STUDENTS at a Merseyside school have trod the boards from Wallasey to the West End to become national theatre stars.

Wallasey School, in Leasowe, has become the focus of thespian attention after winning a televised competition to perform hit musical Grease in a London venue.

The school’s journey, during which they competed against some 500 other schools, is being shown on Sky and the series is just nearing its halfway point.

Head teacher Phil Duffy said the next episode shows the judges choosing a cast of 30 from the remaining 60 students who had auditioned.

He said: "I was there that day and it was pretty gripping.

"It was a very emotional day."

The school won through a "sing-off" against schools from Birmingham and Southend-on-Sea in April to be chosen to put on the musical.

They had to overcome their nerves and display their singing and dancing abilities, impressing a judging panel made up of vocal coach Zoe Tyler, choreographer Stacey Haynes and presenter Duncan James, a member of the band Blue.

Last week’s episode then saw Tyler and James hear the wannabe Sandys and Dannys sing, before he and Haynes put their dancing skills to the test.

Future episodes will see the students put through their paces with a challenging schedule of singing, acting and dancing to ready them for starring in the West End.

It will include taking the T-Birds to a charity gig at Silverstone, and presenter James enlisting the help of fellow Blue members to offer the boys advice on how to gel as a group.

Some of the Wallasey pupils are also set a challenge to design a Greased Lightning car fit for the London stage.

The show also features the West End’s current Danny Zuko, Liverpool-born singer Ray Quinn, and Broadway veteran Seth Rudetsky, who watch the school cast perform two of Grease’s biggest numbers and offer the young stars advice on their performances.

The show was filmed over the summer and Mr Duffy said the whole school was involved.