A HOME-schooled pupil who played at his first music festival aged 13 has won a place in a prestigious singing competition final.

Self-taught guitarist and singer Oliver Mascarenhas, 15, of Evesham Road, Bounds Green, is through to the regional finals of Open Mic UK after impressing judges with a song he’d written himself.

Next month he will play a live show at the Beck Theatre in Hayes in the hope of winning a place in the national finals. The competition, which sees 8,000 people enter, is the largest for solo artists in the UK and the overall winner stands to net £50,000, a gig in the O2 arena, and a recording deal.

The former Broomfield School pupil, whose parents removed him after be was bullied, has performed at music festivals in Shropshire for the past two years in front of 300 people and written 13 songs in the past year and a half on issues ranging from politics to broken hearts.

He said: “I’ve been singing and performing since I was 9 and music is the most important thing in my life. I actually surprised myself with my songs, and other people said they were very grown up and that people wouldn’t believe I had written them.

“I think being home schooled has played a part, I’ve been able to practice more, and think outside the box. I’m a lot happier than I was as well.

“If I don’t win I’ll be disappointed, but I know I am going to make it at some point.”

His mother Anita, who gives him lessons in english and maths as well as “skills about life” such as cooking, said: “We are very proud of him. At first we didn’t think we could home school him, we made him write us a presentation as to why it was a good idea, and he worked hard on it and came up with pros and cons. After much deliberation we decided to do it, and we have no regrets whatsoever. He knows how to look people in the eye and is very grown up. We think he will be a singer songwriter, but he is also interested in law and does a lot of reading.”

Chris Grayston head of A&R at Future Music said: “We are searching for an act that not only has the live ability to impress an audience, industry judges and A&R associates, but an act that has the potential to become a professional recording artist. The standard was high last year and this year looks set to be even better.”

The regional finals will take place on September 19 at the Beck Theatre in Hayes, West London.