UK Rock Challenge - Competition Format

Competition Format

Rock Challenge is split into 2 age brackets:

Junior Rock Challenge The Junior Rock Challenge started in the UK in 2005 for participants aged 7–11. Many Junior Rock Challenges events are not full competitions based on the desires of the local schools and sponsors.

Rock Challenge Rock Challenge is for participants aged 11–18. As of 2004, Rock Challenge has been split into 2 competition divisions; the Open and the Premier divisions: In the 'Open' Division:

• Open Division schools take part in heats across the country. Schools that win their heat (plus many that place 2nd) progress to the Regional Open Grand Final (North or South depending on the heat location).
• Due to the increasing number of teams entering, there are 2 Open Grand Finals ('A' and 'B') for each region
• In most cases each Open Grand Final winner (and one of the schools that places second) is promoted to the Premier Division for the following year (if one of the Premier Division schools chooses not to participate in any given year, their Premier Final space may be awarded to the other school that places 2nd at the Open Grand Final or possibly the school that placed 3rd behind the 2nd place promoted school).
• Throughout the heats and finals, schools also compete for awards which merit the teams' performances in certain aspects of the piece - these range from hair and make up to video performance.

In the 'Premier' Division:

• In each region there are 12 Premier Division schools in any given year.
• In the majority of cases, Premier schools are required to showcase their performance before competing at the Regional Premier Grand Final.
• Premier schools compete against each other in the region's Premier Grand Final where they will compete for ranking places and awards (as per the Open Division).
• To remain in the Premier Division, schools are required to place in the top nine at the Regional Final, which, added together with the winners and runners-up from the Open Grand Finals, gives you the Premier Schools for the following year.

From 2007, National Awards have also been awarded, judged nationally by a panel of judges new and independent from those at the live events, announcing each division's top schools in each criteria.

Scottish Grand Final As of 2012, schools participating in Scottish events will compete at heats for a place in the Scottish Grand Final held in Dundee. Should a school win the Scottish Grand Final two years in succession they will be given the option of competing in the Northern Region Premier Division for the following year. Should a school win the Scottish Grand Final three years in succession they will be automatically moved into the Northern Region Premier Grand Final for the following year.

National Grand Final In 2009 the UK's first National Grand Final was held at the Sheffield Arena. This consisted of the top 5 schools from each Premier Final along with the top scoring first place from the Open finals (one from the North and one from the South) giving twelve schools: Sandown High School from Sandown, Isle of Wight won this event with their performance 'Cursed' after winning their Open Grand Final.

In 2012 the second UK Rock Challenge National Grand Final was held at the Milton Keynes Theatre, Milton Keynes: Kings Langley School, Hertfordshire won this event with their performance entitled 'Swift as a shadow short as any dream.'.