Students Top the Charts at Battle of the Bands

Inspiration Trust’s 4^th Annual Battle of the Bands competition was held on the 3^rd February. Hosted at Hethersett Academy, 2026 sees the competition return for the 4^th consecutive year, bringing students together from across our nine secondary schools. Students had the opportunity to collaborate and play their favourite Rock and Pop songs in this first music event of 2026.

This year we saw another strong turn out for the competition, there was so much talent on display throughout the day. Some bands were returning to the competition, building on the foundations they have laid in previous years. Other bands were newly formed, having their first outing and performance in front of their fellow musicians.

Encouraging our musicians to explore any and all musical genres, the competition aims to bring young people together to create ensembles and work together. Regularly attending rehearsals, our bands have connected through music, growing their abilities. Competing in a supportive environment allows young people to gain confidence in performing and to relish their time on stage.

This competition is offered alongside the other Annual Inspiration Trust competitions, with the upcoming Piano and Annual Music Competitions on the horizon this academic year.

Pupils took to the stage from across Inspiration Trust, performing not only covers of their favourite songs, but also showcasing some of their original compositions. The musicians performed on a variety of instruments producing an interesting mix of bands that entertained throughout the day.

Winners were once again picked by a panel of music professionals, our Director of Music, John Stephens, alongside Paul Johnson (Director, Ears Media) and Ian Johnson (Industry & Partnerships Lead, Access Creative College). A full list of the winners is below, alongside the coveted prize of ‘Band of the Year’: 

KS3 Cover Song – Full Stop, Thetford Academy

KS3 Original Song – BLUFF, Thetford Academy

KS4 Cover Song – The Men, Hethersett Academy

KS4 Original Song - Música do 10º ano, Thetford Academy

KS5 Cover Song - Music Bulletin, Thetford Academy

KS5 Original Song – Central Problem, Thetford Academy

Secondary mixed age Cover Song (KS3-5) - The BillyJoelettes, Cromer Academy

Secondary mixed age Original Song (KS3-5) - The Thetford Collective, Thetford Academy

Band of the Year 2026 - The Thetford Collective, Thetford Academy

We are enormously proud of the community of young musicians that we have across our trust and hope to see our competitions grow in size in future years. A big well done to everyone involved in the competition!