PSHE leader Ms Natley spent almost a year planning and organising this educational event in order to give students a chance to learn about the world surrounding them from the school hall. The Young Journalists interviewed the stallholders, the students, and Ms Natley to discover more about this amazing experience.

Each stall held lots of information about their cultures. Izzy, the student running the Spanish exhibit, told us why she wanted to take part in the World Fair:

“I joined the World Fair because I would like people to know about the delicious food we eat, the traditions we celebrate, and I want them to know it is more than just the beach, and just how beautiful it is.”

Next, we headed over to Mauritius, where Ruth, the stallholder, explained why she wanted to express her feelings about Mauritius:

“I want people to know that Mauritius actually exists, because many people don’t believe in Mauritius.”

She also told us an interesting fact:

“Did you know, Mauritius holds the world record for organising the world’s largest shower?”

After our flying visit to Mauritius, we journeyed towards Belgium. Zoe stated, “Belgium is an important part of the world,” and further explained that Belgium often gets overshadowed by other countries such as France:

“Not many people have heard about Belgium, and it is a surprisingly different country.”

Our final expedition took us to Canada. Daisy told us that “Canada is quite an inclusive country.” Yet she also admitted it was “difficult to emphasise,” since “not many people feel they want to learn about our Canadian culture.”

Other highlights included the bustling henna stand, where students — and even some teachers — queued up for the chance to have intricate designs painted on their hands. Meanwhile, dancers from the African stands performed in traditional dress, bringing the hall to life with colour and sound.

Overall, the students really enjoyed the education and experience. In particular, they valued the chance to explore the cultural displays and to hear directly from their peers about their traditions. It was a truly unique opportunity for students to learn about other students’ backgrounds and cultures, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it.

By Evelyn Hartley, Evie Anderson, Daisie Wright, Skye Warren, Martha Rees.