The 51-year-old pop star and her children Lourdes, 13, Rocco, eight, and four-year-old Malawian orphans David and Mercy, are now based in New York City. Lourdes is due to start high school later this year, and she has reportedly been accepted at the city?s famous LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.

The life of students at the specialist school was the inspiration for the 1980 film Fame, the 2009 remake, and the TV series and stage musical of the same name.

Madonna announced earlier this month that Lourdes had been enrolled in a "performing arts high school" but refused to confirm which one.

Students at LaGuardia have heard rumours Lourdes will be joining them when the new school year starts in September.

"I`ve asked," one student told the New York Daily News. "But school officials said, `We don`t know until students show up.` "

If Lourdes has been admitted to the prestigious school, it is likely to anger other students. Traditionally, all potential pupils must pass a public audition, but Lourdes appears to have tried out in private, sparking claims she has been given preferential treatment.

"A lot of kids are talking about how she had an advantage," one student said. "LaGuardia is a great school. It really is, but I think that sometimes it wants to be more of a `Fame` school."

The school has refused to comment on whether Lourdes has been admitted to its student body.
sections: Celebrities