The Muslim festival of Ramadan has come to an end and Muslims all over the county celebrate Eid-ul-Fitre over the next few days.

Schools around the city have been joining in with the celebrations.

Stanley Road Primary School had a reduced attendance yesterday as nearly half its pupils celebrated Eid at home.

The school is planning to hold a celebratory assembly on Tuesday, December 16, combining the two religions of Muslim and Christianity. As well as Christmas carols there will be Asian dancing and the children will send both Eid and Christmas cards home to their parents.

Ronkswood Infants School is also holding a special assembly on Tuesday, December 2, to celebrate the festival.

As part of their new curriculum that incorporates the Islam religion, Tasnim Khawaja - the English as an additional language support and development officer for Worcester-- has been on hand teaching about Islam.

Mums of Muslim children have come into the school to help, showing the children the traditional clothing, mendhi hand designs and Eid songs.

The five and six-year-olds will sing a traditional Eid song, half in English and half in Urdu, while Ms Khawaja leads the school assembly.

"The Muslim children have been much more animated since we began this project. It's our way of saying what goes on in your life is important to us," said headteacher Janet Cope.

Worcester College of Technology, where six per cent of students are from an ethnic minority, has set aside rooms for prayer throughout the Ramadan period and is planning another Islam awareness campaign for the New Year.

The college put on a week of events during last year's Ramadan, including halal food-tasting, prayers sessions and workshops.

The workshops were given by Muslim women talking about the role in the family and visitors from a Birmingham mosque talking about being a British Muslim.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar, which is based on the moon rather than the sun, and during this month Muslims observe the Fast of Ramadan.

Muslims fast for the whole month during the daylight hours and in the evening eat small meals and spend time with friends and family.

This year, the fast began on Monday, October 27, and finished yesterday.