ZooZoo

Gosh Evie I did feel we were lucky to get in but as I only personally know two boys who applied and both got in, I think I had a false impression of it. I feel very lucky now.

Thank you so much for all your replies. I think he will enjoy it when he gets there and I do appreciate that he is very lucky to be going at all.... It will be a good way to see if he would truly like to go away for vocational school, although he is only year 5 at the moment so he would be at least a year older before he had to go. That said, I think he is old enough to go away on his own and gain some independence. I think he will miss us (or maybe my ipad!) though. He is going second week, Spax so he will meet your son! I am quite glad it's a day shorter actually!

Thanks I will look out for those then! The white are tricky to get and go grey so quickly! S x

HI Just Ballet. I need some white leather full sole shoes. My son takes size 3 (Clarks). I tried your site but most of the shoes seem to be pink. Please can you point me in the right direction? Thank you!

Hi all My son (10) has got a place on the RBS White Lodge Summer School. So has his friend from ballet school (also 10). However, they are not in the same week. I am thrilled for the opportunity but my DS is a little hesitant, having never been away from home for so long. Can anyone offer me a little insight into it? Do the kids enjoy it? Has anyone had a DS/DD reluctant to go and then enjoyed it? I have told him it's like "Hogwarts with ballet" but I fear that may be overselling it a bit!!

Is there accommodation at YDA? I will watch with interest and my son would love it there but we are too far away sadly......

I would say it is worth auditioning for year 4 as you may get in! But if you don't then it will be excellent practice for year 5! But I would say that you should audition for year 4 with an expectation that you might not get in. If you do it will be a great bonus! It's just a maturity thing I think, as some year 4s can and some can't concentrate and 2 and a 1/4 hours is a long class!

Hi Dance Taxi! I am sure that others will give you some advice but I can tell you our experience. Firstly it's really good to be recommended for this so well done to your daughter! My son auditioned for entry in year 4. Every child that puts in a form gets an audition so don't worry about that! Your dance teacher should help you with the photos! My son didn't get in for year 4 but got a letter asking him to come back again and audition for year 5. He did that and got in! The audition class is very informal and just like a ballet class. This is info I have managed to glean. Not many year 4 places are offered and it is more unusual to be offered a place for year 4 than year 5/6. About 10 girls audition for every place. About 3 boys audition for every place. Even a good dancer, if not the right body type, won't get through. There is a girl in my son's ballet school who is just the most fantastic dancer but she does not have the RB body type so she didn't get in. She is shorter than average and very strong rather than lean and taller. It helps if you are bendy (can do splits etc) especially for girls and maybe less so for boys. After the audition in May, I think we heard in about late June/early July. After the audition there are 3 letter types Yes you're in. No, but thank you for coming. No, but please try again next year. Good luck to your daughter!

Hi everyone and JA Dad in particular. Am I right in thinking that your DD has auditioned for years 7 and 8 at WL and finally got in in year 9? That is a great story in sticking with it and keeping on trying, isn't it? And may give some comfort and hope to anyone sadly getting a No for year 7 at the moment........... Was she an MA in years 7/8?

I don't really understand the 3 MDS quota. If 3 kids needed full funding, that would be the same as 6 needing half funding wouldn't it? Or do they just offer three and lucky government if actually those 3 kids don't need the full funding?!

Huge congratulations to those who have got the Yes letters today. What an exciting time for you. Do you think they send the Nos out a day earlier? I was wondering if there is a waiting list for WL at all. For example someone auditioning at WL and Elmhurst, say, might get offered a place at both but then pick Elmhurst over WL for whatever reason. So would they then give out another place at WL? Just wondered if anyone knows!

This might help someone. If you save childcare vouchers (max £243/month) for say 5 years, you would have £14,500 to put towards boarding costs but it would only have "cost" you £11,600 because of the tax saving. I know it's probably a drop in the ocean but it's the only government "help" that I can spot for anyone earning over £70k. You can use childcare vouchers for older children (for the boarding element), I believe.

Does anyone know how many funded places (MDS) Tring has to offer this year?

How long do the results of the finals take to come out (out of interest, DS isn't in the finals!).

You are so right Stirrups - you just have to enjoy it don't you, while you can. I sometimes wonder why I/we are doing it all. Do I want my DS to go to a vocational school? Do I not? Would it be "better" if he just concentrated on his studies and becoming an accountant, say?! Or should he keep dancing which he enjoys? If he does become a dancer, is he destined for a short professional career, probably abroad a lot, and at a not too competitive pay? I have a professional job (law) so I am paid fairly well. However, all my energy was poured into academics when I was young so I am very overweight now. What is better in the long run? To be fit and poor(er) or fatter and rich(er)? So many uncertainties in life that is why it is just all about enjoying what you do, I suppose!

Ah Stirrups36 - what a big achievement to get as far as you did. I understand completely how much time and effort this sort of thing must take though. I like the idea of an all inclusive ballet school, but is it actually a requirement that it has to be non-selective? After alll, the Brit school is selective isn't it?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-16762176 I wonder what the outcome of this was? It seems that this should be possible........

Hi again all. For RBS year 7, it seems that for the last published stats, 75 boys auditioned for White Lodge, roughly the same number as were JAs. I have always thought that the number of JAs is probably a useful guide to the "pool" of applicants because some boys won't want boarding and some other talented boys won't already be JAs but will have the potential or are perhaps on other associate programmes. So that means there are 75 boys approx auditioning for, probably, Elmhurst and White Lodge. Let's say that there are 10/12 places at each, so that makes 75 boys competing for 24 places. So roughly one in four will make it. Interesting that there were only 15 boys at Elmhurst finals. How many places are there? Seems like if you get invited to Elmhurst finals, based on the above, you must have a good chance of a place! For RBS then, half of the boys at the finals will get a place! If you are in finals for both, I guess you would have to be unlucky not to end up at one or the other maybe?

Hi there - sorry I don't know but I will be interested to know the answer as this may be us next year. I imagine if they are good enough to be a JA, there is probably a good chance they would go to finals, especially as there is a smaller pool of boys. Good luck to your son Theodore! Keep us posted!

I have been reading this thread and am in the early stages of digesting this but I have a question and a thought. Question - are DADAs generally just for two years- 6th form funding? For anyone who earns just over £70k, it clearly is going to be better to go part time or have one partner give up work, which is daft. However, before doing so, is it worth seeing whether just increasing pension contributions makes a difference? I don't know if this works, but worth a thought!

Thank you for the responses. It is clearly a huge achievement to make it as far as the finals then, and even more so to get past that. I would be interested if anyone knows if the numbers for boys are the same. I imagine it might be easier for the boys to make it as far as finals, as there are fewer of them. In terms of the JAs, for example, it seemed to be 1 in 10 girls who were accepted, but 1 in 3 or so boys! I guess there are just fewer dancing boys....

Hi everyone I am reading everyone's ups and downs on this thread with great interest and joy/sympathy as this may well be me this time next year. My son will probably audition for Elmhurst and White Lodge. It must be so exciting to have a yes to finals. Can I ask, please, if anyone knows how many boys/girls they invite back for finals for how many places? I mean, having got through to finals are you lucky to be the 1 in 10 who gets a place or the 1 in 2? The reason I ask is that, if my son is lucky enough to get through to finals, I would like this information to prepare him (and me) for what might happen after that............

Ooo - I possibly have all this auditioning fun to come next year if we decide to do it! Please can someone tell me, when auditioning for year 7 White Lodge and/or Mid Associates, is it one audition and they just allocate you to one or the other as appropriate (or none) on the day? Or is it two different auditions? Thank you!

Congratulations to your daughter Taxi4ballet - and I am sorry to hear about the funding. We would be in exactly the same position as you if my DS were to be offered an unfunded place. Tring and Hammond have fewer MDS do they? Do they offer scholarships at all? Are you aware that you could use childcare vouchers for the boarding part of the costs, assuming Tring and Hammond would separate this out for you. That could make a discount of 20% off boarding part of fees, which I know isn't much (wouldn't be enough for me.....) but it might help you or someone else reading this............

Ah Anjuli - I am not surprised at all to hear that you have already written a book - you obviously have many talents and a way with words is one of them..