CHILDREN from a junior school have been taking part in a folk festival.

On Friday, pupils at St Mary’s Junior School in Baldock spent the afternoon taking part in 14 dances, including the Sheffield Garland, Cotswold Morris, Flamborough Sword, Lancashire Sticks and Ribbons, and several maypole dances.

Jane Pfaff and Jeremy Monson from Lets Dance – a dance school which provides dance sessions in schools for children – worked with each class during the week, culminating in a whole school folk dance festival in the playground.

Headteacher Patricia Jenkins said: “We feel it is important to keep traditions such as English folk dance alive, and by having a whole week where children learned about the stories behind the dances as well as enjoying dancing them, they were able to experience part of old England.”