Teachers have praised the Ipswich Star World Cup Challenge after hundreds of pupils across the town learned about countries competing at the tournament.

Children have relished finding out about the history, culture and values of their adopted countries through themed lessons and activities after 26 primary schools were paired with nations competing at the World Cup.

And although there was no official prize for winning, pupils at Clifford Road Primary School had even more reason to cheer after their paired country, Germany, became world champions on Sunday night.

Stephen Wood, head teacher, said: “A few children came in bleary eyed because they had stopped up to watch it, but they were all really impressed with the German team.

“They showed perseverance, tenacity and rose to the challenge – skills which can be related to life at school and life in general.

“They also saw that most German players play in the Bundesliga (the German domestic league), with the Premier League flooded with foreign stars, leading to a healthy debate over the national issue, which was impressive at their age.”

The school held a ‘Germany Day’ on the eve of the World Cup final.

Mr Wood added: “Nineteen languages are spoken at our school, so it is important pupils learn about different cultures, and being paired up with a team made it more real.”

Meanwhile, Michele Baldock, PE coach at Castle Hill Infants School, teamed up with runners-up Argentina, said they enjoyed learning about the South American country.

Elsewhere during the challenge, Whitehouse Community Primary School enjoyed a Nigeria-themed day. Parents dressed in traditional Nigerian clothes while pupils had the chance to see works of art created by Chinwe Chukwuogo-Roy, who was based in East Anglia for some time and painted the official Golden Jubilee portrait of the Queen.

Youngsters at Somersham Primary School showed off their creativity and design skills in a French-themed Mad Hair and Hats Day. Imaginative hat designs featured the Eiffel Tower, a beret sailor cap and even a baguette during the day of fun learning.

Pupils at Whatfield Primary School took part in a day of activities centred on Greece, with pupils learning about its rich culture and classical myths before trying the country’s traditional dishes.

Gill Mitchell, headteacher at the East Bergholt Primary School, said pupils got creative as they learned about Colombia.

Students found out about the country’s rainforests, writing persuasive articles to save them, while others learned about the importance of Fairtrade and tried out some Colombian bananas. They also learnt some Spanish.

Youngsters at Tattingstone CofE Primary School learnt all about Croatia. They discovered that Dalmatian dogs can be traced back to country while learning about the historical region of Dalmatia.

Sidegate Primary School held a Dutch-themed day, staging lessons on artists such Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Veroude, while Springfield Junior School, linked with Cameroon, organised a football tournament with other schools.

And finally, Wendy Worley, headteacher at Stutton Primary School, paired with hosts Brazil, helped organise a five-a-side tournament – which saw Brazil beat England in the final!