Tulip

One way to find out the ranking of these schools is to check how many students are in year 11, where they go to next and then how many graduates get a job in their chosen field? I am sure it would change year to year, but perhaps a percentage could be worked out. Which schools are we talking about by the way as other schemes are now being brought into the equation?

I know of quite a few children from different vocational schools that go to private lessons outside their schools. Not many schools offer one to one training and sometimes it is very much needed.

For all the children starting Tring is September, the dance teachers who do the training are lovely and are very good. The grounds that the school is in are breathtaking and the accademic side of the school is excellent. The teachers apart from one are absolutely lovely and caring.

I have to agree, the dance teachers are excellent at Tring but unfortunately the director of dance does not listen to her team. The children are dis-heartened as there appears to be no reward or praise (unless you are the chosen few) and at the last parents evening it was clear to me and other parent we spoke to that the dance teachers do not agree with their director of dance in many many situations. (infact it was uncomfortabel when one teacher rolled her eyes and shookl her head). I would NOT rank Tring at the bottom though as the classical training has been very, very good. However to get my daughter where she needed to be, we did have to have some one to one private lessons outside the school. You can have a private lesson whithin the school by an ex dance student, but again only if permission is granted by Rachel Rist and we were not going to wait to be told a NO once again.

I think it would depend on the experience the dance teachers have, who are training the children. Where have the teachers trained and what experience do they have? The director of dance have they danced professionaly or choreographed, this knowledge would be important as it would support the team of dance teachers. It would also depend upon whether the dance teachers had the ability to motivate and inspire their students. I know that to have the Royal Ballet on anyones C.V must be impressive, I really don't know about the rest.

It is very sad and scary, but with everything jobs are few and far between. My son is at uni having achieved 11 GCSEs and 4 A levels in Maths and sciences and is absolutely delighted to have a weekend job on mimimum wage helping children on a kiddy fair ground ride. I don't know what job opportunities will be availabel to him when he does graduate, but whether it is the ballet world or outside the ballet world, jobs at the moment are very very rare.

Congratulations to your daughter Daisybell, you must be so proud and relieved.

Taxi4ballet, I really, really hope your child secures funding. Money should never be a barrier in preventing a talented child from persuing their dreams. I personally believe the money that every school gets per child should follow that child regardless of whether that school is a vocational one or not. Also it is no one elses business regarding how many hours or even if both parent work, there could be reasons why someone only works part time. Good luck for your child, I really hope he or she gets there.

Wasn't there an article in Dancing Times regarding funding. It was written by Rachel Rist from Tring, regarding her oppinion of securing funding by the age of 16, made interesting reading.

The only problem with what you say about funding Jellybeans is that sometimes the school gets it wrong about the funded children being the best. I have noticed this year at auditions that some of the children from vocational school auditioning for 6th form place who did not have funding were being offered places over the children who did at present have a MDS. I don't think I am explaining this very clearly sorry. Another point is that children who had not been offered funding at the schools in the earlier years so therefore were unable to go, were being offered funded places at the top schools. Sorry if I am not being very clear.

Even when finances have been secured, it is absolutley terrifying thinking about job security and if the worse thing happened, how would a child feel to have to leave a school mid year. Nearly everyone is in a similar boat, finances may be secure one year but not necessarily the next. Everyone is individual. Personaly if my child had not been offered any support from a school, regardless of the ability to afford the school fees or not, she would not have gone.

I don't actualy agree with that statement taxi4ballet, some people may be more fortunate than others financialy however not many people can guarantee that there will not be redundancy with jobs etc. Even with financial security there is still a lot of worry regarding the long term commitment financially that has to be made for vocational training. I presume we are only talking about money and not the emotional side of it all.

Tring tend to only give a small bursary to children who have a sponsor eg forces children are heavily subsidised by the forces, so the school will offer a bursary to show they are willing to support the child. I know of other children who have found a sponsor and in addition the school again have given a small bursary. I am only talking about the dancing side of Tring though.

Surely that cannot be true, but nothing suprised me anymore.

Yuk not my cup of tea, it looks like a rugby players legs.

I like the idea of allowing the child to read the letter if it is a rejection. No one will know why a child has not been chosen, it may well be that they just did not shine enough on that one particular day. Surely a dance teacher would discuss with a childs parent if their child was not suitable for classical ballet and therefor discourage the child from auditioning. Each to their own, if a gentle explenation is used to inform a young child of a rejection fine, why knock their confidence. When my daughter got a rejection I used to just say to her 'Aw it was a no, oh well never mind, you can try again if you want to next year'. Which she did and was then offered an associate place. By the way I am not suggesting anyone is saying they would knock a child confidence.

I agree to put any child en point is irrisponsible. As mentioned children cannot make these kind of decisions. But I did think that little girl was very good, appeared happy and would have done just aswell on flats. Being honest though there are so many aspects to ballet such as turn out, standing on tip toes that the body definately was not designed to do. My daughter complains regularly abouts bits and parts of her body aching at only 15yrs, what will she be like at 25.

She is amazing though and looks very happy. She leaves most 9 year olds standing even if she was in flats. I believe that the Japanese put their children en point earlier than us Westeners. The question is do these countries ballet dancers get the jobs as they are so advanced, or more is the question no wonder the Royal Ballet 6th form snap them up. Why wouldn't they, as they are amazing.

Yes I found Miss Durrant to be a very nice lady when my daughter spent a year at the Hammond. I also hope whatever issues are happening get sorted out quickly.

Would you buy a dress with a frayed hem and the size label sticking under your arm pit, I don't think so. I think you are definately right to expect a high standard, isn't that the reason for going to this trader in the first place? Amateur shoes will make your dancers look amatuer. Stick to your guns Just Ballet.

Good luck to your daughter taximom and to the rest of the company.

A huge well done from us too Little Ballerina, and the proof is in the pudding you do not have to go away to vocational school until 16 yrs as little Ballerina has proven.

Yes they are, how about you? Have you looked at any accomodation yet?

My daughter and her friend will be staying at International Student House in Great Portland St, they are also both going into the 1st year. Welcome to the forum.

Me too, as I know this young lady and she is such a focused, and dedicated young lady.