Penguin pupils p-p-pick up pounds for Pudsey

Penguin impersonators: Year 12 students Katie Reddington, Teresa Theodore, Catriona Neville, Hazel Simon and Steffi Maranan.

A pack of penguins caused a stir in Stamford Hill yesterday as students from Our Lady’s Convent High School surprised residents in their Antarctic attire for Children in Need.

With uniform abandoned and £2 in the pot, the Year 12 pupils took mufti-day to the streets to beat the £6,300 they raised for charity last year.

In costumes they hired themselves, the girls paraded as penguins along Amhurst Park, causing almost every car, van and bus to honk as they passed.

Catriona Neville said: “Last time we came dressed as a bunch of bananas and collected lots of money around the school… but we really want to raise even more for Children in Need this year.”

Steffi Maranan added: “This year we decided to raise money from local people as well, by rattling our collecting buckets in front of the school.

“Everyone was really generous, they smiled when they saw us and nearly everyone put some money into our collection bucket.”