Pudsey Bear paid a visit to a school thanks to BBC Children in Need’s Principal Partner, Lloyds Bank.

Monksmead School, in Borehamwood, is the fundraising partner of Lloyds Bank and surprised the pupils by inviting Pudsey to visit.

Pudsey met the pupils, teachers and parents to thank them for their hard work raising funds to help disadvantaged children and young people across the country as part of the exciting new Champions of Change education initiative.

Headteacher Cathy Elsley said: “We were very excited that, thanks to Lloyds Bank, Pudsey was able to visit our school to support our BBC Children in Need fundraising activities on an exceptionally busy day for him and the children felt very special as a result.”

Parents from the foundation year classes came into the school in the morning to help the children bake and decorate cakes which Pudsey helped sell at home time as the parents came.

Senior manager at Lloyds Bank Group, Tanya Veingard said: “Lloyds Bank is proud to support BBC Children in Need and the millions of young Champions of Change, like those at Monksmead.

“Our partnership with BBC Children in Need sits at the heart of our strategy to Help Britain Prosper and knowing that together we can help to make a difference and help change the lives of disadvantaged children and young people is fantastic.

“We’re really pleased that because we’re such good friends with Pudsey that he was able to visit the children at Monksmead to thank them for their fundraising efforts.”