Children are buddied up with children in Islamabad who wrote letters and sent them with their teacher, Sahar Moeen, who is experiencing life in the UK for a week.

Head teacher David Owen has shown Sahar a taste of life here, including a trip to Liverpool, where his parents live, then Tullie House at Carlisle, Grasmere and west Cumbria.

Sahar has been observing lessons and how different it is to her school. She said: “It is wonderful being in the UK. I have come for the education project and have witnessed amazing architecture at the cathedral and Roman history. I am really inspired by the advanced methodology and strategies for students and I am going to apply this to my students.”

She particularly enjoyed the trip to Grasmere as their school studies William Wordsworth as part of their curriculum and she was impressed by the famous gingerbread.

Mr Owen said: “The long term objectives of the project is to encourage children from both countries to appreciate each others cultures."

He will do an exchange visit to Pakistan in February half-term, where roles will be reversed and he will get the chance to teach children in the Islamabad Convent School.

He said: “I’m excited to see a very different education system and culture, we have 25 pupils and they have 1500, which couldn’t be more different and they are in the capital of Pakistani."

Mr Owen envisions a long term link with the school.