MORE than 70 students were given a chance to shine at a special arts awards ceremony organised by their Portland school.

The event at Royal Manor Arts College was in honour of 35 students receiving bronze Arts Awards and a further 37 receiving both bronze and silver arts awards – one of the highest rates nationally.

The arts award is a nationally-recognised qualification, which encourages young people’s development as artists and arts leaders. Young people aged 11-25 of all abilities and interests can gain the award in any art form, from dance to painting, writing and event organisation.

Over the last year, the Royal Manor students have worked hard to create portfolios and put on various performances and exhibition events for other students and the community.

Throughout the process, an arts award moderator assessed them and the ceremony was the culmination of all their efforts.

In honour of the event, students took to the stage with singing acts, a dance troupe and the MumJums soul band – made up of students and former students as well as teacher Martyn Mullender – before the certificates were handed out.

Mr Mullender, the arts award adviser, said: “It was really brilliant to see the students celebrating their success with the rest of the school and their parents.

“They have all got so much from the experience.

“The arts awards give them the chance to gain so much new knowledge and develop so many new skills – it’s also a lot of fun and complements what they learn in the school curriculum.

“We all get a real buzz from it and as a school we are extremely proud of their achievements.”

The arts awards scheme has been integrated into the curriculum at Royal Manor to give students who have opted out of certain GCSEs a chance to shine and to get a qualification that will take them on to the next stage of education.