St Michael's CE Primary School children learn why people are forced to leave their homeland as they celebrate Refugee Week

St Michael's CE Primary School staged a special day as part of the week to learn about and celebrate multiculturalism.

Children and staff came to school wearing cultural clothing as part of a non-uniform day to help the local charity Befriending Refugees and Asylum Seekers (BRASS).

They raised £265.71 to be used by BRASS to support their work with individuals and families in Bolton.

Youngsters took part in activities to develop their understanding of why some people leave their homes and travel thousands of miles to seek refuge.

Liz Manning, religious education lead at the Great Lever school said: "Pupils and staff looked wonderful in their very special clothes.

"Across the school, pupils learnt about the plight of refugees as they leave their home countries to travel a long way to begin a new home, including in the UK and in Bolton.

"Stories, texts and videos were used to help children build their understanding.

"Children thought carefully and reflected upon the feelings and experiences of refugees moving to our town, Bolton.

"Children learnt about the qualities and determination of past and present inspirational people who have experienced life as a refugee, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai who uses her experiences to help others.

"Art work, inspired by cultures and countries where some Bolton refugees have emigrated from, was created in all classes. Creativity was evident throughout the school as pupils learnt about cultures from across the world."

Safa Ahmed, a Year 5 pupil, said: "We learned about why people might leave their own country and how they might feel as a new refugee coming to Britain. We talked about what empathy is and what we could all do to make refugees feel welcome. It was a really interesting day for the whole school - lots of children and staff wore their traditional dress and we spent the afternoon doing some amazing artwork."

Refugee Week is a UK-wide festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. Founded in 1998 and held every year, Refugee Week is also a growing global movement.

Through a programme of arts, cultural, sports and educational events alongside media and creative campaigns, Refugee Week enables people from different backgrounds to connect beyond labels, as well as encouraging understanding of why people are displaced, and the challenges they face when seeking safety.