SHE dreamed a dream, and it came true.

Harwell girl Maia Hawkins, 13, was the youngest singer in this year’s Has Reading Got Talent? competition.

Her performance of I Dreamed a Dream from the musical Les Miserables wowed judges and won her a year-long scholarship to a performing arts school.

Although the Didcot Girls’ School pupil did not finish in the top three, she impressed the judges so much they awarded her the special prize.

Maia, who has dreamed of performing on stage since she was seven, said the scholarship with Berkshire’s Theatretrain was almost better than coming first.

She said: “It’s absolutely brilliant to win the scholarship.

I can’t wait to start.

“I am sure it will open lots of doors for me and it sounds really exciting.”

She will train in performance every Saturday morning in Caversham, during a three-hour class.

Mum Jenny said: “We were all elated.

“This prize is excellent and will provide the training needed to really develop Maia further.”

Theatretrain students have performed in more than 80 shows at the London Palladium, Theatre Royal Drury Lane and the Royal Albert Hall.

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