Schools, businesses and individuals across the area did their bit to support this year’s Children In Need Appeal.

Friday brought everything from “flanning” the head teacher to “spontaneous” dancing in public shopping malls and it all helped to boost the total collected in the South East region to a staggering £1,643,430 so far.

In Hawkhurst the children at Marlborough House School adopted a Spots and Cakes theme. With pupils making a donation to wear spotty clothes for the day and purchasing cakes made by parents and staff.

At St Simon Stock School in Oakwood Park, Maidstone, Pudsey Bear cakes were the favourite snack of the day, although even more popular was the chance to pelt head teacher Brendan Wall in the face with a foam flan.

There was also live music and competitions such as guess-the-number of sweets in the jar.

Barming Primary School in Belmont Close held a 14-hour drumathon, with the youngsters taking it in shifts to bang away on bongos, tambourines and drum sets, with most dressed as superheroes - although perhaps it was head teacher Robin Halls who was the most heroic of all for allowing the event.

Superheroes were the theme of the day too at Madginford Primary School in Egremont Road, Bearsted. The climbing frames in the school gym were festooned with Spidermen, while Catpeople slunk across the judo mats, with a posse of Wonderwomen keeping an eye on events.

Princess costumes were the favoured choice of the tiny tots at a fancy dress day at Leybourne Pre-School, which meets in the village hall in Little Market Row, although even there, Spideman was a popular choice among the boys.

At Wateringbury Primary School in Bow Road, pupils - and teachers - designed and wore their own capes, and staff also took part in a marshmallow-eating challenge, with head teacher Chasey Crawford-Usher spoon-feeding the contestants.

Meanwhile, shoppers at Fremlin Walk in Maidstone were surprised when a number of young men and women among them suddenly broke into a dance routine.

The flash mob event was organised by performing arts students from the Dance Dash group at Maplesden Noakes School in Buckland Road, Maidstone.

Video: Pupils stage a flash mob dance in Maidstone

Across the country, the BBC’s Children In Need Appeal is said to have raised £32m already with more still coming in.

BBC’s director general Tony Hall said; “I’m delighted that Children in Need has raised so much for disadvantaged children this year.
“I’d like to thank the Great British Public for their donations and also all those who organised and took part in events.”