CHILDREN from an Oxfordshire school got a taste of the East with a visit from their Chinese penpals.

Pupils at St Peter’s Primary School, in Wootton, near Abingdon, have been corresponding with children at Yuying Primary School in the city of Changsha since 2009.

But the children came face to face with their Chinese counterparts for the first time when they came to visit last week.

It was the UK’s first official visit of primary school children from the country, and was part of an international exchange programme.

Teacher Salley Heyden said: “It has been a wonderful week and the children have learned so much about each other’s cultures. We’re looking forward to learning more about their language and culture and to compare and contrast some of the things we do.”

The children and their headteacher stayed with local families and took part in lessons at the school. They also visited County Hall in Oxford to meet Oxfordshire County Council chairman Patrick Greene.

He said: “It’s a real privilege for our county to be the first in the UK to host a visit like this.”