Parents, grandparents, teachers, governors and even some children have brushed the dust off their knitting needles for a project run by charity Save The Children.

The hats will be sent to Tibet, which has a high incidence of pneumonia, which kills around two million children worldwide every year.

Teacher Helen Wrigglesworth decided to take up the cause after seeing it highlighted in a TV programme.

She said: “I thought I would start knitting hats and maybe the school could get involved too. I honestly didn’t think it would work this well. I thought we’d all knit maybe 100, but more than 600 is amazing.”

Help was on hand from regulars at Gala Bingo in Castleford who also knitted masses of the hats after being approached by school staff.

Miss Wrigglesworth said: “Some of the older children have knitted some too but we have been talking to all of the children about why we have been doing it and discussing the children who will receive them.”

The school has also appealed for anyone who wishes to sponsor the hats’ transport to London to get in touch.

Mis Wigglesworth added: “Save The Children can’t afford it, and although we’ve been donating our time for this cause we can’t afford to use the school budget to pay for the transport. So if anyone wants to help sponsor us to send them off, it would be great.”