Around 750 baloons are launched into the air for the Olympics at Langdon Park School Pictures curtesy of Rich Harley Photography

Pupils at a school in Poplar held their own Olympic Opening Ceremony this week as they began welcoming Canadian athletes using their premises for the Games.

Around 750 balloons, tagged with the name of each student, at Langdon Park School, were released into the air on Tuesday.

Students, including some picked for film director Danny Boyle’s Olympic Opening Ceremony, put on dance and music performances on an outdoor stage.

Pupils also paraded through the school grounds with Olympic inspired banners they had created.

They had been divided into groups mixing students from year seven to 10. A group named Violet won a cup for the best banner.

The school’s head teacher Chris Dunne said: “It was important for us to do something as the Olympics are only like to come here once in a lifetime, even for the younger pupils.”

Canadian athletes began arriving this week at the school where they will be using the sports hall for their costume fittings, including for the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies.