Ella Jones DRAMA

JULY, 2026 – RECORD-BREAKING LAMDA EXAM RESULTS!

WOW!! The results from the June exam session overall for our NuLS LAMDA students were 𝟏𝟔𝟖 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 (4 being awarded full marks!) 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟐 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇 𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐒 which, when added to the results for exams taken in December and March, brings us to a record-breaking 𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝟐𝟐𝟗 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟖 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇 𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫!

As the largest LAMDA tuition provider in the area, entering an extremely high amount of students for exams from the Introductory Levels up to Grade 8 and the Post-Grade 8 qualification in Acting, Verse & Prose and Public Speaking, which makes these outstanding results even more remarkable.

MASSIVE congratulations to all of the fantastic students from me and my fabulous team of teachers: Miss Lovatt-Jones, Mrs West and Miss Smith.

What a year – Exhausting but extremely rewarding!! 

JUNE 2026 – AMAZING SUCCESSES AT THE NATIONAL FINALS OF THE NATIONAL YOUTH MONOLOGUE COMPETITION – CONGRATULATIONS POPPY & MAIA!

WOW!! What a day! I’m so incredibly proud of Poppy for not only making it through the initial round and the Regional Final, out of over 4000 entries, but then coming 2nd overall in her category at the National Final of the National Youth Monologues Competition which took place in the West-End at the Trafalgar Theatre, just off Trafalgar Square in London. And also, massive congratulations to Maia, who also made it through the initial round and the Regional Final and was placed in the top 8 in her category at the National Final. Fantastic work girls!

MAY 2026 – 2 STUDENTS THROUGH TO THE NATIONAL FINALS of the NATIONAL YOUTH MONOLOGUES COMPETITION!

Fantastic news for both Poppy and Maia who both made it through to the Regional Finals (North) of the National Youth Monologue Competition at the Crewe Lyceum Theatre on 17th May and both WON their categories and were therefore selected by the judges to go through to the NATIONAL FINALS for their age-groups.

That’s 2 students selected to perform in the NATIONAL FINALS in one of London’s West End theatres next month – wowzers! Oh my goodness, I am one mighty proud teacher right now – what a pair of superstars they are!

2026 – NATIONAL YOUTH THEATRE SUCCESS

Massive congratulations to Noah who has been offered a place with the National Youth Theatre.

With thousands of young people auditioning across the UK each year and only a small number being offered places, Noah joins my other students Maia, Wilson, Joe and Lizzie who are also current members of the National Youth Theatre and all my other past students who are NYT alumni. I’m incredibly proud of all of the students. This recognition by such a well-known and respected institution is a very well-deserved testament to their hard work, dedication and talent.

MARCH, 2026 – Newcastle Under Lyme Speech & Drama Festival

WOW! What an exciting, enjoyable and successful day yesterday’s Newcastle-under-Lyme Festival for Music, Speech & Drama was! All of our fantastic Newcastle-under-Lyme School pupils from Year 3 to Year 11 who entered performed AMAZINGLY and I was incredibly proud of them all – not just the 40+ students who received 1st place trophies and 2nd placings in their classes (Solo & Duologue Acting, Verse Speaking, Prose Reading and more) but each and every pupil who all gave outstanding performances of their acting pieces, poetry performances and prose readings, making the adjudicator’s job very tough. Both adjudicators commented on how the standard of work at the Festival was extremely high and it certainly was, even more than previous years. Congratulations to all of our pupils who performed!

MARCH, 2026 – Congratulations Jude!

𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 – CONGRATULATIONS JUDE: WOW!!! I received a rather exciting phone-call last night from this little superstar and his mum to tell me that, after auditioning with lots of other boys in the morning, he has been offered a speaking role (one of the 2 princes “in the tower”) in a professional Shakespeare production of Richard III. Those of you who know me well will know that Shakespeare is one of my passions, especially making his work relevant and exciting for young people, so this news is extra special! This news is on top of his recent invitations for in-person call-back auditions for the professional productions of Billy Elliot and Matilda – fantastic work!

SEPTEMBER, 2025 – Congratulations Lizzie & Phoebe!

CONGRATULATIONS LIZZIE!!! Back in 2017 I first started teaching this very talented little lady on the left and so to fast-forward 8 years and for her to now be graduating from LAMDA (no less!) with a top mark DISTINCTION fills me with absolute joy and immense pride! I feel incredibly grateful to have played a part in her learning journey and to have had the opportunity to help her navigate towards her dreams. 8 years of fun, laughter (and tears!) hard work, effort, and determination…and then she went and smashed it!

CONGRATULATIONS PHOEBE!!! Occasionally you meet someone and know they’re special. This superstar is one of those. Every Friday she’d brighten my week, coming to my house for a lesson or signing in via Zoom. An extremely talented and very hard-working young lady but also an absolutely wonderful person – sunshine in human form! Fast-forward 3 years and she is now the well-earned holder of a First Class degree in Actor Musicianship from GSA and it couldn’t be more well-deserved.

Over the years I’ve taught in different schools and privately from home. I became a LAMDA Examiner 16 years ago next month (which I love!) and have since worked as a Team Leader, Examiner Monitor and Examiner Trainer (still do!) alongside my standard examining duties. I was also instrumental in setting up the Stoke-on-Trent Public Examination Centre for LAMDA, which I still run, and it has gone from strength to strength for over 10 years, welcoming lots of students from all over Staffordshire, Shropshire, Cheshire and beyond to take their LAMDA exams.

I’ve produced and directed many productions, taught GCSE Drama (with a 100% pass rate and 80% of all students receiving As and A*s…in the days before numerical grading) and have guided hundreds of students through their own LAMDA exams in Acting, Public Speaking, Speaking Verse & Prose, Devising Drama and Musical Theatre, with them all consistently achieving exceptional results. I’m incredibly proud of each and every one of them.

I currently have nearly 200 students on my books, aged 6 to 18, and my business has expanded so much that I now have a fantastic team of three teachers as well. The past 20 years have also seen me marry my fabulous husband, become a mum to two amazing children (the best job in the world), gain a postgraduate qualification from the Shakespeare Institute (University of Birmingham) to add to my other professional qualifications, and battle some tough health challenges, receiving some slightly challenging diagnoses – but I keep battling on, despite life definitely not always being easy! I’ve paused my own acting and voiceover work (there simply aren’t enough hours in the day!) but who knows…I may return to it one day.

Would I change anything? Possibly I’d tell myself not to be such a workaholic, to spend some more time on myself, and to breathe every now and again – but realistically, I’m not sure that’s changing any time soon, ‘cos that’s just me!

The walls of my classroom are covered in positive quotes because I don’t see my role as just teacher or director, but also as mentor and supporter of every young person who enters the room. Quotes like “Dream, Believe, Achieve,” “To thine own self be true” (thank you to the wonderful Mr Shakespeare!), “Everyone deserves a chance to fly!” (Wicked) and “Always remember your voice is important and has more value than you could possibly imagine” (The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse) are there to give my students a boost – and to give me one too.

Here’s to the next 20 years of “Ella Jones Drama”! By then I may even consider retiring and relocating with the family to Tuscany…!

P.S. If you’ve got to the end of this rather self-indulgent post then thanks for reading. I wanted to celebrate but don’t have time to do it properly (surprise surprise!!) so this post will have to do.

2025 LAMDA RESULTS

Truly phenomenal results from our NULS LAMDA pupils again this year. Absolutely outstanding. They’ve all worked so hard and they’ve absolutely smashed it. Every year they just get better and better – Record-breaking!! I am incredibly proud of them all. Thank you also to my excellent #LAMDAatNULS team, Mrs West and Miss Lovatt-Jones, for their awesome work aswell. It’s been a busy year of hard work but it was definitely worth it! 

𝟏𝟖𝟏 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 & 𝟓 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇 𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐒

𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑜 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 2 𝑢𝑝 𝑡𝑜 𝐺𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑒 8 𝑖𝑛 𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑉𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑒 & 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑃𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑐 𝑆𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 2 𝑒𝑥𝑎𝑚𝑠 𝑖𝑛 1 𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑎𝑔𝑒.

𝐀𝐍𝐃 10 students were awarded 𝟏𝟎𝟎% 𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐒! (3 at Entry Level, 1 at Grade 1, 2 at Grade 2, 3 at Grade 4 and 1 at Grade 8!)

A SUMMARY OF THE 2025-2025 ACADEMIC YEAR

🎭 A Phenomenal Year for NULS LAMDA! 🎭

Reflecting on an incredible year of talent, progress and achievement.

As this academic year draws to a close we couldn’t be prouder of our remarkable LAMDA Speech & Drama students at NULS. The talent, dedication and passion they’ve shown has made this a wonderful year for all. Read below for a summary of some of their fabulous achievements.

🌟 We started the year with a bang! 🌟

The 2024 Autumn term began with certificates and medals being handed out for an astounding 94 Distinctions (some extremely high!) and 13 very high Merits in the 2024 LAMDA exams across Acting, Verse & Prose, and Public Speaking, from Entry Grade all the way up to the post-Grade 8 PCert. LAM. Diploma, with most taking at least 1 or 2 grades higher than their age and lots taking 2 exams in one day. 

👩🏻‍🏫 Miss Lovatt-Jones 👩🏻‍🏫

In November a new fantastic teacher joined my NULS LAMDA team.  Miss Lovatt-Jones came highly recommended after teaching LAMDA in various schools both in the UK and Dubai, with the exam results of her students being consistently high. She also directs for local Youth Theatres and has much performing experience as well. Miss Lovatt-Jones has settled in perfectly at NULS and has been a valuable addition to the team. I’m also pleased to announce that, due to the popularity of LAMDA Speech & Drama lessons at NULS the teaching team is growing even bigger and another fabulous teacher will be joining me after the Summer holidays.

🎭 National Youth Theatre 🎭

In March 2 students, Maia and Wilson, were offered places with the National Youth Theatre after a tough audition process – a prestigious and highly competitive honour.

🏆 Festival Success 🏆

All students who took part in the Newcastle-under-Lyme Festival for Music, Speech & Drama in March performed amazingly, with a fabulous 16 first place trophies in Acting, Verse Speaking and Prose Reading.

🌟 March LAMDA Success 🌟

Our spring session brought in another 35 Distinctions, again across multiple disciplines and grades.

🗣 Public Speaking Competition 🗣️

Huge congratulations to Sarisha who reached the Regional Finals of a top-tier national Public Speaking competition.

🎭 Taking to the Stage 🎭

Many NULS students stepped into the spotlight, playing lead roles in local productions, including Six, DNA, Spring Awakening & the upcoming High School Musical with Stoke Youth, Matilda at the Stoke Rep Theatre with Stage Productions, The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe with The Young Rep and Anne of Green Gables with Scarlet Theatre.

Additionally, countless students dazzled in the marvellous school productions throughout the year.

🎬 First Paid Acting Role 🎬 

Smith landed his first paid acting role in a powerful and important campaign by the Violence Reduction Alliance, tackling youth violence and emotional awareness. A meaningful and mature performance that made a real impact and was even mentioned in the Chair of Governor’s Speech on Speech Day!

✨ A Fabulous June Showcase ✨

At the beginning of June, we held a truly fabulous LAMDA Showcase in the Prep School, giving students a chance to share their work in the Margaret Powell Theatre in front of a live audience. With poems, prose extracts, acting monologues and duologues, it was a joyful celebration of the hard work put in this year!

🏫 June LAMDA Exams 🏫

Over the last weekend of June we hosted the LAMDA Public Exam Centre at NULS — welcoming over 500 young people and their parents from across Staffordshire, Shropshire, Cheshire and beyond. It was a buzzing weekend of talent and community.

A highlight of the weekend was welcoming back some fabulous past students to help steward the event, alongside current NULS pupils. A huge thank you to: Deleila (NULS Class of 2021, now studying English at Birmingham University), Phoebe (Class of 2020, currently training at the Guildford School of Acting), Lizzie (Class of 2023, who went to LAMDA), Alex (now teaching in Prep — but taught LAMDA by Mrs Jones from age 8 to 18!), and current students Maia, Noah, Harry, Sophia and Poppy, for their warm welcome, support and enthusiasm throughout the weekend.

Over the weekend, NULS students took nearly 160 exams across Verse & Prose, Acting and Public Speaking — with many working at least one grade above others their age, and a number of students impressively taking two exams in a single day. We now await the results and I’m sure they’ll be spectacular.

🌟  Kiru 🌟

A special mention this year must go to Kiru, who by the end of Year 12 will have completed Grade 8 in both Acting and Verse & Prose (both Level 3 A-Level equivalent qualifications), all with Distinctions. She’ll begin her PCert. LAM. Diploma in Year 13 — a rare opportunity. Bravo, Kiru!

👏Well Done All!👏

To every student who has walked into a LAMDA lesson this year — whether you performed in lessons, on stage, on camera, in an exam room or in front of your peers — you have grown, inspired, and made me, Mrs West and Miss Lovatt-Jones beyond proud. We can’t wait to see what next year holds.

Here’s to another unforgettable year of performance, passion and possibility – see you in September!

🎉 Well done, team LAMDA at NULS! 🎉

Mrs Jones 😊

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August, 2024

The Summer results have arrived and my students have really excelled themselves over this year. 94 Distinctions (some very high!) and 13 very high Merits with most taking at least 1 or 2 grades higher than their age and some taking 2 exams in one day, with exams from Entry Level up to Grade 8 & PCert.LAM. (Post-Grade 8 Diploma) Astounding! They really are a remarkable bunch of young people!! Congratulations all – I am a VERY proud teacher!

July, 2024

I’m still very proud of this review by the publishers of one of the 4 school musicals I directed and produced whilst at Edenhurst Prep School, “Pirates of the Curry Bean,” exactly 9 years ago in 2015 (whilst heavily pregnant!) which has just popped up on my Facebook memories. So much fun and many happy memories!

May, 2024

• A mark of 100% for Grade 3 at the age of only 9!!! A truly remarkable achievement. The Examiner reported that she is “a consummate interpreter and performer of literature” – superb! Massive congratulations to Ashni – I’m a very proud teacher!

April 2024

I am so incredibly proud of my pupil Avni who has *𝘄𝗼𝗻* LAMDA’s international poetry writing competition! This means that her poem has now been published in LAMDA’s newest anthology as part of the 2024-2029 Verse & Prose syllabus and will potentially be read and performed by over 100,000 learners per year all over the world as part of their LAMDA exam preparations…which is amazing! She’s an extremely talented performer who is an absolute joy to teach…and now she’s a published poet too! Congratulations Avni!

March 2024:

Many congratulations to former student Caitlin who is a lead member of the cast of “A Kind of Spark” (on the right in the picture below) which has been awarded the Royal Tevision Award for “Chilren’s Programme.” Congratulations Caitlin!

February 2024:

January 2024:

December 2023:

November 2023:

• Congratulations to Lizzie!

October 2023:

• Past pupil Caitlin Hamilton is currently filming series 2 of BBC’s “A Kind of Spark” as Nina (series lead). You can catch Series 1 of this ground-breaking drama for young people on BBC iPlayer. Congratulations Caitlin!

• Very proud of these superstars who will be treading the boards of the Regent Theatre stage later this month as The Artful Dodger and Charley Bates:

September 2023:

• Wishing all the best to my pupils heading off to University and Drama School this month! Read more about some of their destinations here: PAST PUPILS.

August 2023:

July 2023:

• It’s not every day you can say you have a pupil who is currently appearing in a record-breaking blockbuster movie! (Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie”.) Yes, it may be as a background role but it’s very, very cool – 80s Barbie is now definitely my favourite Barbie! Congratulations Emilia!

• Congratulations to Izzi who has secured a very well-deserved place at Guilford School of Acting, starting in September.

June 2023:

• Well done to all of my superstar performers in the NuLS Prep School Speech & Drama Showcase.

May 2023:

• Wishing the best of luck to two of my superstar students, Lavinia and Maia, who are performing in “Matilda the Musical” this week at the Stoke Repertory Theatre as Matilda and The Escapologist. I am very proud of them both and know they will both be amazing! Good luck girls!

April 2023:

• All top band DISTINCTIONS from the latest LAMDA Exam results in Acting, Verse Speaking and Public Speaking. Congratulations all!

March 2023:

• Just look at all these shiny 1st Place trophies my pupils were awarded at the Newcastle-under-Lyme Festival for Speech & Drama! 43 of my pupils took part and between them they secured an outstanding 16 3rd place awards,18 2nd places and 17 1st places in their categories. Well done to everybody who took part, you were all amazing!