HAMPSHIRE schools and colleges are dancing for joy having earned national awards in the UK Rock Challenge.

Southampton’s Chamberlayne College for the Arts, Richard Taunton Sixth Form College and Highfield CE Primary School, Halterworth Community Primary School in Romsey, Wellow Primary, and Gosport St Vincent’s Sixth Form College were all winners.

Having reached the regional finals held at Portsmouth Guildhall in June the performances were judged for national awards not only on the live performance, but also the performances as seen on mixed-angle DVDs.

Wellow were double victors, earning the awards for performance Skill and Set Design and Function “Magical Mayhem!” a story set in a toyshop where the toys come to life at night.

Their presentation featured 60 pupils from years 5 and 6 plus some year 4s from the school's gymnastics club was devised by Cary Batchelor who works in the school office and runs the gym club.

Wellow's costumes were designed by teaching assistant Diana Hall and made by parents and staff.

Head of School Beth Larcombe said: “It’s the only thing we do that every child totally commits to. These awards recognise that determination and effort ‘to be their best’ which is the motto of Rock Challenge.”

Ms Larcombe added that the award for set design was a reward for a true community effort.

Wellow finished third overall in the regional finals with their sister school Halterworth Primary taking top spot with “Into the Woods…and beyond” a stylish retelling of Orpheus's battle to save Eurydice from the underworld.

This dark tale took the national award for choreography Chamberlayne College for the Arts at Weston were also double winners.

Their presentation “Time-napped” won for best Set Design and Function and took the Healthy Lifestyle award.

The college’s performance showed the citizens of earth being sent to another dimension where they must conquer creatures from a different reality out to conquer the universe.

Richard Taunton’s performance Seven for a Secret, inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, focused on four young girls who stumble upon a vulnerable bird, forgetting the old wives’ tale about ‘one for sorrow’.

And the team walked away with the award for best concept.

They taunt the injured creature, but are suddenly swarmed by birds seeking revenge and attacking their tormentors.

It was directed by Lisa Fernandez-Adams, deputy learning area manager for music and performing arts, who also came up with the nightmarish concept.

She said: “I am so happy to win this award as I always push our students to be original and not go with the norm, so to be recognised for this is amazing. RTSFC is a great place to be for creativity!”

Richard Taunton’s were also nominated for awards in the categories of Choreography and Visual Enhancement.

St Vincent College won the Award for Positive Inclusion and gained a special mention in the award for student leadership.

Highfield Primary scooped the award Cultural and Educational Achievement award for “Only for three months” which retold the poignant true story of the refugee Basque children who arrived at Southampton Docks in the 1930s during the Spanish Civil War.