IT’S not every day that VIPs drop in and join in a Christmas meal.

But children at one Weymouth school had to roll out the red carpet when special guests including an international diplomat paid a visit.

Students in the Southwell Class at Westfield Arts College worked very hard to prepare a festive feast for special guests, including Minister Claudio Rojo, Consul General of the Argentine Republic, to say thank you for their help during 2012.

The students, aged between 12 and 16, invited those who had helped them throughout the year including a man who shared his Second World War experiences with the class as part of a project, a bank worker who helped students set up bank accounts and volunteers from Nothe Fort.

The Argentine connection began when, during the run up to the Olympic sailing events, each class in the school was given a different country to learn about and represent.

Southwell Class got Argentina and class teacher Susie Geffcott wrote to Mr Rojo.

She said: “Claudio answered and said he would gladly spend a day with us. He came down for a day during the summer and spent time with the students.

“He was delightful.”

She added: “He got on really well with the children – they responded very well to him.”

The students showed Mr Rojo where the Olympic and Paralympic sailing would take place and made him a traditional Dorset cream tea. In return Mr Rojo gave the students books and information about Argentina.

To say thank you to everyone that had given their time to help the students this year they prepared canapés, nibbles, non-alcoholic mulled wine, mince pies and helped with the preparation of vegetables for the turkey lunch with all the trimmings.

Mrs Geffcott said: “The students got involved in cooking the food. They prepared the vegetables and put everything out on the table. They made the mince pies and decorated and set the table. They did very well. They rearranged the classroom to make it look more homely. They did a great job.”

Mrs Geffcott said it was part of getting the students to ‘put themselves in other people’s shoes’ and give something back to those people who had given up their time to help the students.

Following the turkey, the guests enjoyed lemon meringue pie and raspberry and chocolate cheesecake, followed by mince pies and tea or coffee.

The students did so well that they were given extra school rewards points.

Mrs Geffcott said: “They really were outstanding.”

She added: “It was a big thing to do for anybody but especially for these children. They did very well.”