by Alan McGuinness

Pupils hope to have blown away a world record - for umbrella dancing!

Staff and students at Rochester Grammar School put Gene Kelly in the shade by dancing to Singing in the Rain for more than five minutes.

A total of 832 people took part in the coordinated record attempt on Tuesday, far surpassing the previous high of 492, set in Texas in February.

The school has sent off all of the paperwork and is awaiting official confirmation from Guinness, which should take four to six weeks.

The record attempt was in aid of the blood cancer charity Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research and raised £586.

The charity was chosen by 15-year-old Phoebe Penman. She said: "It was really incredible we just felt so proud of ourselves completing it. Ever since we have finished our exams it has been our first priority.

"It is a charity that is really close to my heart. My best friend's dad was diagnosed with leukaemia, he has been in remission twice."

Christie Ransom, lead dance teacher and head of Hildegard House, said a lot of planning had gone into the dance.

"We applied for the world record attempt in March and then in June some students from Year 10 choreographed the routine," she said.

"We have been planning it for the past month. We did an hour-long practice session before we went out onto the field. All of the staff took part and we had to have two adjudicators."