margarite

We also handed back a place for week 3 - hopefully someone on the waitlist will get some good news x

Fantastic news 🎉

Do you have to pay a deposit on acceptance? Last year we accepted several offers whilst waiting for a finals result and also news about Dada funding.  We also got a two-week extension at one of them before DD had to make a decision. Once the finals result and funding came through, DD made a decision where she wanted to go and we declined the rest. We did lose a small deposit at one school but it was worth it to have the flexibility. We know of others who did the same. These schools were all in the UK. 

Not sure I’ll have any useful advice for you, but I do sympathise as I went through similar with my DD in year 10/11. Interestingly, she was stronger in performance skills when she was younger, I think working so hard on her technique almost dulled some of her natural ‘spark’ for a while. She was told she needed to work on her eyeline and projection and be ‘more confident’ but was often overlooked by teachers for the more outgoing dancers in the room, which obviously didn’t help with the confidence issue. I too dreaded the upper school auditions, but she ended up with several solid offers, plus got finals for a couple of schools that we’d thought she wouldn’t ever be considered for. Fast forward to year 12 and she is having the time of her life, so much more confident, and has been selected for featured roles in her school’s latest production. I think in hindsight, getting performance experience in the holidays would have benefitted her more than just the classical intensives she went to – she already had the technique – just needed to have some fun dancing out of the school environment. Best of luck to your DD, I’m sure the right upper school will spot her beautiful technique, knowing that they can develop her performance skills.

We paid £45 last year, doctor just signed the form, no appointment needed. 

8 minutes ago, balletmamacita said:

We are in the US and my daughter was waitlisted for Upper School (1st time).  I may be wrong but I sense most of the folks posting on this thread may be talking about White Lodge.  Curious if anyone has experience with the Upper School WL?  Know of kids who got off the waitlist? Timing of that?  Any information that can provide insight into the process would be greatly appreciated as we weigh how to play the waiting game.  Thanks!

My daughter was waitlisted for the last two years, last year for the upper school intensive. She didn’t get offered  a place from the waitlist. However, I have heard of others getting places later on. We didn’t apply this year for financial reasons.

edited to add: she did however get a place from the waitlist for the spring intensive in 2022, often places become available after the payment deadline has passed. Good luck everyone 🤞🏻

10 minutes ago, Littledancingbird said:

Out of curiosity, did anyone get a firm ‘no’?! Lots of Waitlist again 😏

Lots get no’s, but would be less likely to post than a yes or waitlist!

37 minutes ago, Mumoftwogirls2023 said:

I also wondered if they might hold some back as they still have auditions at the end of the month? Maybe once they have done them they will give out more to either those students or those from the first round of auditions?

There will also be some children with offers from other schools as well as Hammond, so some MDS might be handed back if they decide to go elsewhere. 

5 minutes ago, Lissieloo said:

Does the funding info say what percentage of funding you've been offered? 
big well done to those who have been successful! X

Each MDS award amount is dependent on an individual family’s income. There is a calculator on the Hammond fees page so you can work out how much you’d have to pay if your child received an award.

6 minutes ago, So-not-a-Dancemom said:

Do they ever ask for evidence of parental/household income, or is it just self declared?  I've been 100% honest but I guess some may be more creative?

As MDS and DaDa awards are from the government, they have to ask for evidence. I had to supply P60s and monthly payslips to evidence our income when we applied for a Dada.

1 hour ago, jenalexandra78 said:

Congrats everyone. 

 

My dd has been accepted on a place for diploma in dance  but different to secondary, on the diploma letters it informs about funding.

 

It's says she is on the reserve list for dada funding. Meaning others have been awarded above her. 

 

Diploma has no sign up fee so we are signed up in hope that we might get funding with movement. 

 

I emailed to ask if any indication of place on reserve list,  but told a strong nope sorry. 

 

Few questions 

 

Do students actually get a no from diploma auditions??. Or is everyone accepted ?

 

I'm happy but waiting game for us. 

 

Just wondered if anyone had info on if diploma students might decline places as much compared to younger end xxx 

 

 

Hiya, just to clarify that people do get ‘no’s’ from the diploma audition. They also cut people halfway through the day, my DD and her friends saw this happen at several Hammond auditions last year. So to get through the day is good, and to get an offer is even better!

1 hour ago, lorna1 said:

 

Thanks for this, how many students approximately are in a year do you know x

It depends. My daughter’s year 7 started off with 19 (18 dancers and one theatre arts) - by year 11 there were around 26-28 pupils in her year - still around 18 dancers, the rest theatre arts. I think the current year 7/8 are quite small - around 15 children?  I guess numbers depend on the amount of families each year who can afford to pay full fees once the MDS spots are taken.

11 minutes ago, Lissieloo said:

I'm sorry I can't answer but I was also wondering, is MDS one lump sum split through every year group or do they get an allowance for each year group? 

The school has a set amount of MDS awards, it’s not a pot of money (unlike DAda awards) the number of available MDS awards fluctuates from year to year depending on how many are given back from the outgoing year 11. When my daughter was in year 7 ( a while back!) 10 out of the 18 dancers had an MDS. Over the next few years about three dancers joined in years 8/9 also receiving an MDS award. A couple of children left over time and their awards were redistributed, sometimes to other years. Discussing awards is not really allowed, but the kids always talked about who had what quite freely! So I would say that on average a year 11 group would be handing back between 8-12 awards for the school to reallocate. These would normally go to new year 7’s and 8’s. 

My DD got a place on the spring intensive and waitlist for summer when she was in year 10 - we took the photos at home on my iPhone. The next year we had pro photos done for auditions so used them to apply for the summer intensive - she got waitlist again! I think for intensives, as long as poses are correct, the picture quality doesn’t have to be perfect. 

The bus from Richmond to St Margaret’s drive is the H37 which goes from directly outside the station. Trains from Waterloo to St Margaret’s station are every 15 mins during peak times, then every 30 minutes at other times. If you’re travelling during morning or late afternoon rush hour I would avoid the bus as the road between Richmond and St Margaret’s gets very congested and the journey takes forever. It’s better at other times. 

DD did solos for Tring, NBS, Hammond and Rambert last year 👍. Her solo was a minute-long, which was the general requirement. Apart from Rambert specifying no classical ballet, the genre was up to the applicant. DD did a contemporary routine. No solo at Central or Elmhurst.

Last year we heard the Friday after Saturday’s audition via email. Glad your daughter found the audition ok. I was surprised that DD said it was quite complex last year as auditions do tend to be aimed at intermediate/adv 1 level and she was studying adv 2 at the time! I hope you get good news soon. 

No, she auditioned in January and was offered a place the week after. The Dada offer came in late March - my understanding is that they wait until all the audition days are finished and then they start to offer Dadas according to their ‘talent list’. I can’t remember exactly about year group sizes, 25 seems to come to mind, but i think if the classical route is chosen in the second year the classes are much smaller, as the majority seem to choose Jazz/musical theatre strand.

DD applied last year and thought the ballet class was quite challenging compared to other auditions which seemed to around the intermediate standard. The jazz class was much easier. The interview was brief and friendly. She did a self-choreographed contemporary solo and was lucky enough to receive a place and a Dada. She didn’t end up accepting as she chose elsewhere, but we were impressed with the school, good facilities and lovely staff who seemed very switched on to getting dancers contracts after graduation.

That is such a long wait!!! I feel for you. DD did her last LCB final audition in 2017 (how quickly time has passed 😱) and got her letter on the Friday morning - five days after her audition. I’m sure they email results now, shame as getting a letter in the post was very special. Good luck ☘️

51 minutes ago, Peanut68 said:

I’d suggest this is actually a positive approach to bring all parties around the same table creating open communication links & less chance for ambiguity or questions pupils or parents may have being missed…

Agree with this, there do seem to be so many questions every year from parents about funding etc after the auditions, so this is the chance to get the correct info directly from the source.  I think it’s also important that the school also manage expectation re funding if a place is offered on the day, so children (and parents!) don’t leave thinking it’s all in the bag. To the best of my knowledge there are around 10-ish MDS funded places every year, which is a tiny proportion of those that apply.

1 hour ago, BisforBallet said:

@AllAboutTheJourney We lasted only Yr 7 for that reason. The long weekends, boredom added to home sickness. 3 weeks to Exeat was hard going. 

The school itself is good, I had no complaints otherwise and we haven’t ruled out going back when older.

 

I’d be interested to hear what other vocational schools do at weekends from others who are there? 

My DD attended Hammond Lower school from year 7 and really enjoyed weekends. The benefit of having the boarding houses within walking distance of Chester city centre was great - with shops, cafes and the lovely surroundings within easy reach. HPs escorted younger years and year 9 and upwards could go by themselves when they wanted. There was also swimming, cinema trips plus outings to the beach. Things weren’t so great during the Covid years, but picked up again and they have activities and trips every weekend. Hammond also has Saturday school until 12.30’ so there isn’t much time to get bored. I also think because students live away from the school site, weekends feel different and more of a change than if they were still seeing classrooms and studios during their downtime! 

My daughter has only done the RBS Spring course but found it friendly, enjoyable and not as competitive as other some school’s intensives (she left one of these after a day as made the mistake of attending a course held between prelims and finals for the school (not RBS) and couldn’t cope with the competitive barging to be ‘seen’. Also the blatant favouritism. She was in year 10 at the time so that school was quickly crossed off her list for the following year’’s applications 🤣) Never attended  RBS Summer as she’s always been waitlisted. Not applying this year as too expensive 😢

Out of interest @Kerfuffle how long do your DD’s Freed’s last? DD was fitted there a few years ago and she loved the look and fit of the pair she was given, but they lasted a matter of days (she was 12 so still a relative beginner on pointe, but has very straight, strong feet) do the advanced/pro pairs have more longevity? 

Yes I agree @Kerfuffle speaking as someone who didn’t start a degree until my mid 20s (graduated at nearly 27) it did me no harm and have subsequently had a good career in my chosen area, catching up with my peers despite them having a six-year head start.