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No, the School of Rock (the band) does not win the Battle of the Bands competition. They are defeated by Dewey Finn’s former band, No Vacancy.
However, despite losing the official trophy, the movie portrays their performance as a moral and emotional victory. Here are the specific details regarding the outcome:
The band performs an original song titled "Teacher’s Pet," which was written by the class's lead guitarist, Zack Moneyham. The performance is a massive success, winning over the skeptical audience and even the students' parents and Principal Mullins, who had initially been horrified by Dewey’s deception.
When the winners are announced, the announcer declares No Vacancy the champions. Dewey is visible disappointed, but the audience's reaction quickly shifts the focus. The crowd, clearly unimpressed with the judges' decision, begins a massive chant of "School of Rock! School of Rock!"
Due to the overwhelming demand from the crowd, the School of Rock is called back to the stage for an encore—a rare occurrence for a losing band at a competition. They perform a cover of AC/DC’s "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)," during which the credits begin to roll.
The decision to have the band lose was a deliberate creative choice to make the ending feel more authentic. Interestingly, the idea for the "losing but getting an encore" ending was suggested by Kevin Clark, the 13-year-old actor who played the drummer, Freddy "Spazzy McGee" Jones. The production team had explored versions where the band won, but felt Clark's suggestion of a crowd-led encore felt more powerful and "rock and roll."
The film ends with Dewey and Ned Schneebly opening an after-school program called "School of Rock," where Dewey continues to teach the children (and other new students) the art of rock music, proving that the experience had a lasting positive impact despite the loss.
While not critical to the 'win/loss' question, the financial stakes were a major plot driver.
The summary omits the logistical hurdles the band faced to even perform at the Battle of the Bands.
This is a real-world production fact that contrasts with the in-movie plot point.
No, the School of Rock band does not win the Battle of the Bands. They lose to No Vacancy, the band that Dewey Finn (Jack Black) was originally kicked out of. Despite the loss, the audience is so moved by their performance of 'Teacher's Pet' that they chant for an encore. The band returns to the stage to play AC/DC's 'It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)'. The ending, where the band loses but gets an encore, was suggested by the late Kevin Clark (who played the drummer Freddy) because he felt it was more 'rock and roll' than winning. The film concludes with Dewey and Ned Schneebly running a successful after-school music program called the School of Rock.