PLUME Academy became host to a group of children from Chernobyl as part of a lifeline project.

The visit to Plume served as a recuperative holiday for the children, who spent the day experiencing life in an English school, with lessons and activities including art, drama and group discussions.

The children live on the edge of the nuclear reactor exclusion zone in Ukraine, which was left uninhabitable following the nuclear disaster in 1986.

Their visit, the fifth to take place at Plume, was part of the Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline Project, which is dedicated to helping families and children whose lives were affected by the nuclear disaster.

As well as lessons, children swapped information about daily life in their own country and their own schools and families. Principal Carl Wakefield presented the children with certificates for their work and welcomed them as part of the Plume family.

Brian Collen, of Plume’s Community Team, said: “It was a great day. It seems football, pop music, and mobile phones break down all communication barriers.

“It was amazing to see how quickly all the students managed to communicate and learn from each other in a really friendly atmosphere.”