Football-mad pupils are attempting to top the charts with a World Cup song as part of a charity project launched by an ex-teacher.

Jasper Ward, who taught at The Chafford School in Lambs Lane South, Rainham, has launched a campaign in which he will attempt to get the song England’s One to number one in the charts when it is released on June 9.

The song was released in 2006 by Greasy Spoons as a World Cup song, but now Jasper is recruiting thousands of schoolchildren to help him sing it in aid of Cancer Research UK.

The campaign started at the Rainham school last week where nearly 1000 students took part in a day of singing, dancing, flag waving and kazoo playing.

Deputy headteacher, Sandra Reeks, said: “The students were just great and it was inspiring to see them getting so enthusiastically behind a real cause.

“A really special moment was hearing the students spontaneously singing the England’s One song as they left school at the end of the day”.

Year 9 student, Henry Seagroatt said “It was just a great day. I really enjoyed the whole experience. Let’s hope we get to number one”

Jasper will be visiting schools up and down the country over the coming weeks and aims to raise £100,000 for Cancer Research in the process.

The song will be released on 9th June 2014, in time for the World Cup.