PUPILS from a school which has taken strides to increase its performing arts provision have been rewarded for their dedication to the subject.

A group of 19 year 7 and 8 pupils from Highfield Middle School headed to the Musical Theatre Festival in Birmingham last Saturday.

The pupils, who have all had involvement with the school’s productions, performed 10 minutes from Disney’s Aladdin Jr. They then took part in a workshop with the director for the west end show. Stuart Rutherford, head of year 5, said: “We didn’t win but for us it wasn’t about winning, it was about being surrounded by theatre professionals, learning from them and having a fun time whilst doing it. We are so proud of our students for tackling this massive challenge and they absolutely nailed it.”