A quirky tradition carried out by pupils from the Royal Masonic School for Girls in Rickmansworth since the 1870s landed them an audience of millions as they performed for Chris Evans and viewers of BBC’s The One Show.

The 10 girls performed a section of Drill, a 20 minute routine of callisthenics and marching to music that was popular more than a century ago but is now unique to the school.

The girls were chosen to perform live on television because a section of Drill is similar to the ‘Mobot’ movement performed by athlete Mo Farah following his Olympic triumph.

Headteacher Diana Rose, who accompanied the girls to the filming at BBC Television Centre on Friday September 21, said the tradition remains hugely popular and is performed three times a year by 180 pupils.

On the school’s website, she wrote: "In a year which saw unprecedented examples of community celebration and regard for ritual both in the success of the Jubilee and the Olympics, the enduring popularity of Drill at my school reminds us that young people actually want to be part of something greater than themselves.

"Drill is all about precision and formation; the whole is much more important than the individual parts, there are no stars and no celebrities in Drill."