CHILDREN in Poole are hoping to have smashed their way into the record books after holding a sing-along with a difference.

Pupils at Baden-Powell Middle School, in Parkstone, learnt sign language so they could join other youngsters across the country in performing a special song to raise money for deaf children.

The 613 students were in fine voice for the Sign2Sing record breaking attempt to get more than 94,489 people singing and signing at once.

Lucy Johnstone-McCarthy, head of music at the school in Mill Lane, said: “We have to wait to hear back from the Guinness World Record officials.

“More schools took part than last year so if we’re very lucky we’ll have made it.”

The children had spent four weeks practising three songs on the Sign2Sing charity’s training DVD and also received tuition from pupils at Montacute Special School.

On the big day, they performed a specially-written Sign2Sing routine at exactly the same time as some around 130,000 others across 975 schools and organisations.

“Everyone had a thoroughly good time,” Ms Johnstone-McCarthy added.

“Having children from Montacute visiting for special assemblies on sign language was a really nice fun partnership too.”

Each child brought in some money to give to the SignHealth charity, which supports profoundly Deaf children, young people and adults throughout the UK whose first language is not English but British Sign Language.