STUDENTS at Thornton Grammar School have won through to the national final of a theatrical performance competition.

They finished first in the Northern Premier Final of the Rock Challenge contest in Grimsby and qualified for the national final at Milton Keynes Theatre on Monday, July 6, where they will face the winning teams from the north and south of England as well as Scotland.

Their eight-minute production, inspired by the 1995 film Jumanji, was also praised for its soundtrack by the judges.

The school's performance, which featured 66 dancers and 14 members of stage crew, was also recognised in the Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside Award of Excellence for Performance Skill.

It was also honoured in a range of other categories, including the Award of Excellence for Concept, for Drama, set design and function, video performance and costuming character and visual enhancement and the Be Your Best Foundation Award for Student Leadership.

Head teacher Rob Browning said: "It's absolutely fantastic for ourselves and our young people to get through to the national final.

"They have been working so hard for everything and have been working on it since October last year."

The Rock Challenge sees participating schools produce musical and theatrical performances. They are marked on production, design and performance.

School teams made up of from 20 to 100 performers decides on a theme, then create the choreography for their five to eight-minute dance-drama performance, select and record the medley of music for their soundtrack, and design and make their sets and costumes.

Pupils at Buttershaw Business and Enterprise College also maintained their premier division status after their performance at the same event.

Their performance, called Embodiment, were honoured in the BAE Systems Award for Excellence for Stage Use for using blue costumes.

They were honoured in a series of categories including the Andrew Marr International Award of Excellence for Lighting, for costuming character, set design and function and for concept.

Meanwhile, Airedale Academy finished fourth in the Rock Challenge's Be Your Best Northern Open Final, held in Grimsby.

Airedale students' performance, called Silence is Golden, was inspired by a characters moving from silent films to talkies.

They were also recognised in a host of categories including for excellence for performance skill, excellence for drama, concept and soundtrack.

Tong High School pupils were also honoured for their performance of one man's fight to freedom after being kidnapped and sold as a slave. They received plaudits in the choreography, concept, performers' choice award and drama and soundtrack sections.

Appleton Academy had a circus theme for their display and Royds School's 'Ouija', told the story of main character Laila's past demons being unleashed from a Ouija board.

The Royds performance claimed the Be Your Best Foundation Award for Spirit of Rock Challenge and the prize for positive inclusion.