Mums have been joining their daughters at a cook-in at Belle Vue Girls' School to see how the other half eats.

The event, which included a buffet, was the climax of a term of weekly events called Look and Cook aimed at forging links with the mothers of the students, who are predominately Asian Muslims.

The sessions have proved a popular cultural cross-over, with the school cook demonstrating traditional English cooking and swapping tips with the mums and daughters. They have seen families introduced to traditional puddings and vegetables such as celery which are not a staple part of the Pakistani diet.

Jan Lee, of the school, said: "In quite a lot of families it's the dad who speaks English - mum perhaps has limited English. If they both come, dad might do all the talking. This has been a good way of getting the mums into school. Nusrat Jan is pictured in a fit of giggles with her daughter Shamaila Khan.