Academy rocks out

A TALENTED cast and crew from Bristol Brunel Academy brought a smash-hit musical to life after months of rehearsals.

More than 30 pupils from Years 7 to 11 took part in the school's production of West End musical and Jack Black movie School of Rock, performing three sell-out shows to family and friends.

The show followed seven months of rehearsals in students' own time, every Monday from the start of the school year, and included a four-piece live band.

The musical tells the story of a guitarist who gets thrown out of his band and poses as a supply teacher at an elite private school when he is desperate for work, introduces his pupils to hard rock and forms a group to take part in a battle of the bands contest.

The show was directed and produced by the school's

Caitlin Godwin and music curriculum leader Drew Salida, who said: "We rehearsed a musical version of A Christmas Carol, which was going to be performed in Christmas 2021, but unfortunately that had to be pulled literally days before the opening night due to Covid measures, so we're so pleased our students finally have the opportunity to be back on stage for the first time since 2020.

"They have worked amazingly hard both front and backstage and we are immensely proud of what they have achieved.

"The band performed admirably in the bigger chorus numbers in the show, and sounded amazing."

THE charity that owns the Vassall Centre in Oldbury Court has made changes to its redevelopment plans.

Bristol Charities says it has changed the proposed use of a building originally earmarked for a nursery and also made changes to walls, footpaths and entrances, "following dialogue with local planning officers and consultation with local residents and current tenants of the Vassall Centre".

But more than 50 objections to the plans have been added since the revisions were announced.

Building space allocated to a nursery could also now be used as a "non-residential training, employability and education centre".

Bristol Charities says the change follows concerns about how a new nursery could affect those already operating in the area, and enables more flexible use of the space without any "detrimental impact on local nursery provision".

Other changes to the plans include widening the existing