The music department at Leighton Park School in Shinfield Road, Reading, is in the running for the Outstanding School Music Department Award 2025.

The awards are run by the Music & Drama Education Awards.

Rosemary Scales, the director of music at the school, said: "This is a highly prestigious award in the world of music education. We are absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted and it reflects all of the hard work the students and staff put into their music."

(Image: Leighton Park School)

The school will find out if they have won the award at the ceremony on January 30 at the Royal National Hotel in London.

The news of the award nomination came in as a specially selected choir of singers were performing a new piece of music, 'The Sacred Place', commissioned for the opening of the Grove Sixth Form Centre and whole school library.

The building was opened by Professor Robert van der Noort, vice-chancellor of the University of Reading, on October 18.

Headteacher Matthew Judd congratulated Ms Scales on their success.

He said: "It is as though the universe was listening to your performance in Grove. Never have I known a music department, nor director of, more worthy of this recognition.

"Well done to you and all of the team."

The organisers of the awards said: "This is a fantastic achievement, and we can't wait to celebrate your hard work and dedication in shaping the future of music and drama education."

The music department at Leighton Park supports a wide range of musical opportunities, catering to everyone from absolute beginners to those aiming for a musical career.

More than 60 per cent of the students learn at least one instrument, with 27 peripatetic music teachers providing lessons on everything from the euphonium, the accordion, and the harp, to the more traditional options of piano and violin.

There are regular performance opportunities during lunchtimes and evenings, as well as at the annual Music for a Summer’s Evening event.

The department also organises biannual international concert tours and musical theatre shows.

The team encourages music at all levels and provides Year 7s with instrumental lessons in strings, brass, and woodwind as part of their curriculum teaching.

The school’s co-curricular programme offers over 90 hobbies each week, with around 30 per cent of these in the performing arts.

Musical options include everything from orchestra and bassoon ensemble to rock band and chamber choir.

The deadline for Sixth Form music scholarship applications for 2025 is November 1, and for Year 7 and 9 applicants, it is November 15.