Kinmel Bay girl who was bullied secures place at prestigious school

Ella-Grace Pritchard, of Kinmel Bay, gained a place at the performing arts boarding school after a "very competitive" audition.

After a month of tears, home-schooling and visits to the GP, the news was the fresh started Ella-Grace desperately needed. The youngster, an Ambassador for 'Bullies Out', became a victim of bullying at her previous school.

Ella-Grace on the Rhyl Pavilion stage playing Gelinda from Wicked the musical. (Image: Submitted)

Mum Ceri Ann Pritchard said the school was "supportive" but the bullying didn't stop. 

"She became very low, crying herself to sleep each night. I couldn’t let this spiral out of control, I needed to do something. I took her to the doctors, and she broke down and let everything out and he referred her for counselling due to the bullying and her low mood."

Ceri kept her daughter off school and home-schooled her.

She said: "In the meantime, I had my fingers crossed that her audition was a success at the Hammond. As you can imagine, when we got the letter offering her a place, we felt as if we had won the lottery. This was a dream come true for Ella-Grace, a fresh start doing something she loves to do."

Ella-Grace started the independent school a month ago.

For the audition, She prepared a monologue, and she sang a song from the musical Funny Girl.

"I had already heard of this amazing school as her dance teacher at the time 'JJ' [James Joseph Agar-Leigh who died in 2019] attended this school and thrived there. He meant a great deal to us, and Ella-Grace looked up to him.

"It was the nearest performing arts day school, so I enquired, and they got in touch with an audition date.

Ella-Grace is a charity ambassador for Bullies Out. (Image: Submitted)

"When we went to the audition, Ella-Grace was allowed to join in with the other students from the Theatre arts where they did some acting, singing and singing working in groups. They all started singing together and you could see her filled with emotion. She turned to me and said, 'I’ve found my people'. It was such a lovely moment.

"She has finally found a school with children that share the same passions and have bubbly personalities and she has instantly fitted in."

Ella-Grace has attended Body Rock Dance Academy in Rhyl since the age of four.

Ceri said: "Her dance teachers Natasha Tara and 'JJ' really encouraged her and brought her out of her shell. They gave Ella-Grace her very first solo on the Rhyl pavilion stage at the age of five and since that moment, she has sung every week at a hotel in Llandudno for Solid Gold Productions.

"She’s sings every Thursday in Llandundo's Chatsworth House Hotel with entertainment managers Alan and Gill giving her more performance confidence. She sings at lots of Gay Pride events on the main stages alongside many stars and recently for the Queen's jubilee on the Blackpool comedy carpet in-front of thousands.

"During lockdown she sang on the NHS Facebook 'Now Hear us Sing' page and sang on a 'live' raising thousands of pounds towards our NHS PPE." 

In August, Ella-Grace performed alongside S Club 7's Jo O'Meara who got Ella-Grace on the stage with her.

"They sang Reach for The Stars together," Ceri said. 

"Jo told Ella-Grace to always follow her dreams and that’s exactly what she has done.

"At the Hammond, she’s like a new child - so happy and excited to go to school each day and she’s become an ambassador for Bullies Out charity where she hopes to educate children in the local areas and in school that it’s 'not cool to be unkind', and 'words have a lasting effect'."

Ella-Grace dreams of being on the West End or Broadway or she'd like to perform as a 'female Drag Queen.'

Ceri said: "She loves Drag Queens, and all things dress up and glitter. I tell her every day 'you do what makes you happy, never ever change who you are, it’s better to be unique'."

Ella-Grace is hoping to hold events in the New Year to raise awareness and tackle bullying.

Ceri added: "She’s in a better place now but she still has her struggles regarding this issue and she’s hoping to turn a negative into a positive and help others that have suffered bullying. She said if she can help even one child, that would make her happy.

"We are very proud of her and more than anything, we are just happy she is back to her bubbly little self and doing what she loves best."