spotlight Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 I was wondering if anyone knows anything about the Northern Ballet School in Manchester? ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieW Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 I can't post any links from my phone, but if you do a search on the Doing Dance forum you'll find quite a lot of past discussion on Northern Ballet School. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spotlight Posted January 1, 2013 Author Share Posted January 1, 2013 (edited) thankyou... Maybe I should elaborate, I've been offered a place for this coming September and am making the incredibly hard decision between Ballet and A-levels. I'm not strictly 'academic' but I'm on for A's and A*'s at gcse. It's deciding between getting A-levels and then going on to audition for schools then or to going now at 16 and see where life would take me...? I'm sure this is a question that many people ask on here, but I want to gather as many opinions on the school to make sure I make the right decision x Edited January 1, 2013 by spotlight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hfbrew Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 Well have you been offered a place with funding? If so then you obviously are very much wanted by them and I would say go for it- you can do A levels later in life. The opportunity may not be there when you are 18. If you don't go do you have access to good quality and quantity of training ? What does your heart say? Presuming you will be away from home are you ready for that? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spotlight Posted January 1, 2013 Author Share Posted January 1, 2013 I have been offered funding but of course know one knows what's going on with the DADAs! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 Well, my advice to my daughter has always been that you can do A'Levels and Degrees at any time - but a career as a dancer is something that must be grabbed at the time. If you get the GCSE results you want then you have the foundation to do A'Levels as and when. Maybe have a think how you would feel if you turned down this place and then didn't get offered a place at 18? That may help you decide. :-) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primrose Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 Be careful Spotlight, Northern Ballet School only send letters at this point with intent of funding should that be available. What this means is that it is run on a points system, the ones with the most points will be offered the Dada first and then so on. Nobody knows how many points they have until that letter comes through the door offering the funding. I am not writing this to upset you in any way, I know the letters from the school can be a little misleading. A lot of the vocational schools (Elmhurst, RBS, Hammond and Tring) offer A level study alongside their dance training. Good luck with it all. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spotlight Posted January 1, 2013 Author Share Posted January 1, 2013 Thank you, Primrose. I do understand about them only saying with intent of funding, I probably wont receive it if I was offered because the government is being so daft with the funding having cut off income limits... I'll just have to wait and see x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primrose Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 Keep positive spotlight, as I said to my dd, her job was to do the best she could at the auditions and it was our job to worry about the funding. ( She did understand though that without funding she couldnt go to the schools). Students auditioning for 6th form places have it so hard I think. They are worrying about their GCSEs, staying in the best shape they can (Christmas doesnt help at all) and then of course the audition itself. Very stressful when puberty is also added to the mix. Good luck to all you young wonderful dancers out there. Just do the best you can and nobody can ask more than that. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drdance Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Have you tried auditioning at any of the other schools that do a-levels? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spotlight Posted January 2, 2013 Author Share Posted January 2, 2013 For a variety of reasons I don't want to move away from home, Northern is relatively local to me, so I wouldn't have to move out or have the expensive of renting which is a great bonus. Its basically my local vocational school. I did try Elmhurst but didn't get in, but I had been to their summer school and it was an amazing school but its not for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mumofballetmaddaughter Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 My daughter attended NBS from 2006 - 2009 and I was impressed with the standard of tuition that she received. She followed the classical course for the duration of her time but also received excellent training in musical theatre although to a lesser extent than the students who were on the jazz course. A few students did 1 or 2 A levels at evening school but most didn't. The graduate success rate is high although the majority go into cruise ship work as opposed to classical companies or the West End. As funded places are like gold dust, I would put the A levels on hold until later if you seriously want to be a dancer. My daughter is currently working onboard a cruise ship but will be home for a break from the end of January until she starts rehearsals for her next contract at the end of February. If there are any specifics that you want to know, please let me know and I'll ask her while she's home. Her memory is far better than mine!! I wish you all the best with whatever you decide. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2dancersmum Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Good luck - it really is a waiting game now to hear about funding - it will probably be end March before you hear so I would try and forget about it for the moment and concentrate on your GCSEs. You say about location being important - Is The Hammond in Chester or the one in Warrington (K D Dance?? not sure of the name) - worth a look at? I don't know about the Warrington one but you can study 2 A levels along side the dilpoma at the Hammond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millie3 Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Spotlight You don't need to make a final decision yet - so make sure you've also applied to schools/colleges to do your A'levels. My dd is fortunate in having a definate dance place for next year, however she still has a number of other schools to audition at, so hasn't made any final decisions yet. However she's also (reluctantly) sent off her form for studying her A'levels locally - I know it might appear pessimistic (as all she wants to do is dance) but you just never know what is going to happen - her first choice college is fantastic and offers all the A'levels she wants to do. So although it's the bottom of her pile of preferences - it's still there as a great big safety net!! Best of luck. Millie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janice Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 My Dd had planned on applying here but our doctors want over £20 to sign the form and along with the audition fee makes it a very expensive audition. Can anyone tell me if you have to send this form off to get an audition , other schools we have looked at state that doctors permission would be needed after offer of a place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletgirlsplease Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 As Millie3 says it wouldn't hurt to have an A' level place secured as a plan B just incase you don't get funding? It would be a shame to hold out for the funding and then find you don't get it and have missed out. It is exciting to have several opportunities and to have been offered a place! Does the northern ballet course count towards UCAS points for a degree if you chose to do a couple of A levels in the future? I do know of people who have gone on to open their own ballet schools after being at The Northern Ballet school. And it appears they have a good graduate employment record. Good luck in your decision! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klaris Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Janice and ellen - it does seem a bit much to ask for a doctor's letter at the first audition. My dd was going to audition for Northern, we had to pay our GP to fill in the form (which is specific to them so can't really be used for other schools.) DD then decided not to audition there! Rambert is the other one we have found who ask for a GP letter, so we shall have to fork out again - but they do say a photocopy is fine, so this could be a letter used for multiple schools if necessary. Our GP practice won't do anything without payment - I wanted the back of a passport photo signed by a doc who has known me for nearly 30 years, so I could volunteer with EYB. She refused to do it unless I paid (would have been between £20-25!) Grrr!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheila Beelam Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Good grief! That's awful, as an accountant, I sign passport forms all the time for clients and friends at no charge - only takes 5 mins and gives a chance to catch up over a cuppa But I do know many firms charge 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lildancer96 Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Elmhurst asked for a medical report for finals and tring upon acceptance. We took a photocopy and used the same report for both. We did have to pay about £25 for the medical though . Lil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie4dancin Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 We had to submit a docs report for Elmhurst finals last year... It cost us £35 and I had to take it back because the GP had made what could of been a costly error by ticking a box saying he didn't think she was fit to take up full time training!!!! All he said was 'oh I do seemed to have made a small mistake!!' WHAT it was the most important box on the form... Cx 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat09 Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 My doctor charges £70 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swanprincess Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Really naive question (sorry) but what is a medical report and why would one be needed as application forms usually have on them a 'State any medical concerns' etc section? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janice Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 (edited) Swan princess- northern have a separate form as part of their application that they ask is signed by a doctor stating that the applicant is fit for full time dance training. Klaris- I don't remember seeing anything on the Rambert application about a letter from the doctors,I'd better go and check . Edited January 4, 2013 by janice and ellen 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klaris Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Hi Janice and Ellen, You're right, there isn't anything on the Rambert application form but if you are selected to audition then that letter asks you to bring one with you on the day x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lottie Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 When DS was applying for post-16 places for Sept 2011 I managed to get the medical forms from those schools that he had final auditons for, by emailing the schools and for them to email/send them to us so he could go only the once to the GP for his medical and then the GP completed all the forms and gave us a letter for Rambert. A lot of the information was the same for some of the schools. The downside was that because DS had not been to the GP for many years, as he's very healthy, I had to pay £110 for this 30 min appointment and for the GP to complete all the forms etc at the same time. The price was the same whether he had filled in one form or five! If the forms had been filled in as and when the schools requested them I would have been charged seperately for each one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2dancersmum Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 I think we were very lucky. I asked my GP at the end of my appointment about the procedure for getting the letter signed. He commented that it cost £20, looked at DD's notes and saw how long it had been since she had seen a doctor and signed it there and then no fee. This was for Northerns inital audition though and not for Elmhurst finals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lildancer96 Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Our gp insisted on a half hour appt to do the medical and complete the forms. It was about 3 pages long and asked about health, previous conditions , blood pressure etc. It also involved weighing and measuring . Lil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwimum6 Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 We had two children auditioning last year and needed medical forms for both our lovely go saw us in his private patient time and did not charge... Said it was his contribution to the arts. If mine ever get jobs, they owe him a company ticket! I thought it was very kind of him as he knows we struggle. X 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwimum6 Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Our go completed the Elmhurst form for both of ours and then I photocopied it for little one' Tring audition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lildancer96 Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Same here - tring had a copy of the elmhurst one x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa O`Brien Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Janice and ellen - it does seem a bit much to ask for a doctor's letter at the first audition. My dd was going to audition for Northern, we had to pay our GP to fill in the form (which is specific to them so can't really be used for other schools.) DD then decided not to audition there! Rambert is the other one we have found who ask for a GP letter, so we shall have to fork out again - but they do say a photocopy is fine, so this could be a letter used for multiple schools if necessary. Our GP practice won't do anything without payment - I wanted the back of a passport photo signed by a doc who has known me for nearly 30 years, so I could volunteer with EYB. She refused to do it unless I paid (would have been between £20-25!) Grrr!!! OMG that`s disgraceful,expecting a payment of between £20-£25. As if GP`s don`t earn enough bloody money as it is.! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hfbrew Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 We changed doctors after ds medical when he was 11! £25 for a signature to say ds was fit and well- the doctor didn't even get out of his chair and the "thorough" examination was hands free and lasted less than a minute... Ironically it saved dhs life. We switched to a brilliant doctor who acted switly when dh had health problems needing surgery whereas we found out that the other doctor was struck off for consistent neglect to his patients! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primrose Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 I changed my doctor for other reasons apart from my dds medical forms. My dd needed certain medical tests doing before she could enter Russia including HIV. My original GP wanted around 400 pounds for the tests. The new GP charged nothing and gave the tests for free as she was under 18 years of age and in full time education. How can one practise charge these amounts and another only a couple of miles away charge zero. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now