A group of Year 10 drama students have secured a place in the final of a national award competition.

Pupils at Roding Valley High School on Aldterton Hill, Loughton, will perform against six other school teams across the country at the Rudolph Walker Foundation’s inter-School Drama Awards.

The young actors are required to perform an original piece where they will be marked for their scriptwriting, originality and timing in front of a panel of judges.

Louise Walker, co-lead of Roding Valley High School’s drama department, said: “I am so proud of this group for the hard work, dedication and enthusiasm they have put into the piece from day one.

“It was a nail biting wait between the performance and the announcement of the results but we are all so excited about this amazing opportunity.”

The winning group will be presented with the coveted Best Production Award and will be invited to lunch with EastEnders actor Rudolph Walker OBE.

Students will also have the chance to be recognised with accolades such as Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Script.

The school’s success follows a visit from the BBC actor back in February who first announced that five students had been selected to join the programme.

The audience at the final will be made up of parents, actors, friends, dignitaries and Robert Gee, the celebrity mentor who helped the students prepare their piece.

Headteacher at Roding Valley High School, Sharon Jenner, said: “This initiative has not only filled the group with a sense of passion and ambition to do well at the final but has given them the opportunity to develop the confidence and skills that they can take outside of the classroom.

“We can’t wait to see the performance in London.”

The Rudolph Walker Foundation’s inter-School Drama Awards will take place at the Shaw Theatre in London, on Sunday, June 30.