Passers-by got a shock at home time when pupils and teachers came out of the school gate in their lacquered backcombed hair or crazy wigs.

Lyceum School in Shoreditch was having a ‘bad hair’ day when the youngsters and even staff turned up in their most outrageous styles, some with backcombed bouffants, others in wacky wigs.

“The children, teachers and parents have truly outdone themselves,” headteacher Vanessa Bingham said. “The funny looks on the Tube on the way into school were definitely worth it.”

The private school in Paul Street, off Old Street, also ran week-long activities to coincide with Bad Hair Day, on a “different and together” theme to encourage pupils to accept other people’s differences. It included writing songs and stories, creating drawings and posters about each other’s qualities and about being different and being the same.

The sponsored day has made a hair-raising £8,000 for Great Ormond Street children’s hospital. The school is presenting the cheque at the hospital after half term.