A talented group of more than 60 students from Beaconsfield High School were dancing with delight last week after scooping nine awards, including the top prize, at a regional performing arts competition.

It was the first time the school had entered a team in the national Rock Challenge contest, and they were rewarded with first place, and a clutch of eight other coveted awards.

The school had been practising non-stop in recent weeks and took 63 students along for the competition finale in Portsmouth – including 44 performers and 19 behind-the-scenes crew members.

Beaconsfield High School head of dance, Katrina Lasocki, praised all the students and teachers involved in the success.

She said: “All went very well, in the end we were very successful and everyone really enjoyed it too.

“It was the first time we had ever entered and we weren’t expecting anything, so this is just unbelievable – we were absolutely delighted.

“We hadn’t seen anyone else perform in the competition, so we didn’t really know what we were up against.

“Everyone was brilliant on the night, we had a lot of students behind-the-scenes doing hair, make-up and stage crew, plus, they designed and painted our sets – they were a brilliant help, as was Ben Cottman who also helped with the making of the set.”

As well as taking the top prize back to Beaconsfield they also won excellence awards for their stage crew, visual enhancement, concept, drama, choreography, performance skill and soundtrack along with the Spirit of Rock Challenge award.

The group have now progressed to the southern regional finals, to be held on June 19.

Rock Challenge 2015, organised by the Be Your Best Foundation, is an enterprise which attempts to encourage young people to achieve a “natural high” through life, rather than through the use of tobacco, alcohol and other substances.

Be Your Best Foundation CEO, David Beal, said: “The students spend an entire day having fun, watching and supporting other schools. “From the reactions of the young people it becomes obvious why so many schools participate year-on-year.

“The Be Your Best Foundation are proud to be able to offer young people such a fantastic opportunity to be part of a global initiative.”

For more information visit www.rockchallenge.co.uk