St Andrew's really does have talent!

Last Saturday, our Sports Hall was the only place to be in West Berkshire, as 90 children between Years 3 and 8 performed 31 acts in front of three judges cheered on by 400 guests.

The evening sparkled and the sound quality hit new heights thanks to special effects by Jen Townsend-Davis of LiveFX, sound engineer, Nick Jones, and Tom Bucknell of Stunning Tents.

Acts wowed our judges and enthusiastic audience with powerful songs, energetic dance routines, cool bands, comedy sketches and solo performances. Even our staff took to the stage with a surprise flash-mob routine.

The judges:

Three judges had the tricky task of selecting the winners and runners up of each category:

Ollie Kyte – former St Andrew’s Head of Drama (2013 – 2022) who regularly performs with Mad Monkey Improv and is frequently cast in commercials, voice overs, TV and films. He recently starred alongside Tom Hanks in Pinocchio and in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Poppy White – old St Andrew’s pupil (2016 – 2023) and winner of St Andrew’s Talent Show in 2022, the recipient of a dance scholarship to Reddam House, and whose film credits include Cleaner and Running Man. Poppy was also a stunt double on the Magic Faraway Tree and appeared in Wicked – For Good, alongside Ariana Grande.

Jasper Penny – old St Andrew’s pupil (2022 – 2024) and winner of St Andrew’s Talent Show in 2024, who is now a music and drama scholar at Bradfield College.  Jasper has appeared in numerous West End productions, including the National Theatre’s An Inspector Calls, the UK tour of The Osmonds and Dmitry.

The performing arts at St Andrew's

Performing arts sit at the heart of life at St Andrew’s, offering pupils a confident, creative voice from their earliest years. Through drama, music and performance, children are encouraged to take risks, collaborate and express themselves with assurance - whether in a class assembly, performing at a music concert or dance show, or taking part in one of the school's larger scale productions. Now, with a 200-seater performing arts centre (opened in June 2025), opportunities are aplenty, with pupils receiving weekly lessons and access to co-curricular clubs.

And the winners (and runners up) were…

Junior runners up:

Chloe, Clara, Flore, Poppy, Ella, Juno, Martha and Lola (Musical Theatre, Years 3 to 6)

William, Hettie and Sienna (Dance, Year 3)

Junior winner:

Emily (Dance, Year 3)

Senior runners up

James (Comedian, Year 7)

Quinn (Singer, Year 7)

Senior winners:

Enya and Phoebe (Singers, Year 8)

Winners of the audience vote:

Willow and Harriet (Dancers, Year 8)

Event organiser, Kirsty Parkhouse, commented on the night:

“It was a wonderful evening where the St Andrew’s community shared something truly special.  Stepping onto the stage takes courage, and every child who performs learns to believe in themselves, to express who they are, and to stand tall in front of an audience. These moments shape confidence, resilience and pride that last far beyond the spotlight. When children are allowed to shine on stage, they discover their potential and learn that they truly matter."

What some of our parents had to say about the show:

“St Andrew’s Got Talent is without a doubt the highlight of the school calendar for me.”

“I love seeing the children showcasing their talents and creativity, being so brave and performing them with such confidence…”

“Thank you for everything you did to pull off the most amazing talent show last night. St Andrew's really does have talent!”

 “It’s a real testament to the school for giving our children this opportunity and for making them believe in themselves.”

It takes a team

Many people contributed to the smooth running of the evening, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who helped bring such a successful and memorable evening together.

Special thanks go to our in-house team: Kirsty Parkhouse, Tanya Dimmick, Nikki Willis, Nick Jones, Phil Bates, Emma Clegg, and our staff flash mob, to our visiting judges, Ollie Kyte, Poppy White and Jasper Penny, and to Jen Townsend-Davis (LIVEFX), Tom Bucknell (Stunning Tents) and FOSA (Friends of St Andrew’s).

It's a yes from me..!

(Look out for the film version of St Andrew's Got Talent due for release in the coming weeks!)