MUSIC, dance and drama are thriving at a secondary school in York, with the number of pupils studying the subjects at key stage four and five the highest it has seen in years.

All Saints RC School, in South Bank, was recently given an award from the Incorporated Society of Musicians in recognition of the progress, results and numbers of pupils taking GCSE music.

Last year, more than 10 per cent of year 11 pupils took GCSE music and achieved an A*-C grade, putting All Saints in the top 424 schools across England for music provision at key stage four.

Richard Mann, director of performing arts and head of music and music technology at the school, said: “We are immensely proud of the results and numbers at both GCSE and A-level in performing arts, particularly with cuts to funding of the Arts to schools on a national level.

“We are a very high achieving school with fantastic results in music, theatre studies, dance and performing arts at GCSE and A-level.”

A total of 202 pupils are studying music, dance and drama at key stage four and five at All Saints.

The school expects these numbers to grow next year.

Mr Mann said: “Due to the consistently high results of the department at both GCSE and A-level we are delighted to say the department has the largest uptake at key stage four and five we have seen in seven years.

“The pupils have excelled themselves in the recent practical exams and we are enormously proud of their success”.

The school’s extra-curricular provision includes two orchestras, three choirs, numerous smaller music ensembles, drama clubs, professional workshops, theatre trips, and many dance clubs.

Mr Mann said the school’s recent production of Eyre was “hugely successful”.

A modern adaptation of Jane Eyre, it involved pupils aged from 9 to 13,.

The show was adapted and directed by head of drama Alys Clark with an original full orchestral score written by Mr Mann and performed by the school orchestra.