Inspire: Michelle Obama sits between the UK Department of International Development's Justine Greening (left) and returned Peace Corps Volunteer Bina Contreras (right) during a 'Let Girls Learn' meeting at the Mulberry School for Girls
Fist pump: The U.S. First Lady is surrounded by pupils as the girls undertake performances of gymnastics and song in her honour
Enthusiastic: Mrs Obama seemed impressed with the schoolgirls performances as she cheered them on from the sidelines this morning
Greeting: Students whooped and cheered as Mrs Obama made her way into the playground at Mulberry School for Girls in Tower Hamlets
Impressed: Students perform a gymnastic routine and other youngsters wave the American flag as Mrs Obama looking on happily
One of the students performs an interpretive dance for Mrs Obama, who said she was touched by the warm welcome she recieved
Embrace: Mrs Obama pulls another schoolgirl in for a hug to the delight of her fellow students who screamed as she arrived at the school
Mrs Obama urged world leaders to 'throw the school gates open to girls everywhere,' arguing that it is a heartbreaking injustice to have 62 million girls out of school
Happy: Mrs Obama laughs as she meets the crowds. This morning she was welcomed for tea at Kensington Palace with Prince Harry
In an article for the Financial Times, she said: ‘I intend to use my remaining time as First Lady — and beyond — to rally leaders across the globe to join us in this work.
‘Because every girl, no matter where she lives, deserves the opportunity to develop the promise inside of her.’
Girls faced obstacles to education such as forced marriages, early pregnancies, abuse and sexism, she said.
'That kind of life is unthinkable for the girls in our lives, so why would we accept this fate for any girl on this planet?' she wrote. 'This week I will join Prime Minister David Cameron in London to begin to answer that question, and announce a series of partnerships between the US and UK to educate adolescent girls in developing countries around the world.'
She praised the UK as a 'global leader' for girls' education and said one joint scheme included a 180m-dollar investment in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Cheers: The U.S. First Lady greets crowds of schoolgirls as they wave the Union Jack and American flags in excitement at her arrival
Campaign: Mrs Obama gives a wave to the excited schoolgirls, and is at the school to highlight her campaign to make girls’ education ‘an urgent economic issue’
Support: Mrs Obama will also host an event at the school to discuss joint work between America and Britain to boost education for adolescent girls across the world through the Let Girls Learn initiative
Posy: One of the students hands the U.S. First Lady a bouquet of flowers as she meets pupils at the school in east London this morning
She added: 'In addition, our development agencies and two of countries' leading universities will collaborate on evidence-based research to determine the best ways to educate adolescent girls.
‘And British and American partners will work together to support teacher training, girls' leadership camps, and other community-based programmes in developing countries.
'Combined, these efforts total nearly 200m dollars - but, given the scope of this challenge, even that is nowhere near sufficient. Girls' education is a global issue that requires a global solution.'
After London, the group party will fly on to Italy to meet US armed services families based in Europe and to visit the Milan Expo as part of the third strand of her work, encouraging healthier diets for children.
Waiting: Excited schoolgirls from Mulberry School for Girls await the arrival of Michelle Obama and her two daughters, Sasha and Malia
Excited: Girls at the school in Tower Hamlets eagerly awaited the arrival of the Obamas and waved a mixture of Union Jacks and U.S. flags