CHILDREN at a Dawlish primary school have been celebrating the Chinese New Year, the year of the rabbit.

The youngsters at Westcliff Primary School were treated to the special event thanks to their Chinese intern, teacher Soen Yi Wun.

A qualified teacher from Hong Kong, Miss Soen has taught at secondary schools in China and is spending time at Westcliff to broaden her skills.

Her visit was arranged by Emma Taggart, Westcliff's international coordinator.

She said: 'It is really exciting to work with a teacher from another culture as we can learn new ideas and gain a new perspective on things we do ourselves.

'Both the staff and pupils are enjoying finding out about Chinese culture through their work with Miss Soen.'

As well as teaching the children about Chinese traditions and culture, Miss Soen – who is called Zoe by the pupils – has also been teaching some Chinese language, calligraphy, numbers and traditional dancing.

Mrs Taggart added: 'Miss Soen is passionate about education and her enthusiasm is really inspiring the children to take an interest in the wider world.'

Miss Soen will be working at Westcliff until March. The school has welcomed many foreign teachers down the last few years, including several from Japan.