Dress down Friday took on a whole new meaning in school as girls of all ages donned their bedtime clothes and brought along their favourite cuddly toys in aid of BBC Children in Need.

The girls swapped their usual uniforms for their favourite pyjamas, onesies and dressing gowns in exchange for a small donation to the charity.

Inspired by the charity’s colourful character Pudsey bear, pupils also invited their much-loved teddies to join their classes for the day.

Ranging from a 100-year-old family heirloom to furry friends triple the size of their owners, the school was home to hundreds of cherished toys for today’s fundraising activities which included a hotly-contested fundraising inter-house competition to find the biggest, best dressed and oldest teddy bear as well as the best animal soft toy.

There was even the chance to meet the bear who cares himself as the school’s youngest pupils were treated to a surprise visit from Pudsey Bear.

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their lessons dressed in their snuggly night clothes but to remind them of the many children who live a less comfortable existence around the UK, and who benefit from the assistance of Children in Need, lunchtime saw pupils and staff tucking into a lunch with a difference in aid of this worthy cause.

According to Oxfam, one in five families around the UK now struggle to put food on their table. With this in mind, the school staged “Pudsey’s Provisions – The Bear Necessities” a special fundraising lunch where staff and pupils enjoyed steaming bowls of tasty homemade soup with bread, or beans on toast for the prep pupils, followed by a slice of a giant commemorative Pudsey cake, made specially for the occasion, and donated by the school chefs. A donation, equivalent to the difference in price between the soup and a normal school lunch, was made to the charity.

As a result of the day’s activities, the school raised £777.15 for BBC Children in Need.