New Order perform school hall gig

New Order wanted to make the children 'feel special'

Music legends New Order helped a school celebrate a good Ofsted report by holding a lunchtime concert there.

The band - two of whom are from Salford - played at the city's Oakwood High School after being inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame on Wednesday.

The school, which caters for pupils with complex learning difficulties, was praised as "a very good school" by inspectors from Ofsted.

Singer Bernard Sumner said he hoped the gig made the pupils "feel special".

"I come from this town and it can be a very rough place at times and if you've got some sort of disability or problem, you can times that by many times growing up here," he added.

I don't know if we made them feel special but they made us feel special Bernard Sumner

"We wanted to come to make these kids feel special, not special needs, but special, and to try and raise their self-esteem.

"When they all got up after the second song spontaneously it was fantastic and you couldn't want a better litmus test than playing to a bunch of kids who probably don't know you're stuff.

"I don't know if we made them feel special but they made us feel special."

Headteacher Janis Triska said the gig was to help the children celebrate the school's Ofsted report.

"It seemed sensible to bring a Salford band to give a concert to the children," she said.

"Fortunately Bernard came to visit the school and was so pleased with it he said they'd give a concert.

"A lot of them probably won't have known the band but after today they're enthralled."