A current student at The Henry Beaufort School has reached the final of the UK Young Dancer 2026 competition, joining just 20 young dancers from across the UK to make it through to the final.
Henry, Year 10 who is passionate about dance, had the chance to perform at the prestigious Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, taking part in professionally choreographed pieces as well as performing his own solo.
The final brought together some of the UK’s most promising young dancers, with performances watched by a panel of three highly respected figures from the industry: Matt Cole, Dame Arlene Phillips and Sir Matthew Bourne.
The experience was made even more special when Henry was awarded the Exceptional Talent Scholarship to London Studio Centre by Dame Arlene Phillips, recognising his talent and hard work.
The Henry Beaufort School Community is proud to celebrate Henry’s achievement. At The Henry Beaufort School, we celebrate the success of each student at every opportunity and are delighted with the different talents, interests and achievements of our young people.
Mrs Alesbury, Henry’s Mum said:
“We are so proud of Henry, seeing him reach the final and then receive the scholarship was a very special moment for all of us. He absolutely loved the whole experience and came away feeling really proud of himself.”
Miss Hearle, Headteacher at The Henry Beaufort School, said:
“It is a real pleasure to see Henry achieve this. Reaching the final of UK Young Dancer and receiving the Exceptional Talent Scholarship is an impressive moment, and it is lovely to see his ambition and passion for dance recognised at this level.
Our young people are at the heart of everything that we do at The Henry Beaufort School. We celebrate their successes at every opportunity and want all our students to explore their interests, develop their talents and follow their ambitions. Henry’s achievement is a wonderful example of our belief that there are no limitations to success.”
At The Henry Beaufort School, we are ambitious for all our students and proud of our tradition as an inclusive comprehensive school where students are happy. Alongside academic and moral education, we place great value on our cultural enrichment programme, giving students opportunities to discover new interests, develop their skills and experience life beyond the classroom.
The energy around the school continues well beyond the official end of the school day, with students taking part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities, enrichment and experiences.
Henry’s success reflects the school’s ambition for its students and our aim to be outstanding in everything we do, while recognising that every young person has their own interests, talents and journey to success.
Image from Hudson Pictures.