The Olympic Stadium in Stratford

Talented students have been turning up to a circus top in Dagenham in their dozens to rehearse for the £27million Olympic opening ceremony.

Pupils from 10 Barking and Dagenham schools have been getting ready for the Games at the Dagenham space, which features a replica of the Olympic Stadium.

About 20,000 people are to rehearse for the Olympic and Paralympic opening and closing ceremonies at the former Ford site in Kent Avenue.

All Saints Secondary, Hunters Hall Primary, Grafton Junior and Warren Junior will take part in the Olympic opening ceremony, organisers have confirmed.

Meanwhile, Dagenham Park, Jo Richardson and Barking Abbey secondaries as well as William Ford Junior and Roding Primary are set to join the Olympic closing ceremony and Trinity Special School the Paralympic opening ceremony.

Julian Hawkins, 49, of G&K Houlton butchers in Gale Street, Dagenham, said: “Everything has got to be rehearsed. If you go by Beijing, a lot of work went into it. They have got to have rehearsals.”