VIDEO: Derbyshire teachers show off their Uptown Funk

More than 50 staff from Ripley Academy took part in the film which was made as a farewell for the students in Year 11 who are leaving and has since had over 3,000 views on YouTube in less than a week.

This is the fourth Year 11 leavers’ film to be shot by the academy’s Senior Director of Learning Huw Lloyd, who also stars in the footage as singer Bruno Mars.

The Uptown Funk film features teachers, teaching assistants, admin, finance and kitchen staff and a cameo from Principal Carey Ayres, who originally suggested the song.

It was shown to the Year 11 leavers during their final assembly and Mr Lloyd said they loved it.

He said: “They really liked. We started working on it a few months ago and it was Mrs Ayres who suggested Uptown Funk. My knowledge of modern music is quite limited and we were thinking of doing Let it Go from the film Frozen.

“I hadn’t even heard Uptown Funk until Mrs Ayres told me about it so I listened to it and watched the video and thought it would lend itself really well to what we wanted to do.

“I made lots of notes and we used a minibus instead of the stretch limo in the video and we have a hair and beauty salon at the academy which was featured.

“It was all filmed after school and the staff were really generous in giving up their time to be part of it. I think it’s good that teachers can show their human side and that we have a sense of humour.”