Pupils at independent prep school Belmont Grosvenor are celebrating after being awarded the highest marks possible in their drama exams – for the second consecutive year.
All pupils, from Years 2 to 6, who entered this year’s LAMDA (London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art) examinations were awarded Distinction grades. It is a repeat of last year’s Drama Distinction success.
Belmont Grosvenor School Drama Specialist Teacher, and former BGS pupil Mr Dennis Maher, said he was overjoyed with his students’ success and said the results reflected the strength of the school’s thriving Performing Arts department, where drama and music form a central part of everyday life.
Mr Maher said:
"I am incredibly proud of our LAMDA candidates for achieving Distinctions across all disciplines.
"Their dedication, courage and creativity have truly shone through. Drama and the performing arts are essential in building confidence, resilience and strong communication skills – they are far more than ‘extras’ at BGS."
Pupils were examined in the three LAMDA disciplines — Acting, Musical Theatre, and Verse & Prose — demonstrating outstanding performance skills, confidence and creativity.
The exams are nationally recognised qualifications that develop communication, interpretation and presentation skills, making the pupils’ achievements particularly impressive.
Belmont Grosvenor School, based as Swarcliffe Hall, Birstwith, has recently undergone a major overhaul of its stage, lighting and sound equipment, which has seen the installation of professional standard equipment, providing pupils with outstanding performance opportunities comparable to, and often exceeding, those found in many secondary schools and local theatres.
This allows pupils to learn skills beyond the stage itself, helping develop young theatre technicians and simulate the full production experience with pupils running the full sound and light systems for performances, enabling them to link their cross-curricular learning, including coding and art/design.
Mr Maher said:
“Having performed professionally myself, and continuing to train professional performers alongside my Drama teaching at BGS, I understand the discipline and joy that performance brings.
“It is a real privilege to share that passion with our pupils and to help them discover their voice. With the growing national focus on oracy and spoken language in education, it is wonderful to see that this is something we have long embedded at Belmont Grosvenor.
“Whether our pupils go on to pursue performance or not, they leave us as confident, articulate young people – and that is something to celebrate! he said.
Children at Belmont Grosvenor, from the youngest in nursery to Year 6, benefit from specialist teaching in both music and drama, allowing creativity and performance skills to develop from an early age.
Belmont Grosvenor firmly believes in the importance of the Performing Arts as part of a well-rounded education. Research consistently shows that participation in drama and music builds confidence, communication skills and emotional wellbeing, helping young people thrive both academically and personally.
These outstanding LAMDA results celebrate not only individual achievement but also the school’s commitment to nurturing confident, expressive and resilient learners through a rich and inspiring creative education.
A whole school open day is planned for Friday 24th April 2026. For more information or to arrange a tour of BGS, please visit the website: www.belmontgrosvenor.co.uk
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