Back in September, Miss Ghatore, Assistant Curriculum Leader for English, ran an Article Writing Competition for Year 9s. Some highly motivated students rose to the challenge. After a few redrafts, pieces were submitted for publication in The Heston Voice. 

To reward students for their effort, a visit to a musical version of Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief was organised. This popular novel fuses Greek myth with American high school scenarios, and features a hero who is half-human/half-God!

The cast were 3^rd Year Drama students who attend The University of West London in Ealing. Everything from the acting, to the singing, the dancing, the special effects and the lighting was stunning. Akaila, Year 9, said, "I loved how the actors were all in snyc and on point." Harry, Year 9, was impressed by "how they didn't break character, they stayed in acting mode." Emil, Year 9, added, "It felt real".

Heston Community School is very fortunate to have the chance to take students to free performances at the university, who want to work with us on future visits too. The director and actors were so generous with their time, even meeting with us after the performance. Students found out about how long rehearsals take, how props are made, how actors remember their lines and what GCSE and A Level options the actors took. 

It was a fantastic and very different day out for our young people, who thoroughly deserved this experience.