Teachers at a city high school have become an internet stars after posting a video of themselves dancing the Harlem Shake on YouTube.

The staff at Bishops’ Blue Coat CE High School appear at the end of an eight-minute video to celebrate the achievements of the school’s Year 11 students, who left the Great Boughton academy this month on GCSE study leave.

The brainchild of head of English Jonathan Deakin and senior learning and achievement manager Victoria Chase, the video entitled The Bishops’ High School, Chester: Farewell to Year 11 has already attracted almost 1,000 people but viewers will have to wait until the end of the film to catch Justin Blakebrough and Peter Coates leading the Harlem ‘dance routine’ in the school’s assembly hall.

The spoof includes a scene where Mr Coates and Mr Blakebrough ‘spot check’ teachers on leaving the school hall and end up confiscating drama teacher Rob Otton’s mobile phone.

Mr Coates said: “We like to make our Year 11 event a memorable occasion and we have worship, awards presentations and a celebration of their five years with us. It is quite an emotional and reflective time.

“Last year we did a spoof of what happens in the staff room after the students have gone home and this year Mr Deakin came up with the idea of the Harlem Shake, which I understand is quite a fashionable thing!

“We showed the video to parents and pupils at the end of the celebration event and there was much hilarity.”

Year 11 pupil Ayisha Ramkelawan said: “I’ve never seen the teachers let loose like that! It was such a lovely and hilarious way to end our leavers’ service - great memories, fabulous teachers!”

Grace Jones said: “This was so unexpected and hilarious.”

Chloe Lodge added: “‘It made me and my mum cry with laughter.”

The Harlem Shake internet frenzy began when Australian students uploaded a video of themselves performing a comedy sketch to the 2012 song of the same name by American electronic musician Baauer.

Unfortunately for 15 miners in Western Australia, they were fired after their performance underground was seen as breaching safety rules.

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