Richard LH

4 minutes ago, Lindsay said:

Richard you have a very naive faith in the power of 'systems' and written policies.  Inspectors are neither omniscient nor infallible and the scope of their enquiries are necessarily extremely limited.  

But Inspectors must see reports of  complaints, as indicated above.

Also on Complaints, the RBS policy states...

"Two things tend to make parents reluctant to complain or to express concerns: 
a) A fear that the School will not see the issue to be important: please be assured that, if it is important to you, it is important to us 
b) A fear that a concern or complaint may lead to repercussions for the student: under no circumstances will the School discriminate against a student because of expressions of concern or complaints. The School is very experienced in ensuring that, if other students are involved (e.g. in an allegation of bullying), there are no repercussions from other quarters. 
This policy seeks to explain the systems we have put in place to give you confidence in our willingness to listen to them and in our determination to be open, honest and fair in our dealings with you. It highlights the routes anyone can follow if they feel that something is not right, that their child or ward is fed up, unhappy, being treated unfairly or bullied, or if they have any other concern or complaint."

So fears of repercussions for the student are recognised but (seemingly) comprehensively dismissed. I would hope that if there were such repercussions from teachers, this would lead to  even more complaints and serious repercussions for the teachers themselves.

45 minutes ago, Anna C said:

And parents clearly HAVE complained.

But have they, officially? If they have, they would have to be recorded and available for Inspectors... as explained in the RBS complaints policy.

https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/discover/royal-ballet-school-policies/

So if there have been such complaints, and they  are multiple, genuine and serious, I can't imagine how  Inspectors could have been ignoring them in reaching their assessment...irrespective of the "Royal" tag referred to by @billythewhizz

3 hours ago, DancerFifi said:

Ofsted do not investigate any bullying and appear to generally turn a blind eye to it

But haven't Ofsted  also been criticised recently for being too hard on schools on safeguarding  compliance? 

As far as the ISI is concerned, they state "Inspectors may be aware of individual safeguarding concerns, allegations and complaints as part of the inspection process. Such matters will not usually be referred to specifically in published reports in this document but will have been considered by the team in reaching its judgements."

I can't imagine Inspectors would dare, in the current climate, to ignore multiple, genuine and ongoing reports of problems of this type, so surely in coming to an "excellent" conclusion about a school, they can't yet have received such reports, from current, or past, students or parents, or indeed via the wider media.

The possible reasons for this will remain open for debate but it will be interesting to see the outcome of the NEXT  ballet school inspection reports, following this programme. 

Whilst tending to be pretty slim and muscular due to the demands of their chosen careers, ladies in the top UK ballet companies, at least,  are certainly not all “stick-thin”, skeletal or flat-chested etc. Some take time out to have babies and then return to the stage.  When dancing they need to be very  careful of nutrition, which means eating enough of the correct foods, not just eating as little as possible because that would mean lacking sufficient strength and energy to perform.   Some students may need to lose a bit of weight; others may need to improve their diet or increase  their intake of some foods-  either way  this should be explained sensitively;  indeed the schools have specialist nutritionists for this.  This is the RBS's very detailed Nutrition Policy: https://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Nutrition-Policy.pdf

which includes for example: “It is known that, along with many athletes, dancers are at greater risk of developing eating disorders and associated medical problems than the general population. Body composition is also an important component of physical fitness, vital in enabling dancers to train and reach their true potential. Dancers who fall above or below the recommended norms may be putting their health at risk as well as limiting their career”.

And: “A person with an eating disorder commonly has fears about being ‘fat’ and fears about their shape: the mind of an anorexic shows them as ‘fat’ when they look in the mirror when others see them as a virtual skeleton. They usually believe that the more weight they lose the closer they come to being worthwhile. If challenged, they deny that they have a problem and refuse to believe they are dangerously thin. They are unable to accept rational argument around their eating habits and weight”.

“Any single symptom could have an explanation, but recurring patterns are a cause for concern. Members of staff should always report concerns to the Director or the Ballet Principal. Individual members of staff should not discuss questions of weight, diet or medication with students, nor should there be general discussion of any issues related to this protocol”.

So I don’t understand the reports of some teachers  suggesting, or implying, in their remarks to students,  that excessive weight loss is the way certain students will improve as dancers, or be able to have a ballet career, such that those students feel they must keep on losing weight to a dangerous and  unacceptable  extent. Any such remark goes entirely against all that is set out in the above Policy, and the obvious facts in terms of the actual body shapes of dancers who do make it professionally.  It is unfortunate, therefore, that  the programme did not include any interviews with teachers or school nutritionists in response or in further explanation. The schools (at least as reported) only seem to have put out what came across as fairly generalised  and bland statements, without  being able (understandably I suppose, especially with a legal case pending) to respond to the various individual  cases.

However the RBS had an Ofsted report in 2014 https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/2433869

The identified  concern at that time was proper checking and monitoring of staff recruitment and vetting, which was falling short. (This appears to have been addressed by 2016 according to the published report from a later unannounced visit  by the Independent Schools Inspectorate). Otherwise the report appears positive, and in terms of the issues most immediately relevant to the current discussion, Ofsted reported for example:

“The school’s behaviour policy is implemented consistently and fairly. All students behave impeccably. Behaviour and relationships between students and with staff are excellent. Case studies of the most vulnerable students show the school’s sensitive yet robust approach to students’ emotional needs. Weekly network meetings between health professionals and staff carefully coordinate agreed support and care for identified students”.

“An effective anti-bullying policy is in place. Awareness of bullying in all its forms is a high priority through the curriculum, students’ weekly house meetings and the student council. The new leadership team ensure that, in this high-intensity training environment, staff are well briefed about teaching classes designed to really push students yet maintain a balance of criticism and support. Students say teachers rightly expect and insist on the highest standards of performance and commitment, as befits a school of this nature. However students also feel well supported and respected. No bullying by staff was reported to inspectors”.

More up to date (Oct 2022) is the following very positive report from the Independent Schools Inspectorate, a link to which can be found here: https://www.isi.net/school/the-royal-ballet-school-7171

This includes for example:

“Pupils exhibit a very strong awareness of the importance of physical and mental wellbeing. They describe the importance of balancing rigorous physical demands, being physically strong and mentally agile, with the need for good nutritional balance. They know the actions they must take to be healthy, as well as decisions that may cause them harm. Pupils appreciate the support they receive on diet and nutrition, mental health, dealing with injuries and rehabilitation through regular weekly meetings with a specialist team of health professionals….”.

“An overwhelming majority of parents and pupils who responded to the questionnaire  conveyed the view that the school is a safe place to be and that is safeguards the children effectively”.

Similarly Elmhurst had an “outstanding” Ofsted report in 2015: https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/2527673 

and the ISI gave them an excellent report in  February2022     https://www.elmhurstballetschool.org/media/downloads/elmhursteqiisireportfebruary2022.pdf

In the effective absence in the programme, of “the other side of the story” in the sort of detail  suggested by these inspection reports, I am wondering how balanced the BBC have been here.

1 hour ago, LinMM said:

Probably not quite as bad as being written off at 11 as a failure via the 11plus exam in state schools! 
Thankfully no longer exists but you would be surprised at how many people would like to see it reinstated. 

Yes as @mum5678 and others point out, the 11 plus does still exist in some areas, and even good scores don't necessarily secure a place. A grandson of mine recently took it but his score wasn't quite high enough to secure one of the (very limited) places available in a local Grammar school.

With selection by an exam system, it is inevitable that many won't be able to go to their preferred school, and I don't think it is fair to refer to such children as "written off at 11 as a failure", thus suggesting they aren't expected to have any success academically, or in later employment, via a non-Grammar route.

Arguably there is still selection under the comprehensive system, albeit by means of parents choosing to live in the "right" catchment area, often meaning they are able to afford a higher priced housing locality.

2 hours ago, Lindsay said:

It is about a culture where all students except the chosen few are, for whatever reason, written off as 'failures' in their teens.  The damage that can cause is not easily removed.

 Isn't it particularly the case with a vocational school, such as  a ballet school, that a progressive and  seemingly  severe  selection process is inevitable, given the limited number of ultimate opportunities for a dancing career? Again that is not to say the non-selected are "written off as failures", rather, that a particular career path may not be for them. One would hope, though, that selection is always managed sensitively and that students are helped by teachers and parents alike NOT to see themselves as failures, and helped to make rewarding alternative choices. Where this is not happening, for whatever reason, clearly things need to change.

On 09/09/2023 at 13:51, Silver Capricorn said:

I have a wonderful season ahead of me

Superb!...hope you have a great season.

Akane's "Spotlight" is now available to watch. She is so lovely to listen to, let alone to watch performing!

19 hours ago, FionaE said:

Fortunately she hadn’t noticed the stairs at the centre which the dancers were using as part of the show to enter and exit through the audience.  If she had, she’d have been up them before theatre staff could escort her away!

😂

It seems I can stream it from my PC but not from my Android tablet, although I can control it from the latter, to pause play for example. Weird.

15 hours ago, Nina99 said:

I’ve been able to see the Ashton triple for about a week, now on my TV courtesy of my Amazon fire stick. The new interview series features so far, Alexander Campbell and Akane Takada. However, I was only able to play the Akane interview.  Nothing happened when I clicked on Alexander Campbell, so no doubt he is still “coming soon.”  However, the interview with Akane is very nice and there are some lovely excerpts from ballets and rehearsals that she has featured in and show what a beautiful dancer she is.

 

 

Akane's interview is still just showing "coming soon" when I log in.....is it only available on certain devices, or something??

Isn't RB's acknowledgement of the start of "Ashton Worldwide" rather underwhelming, given there are only 10 (5 each) dates for the two Ashton triple bills this season? Not conducive to the widest range of dancers practicising his work and getting a good number of performances under their belts. 

7 hours ago, Sim said:

One evening outside SW when BRB performed Fille a few years ago, Naughty Peregrine was just being led out by his owner.  I stopped and had a little cuddle with him (Peregrine, not the owner!!) and complimented the owner on the little pony's performance that night and always.  The owner replied that Peregrine was a diva and loved his performances.  So no cruelty there, methinks. 

That sounds like the same occasion that I met Peregrine! I wish now I had asked for his autograph...

18 hours ago, bridiem said:

Wayne McGregor is a media darling and so usually gets generous reviews regardless of what he produces; but very little has actually been successful and very little will last.

I think I recall him saying  that he is not that interested in whether his productions prove to be lasting...he seems to be more inclined to jump from one project to the next, taking rather an ephemeral,  "butterfly" approach. Being generous, this could be argued to be celebrating the excitement of the creative process itself.  If I am being ungenerous, it could be seen as  a good excuse for some works that seem to lack new ideas and end up quite similar and forgettable.

51 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

I can't remember which venue but BRB performed Fille without a pony (I think the local council had banned "performing animals" and the cart was pulled by some of the lads.

Peregrine performed in Fille  for BRB at Sadlers Wells a few years ago...is he now redundant and out to grass, or worse.....?

3 hours ago, ellyb said:

I've never seen Takada live so that could be an option...

Definitely...she is a superb Manon!

On 08/08/2023 at 18:18, Sim said:

Interesting that they have had to parachute Roberto Bolle in to dance with Marianela.  I guess all the other potential partners (Vadim, Will, Reece, Matthew) are already taken!

 

One possibility would have been to give Hirano a shot at the role, rather than playing Lescaut, though he does perform the latter very well.

Edit....I see @Emeralds said the same above.

17 minutes ago, AnneL said:

Personally I find Bolle’s interpretation of the role more convincing than many others I have seen

Well, there you go !

18 minutes ago, art_enthusiast said:

Was it to do with characterisation?

It was to do with a bit of everything, as I recall. I just wasn't really convinced by his performance, and along with other posters,  I am rather surprised to see him back again.

20 hours ago, Lizbie1 said:

I can't say I was bowled over.

..we weren't even Bolled over! 😊

20 hours ago, Sim said:

Interesting that they have had to parachute Roberto Bolle in to dance with Marianela.  I guess all the other potential partners (Vadim, Will, Reece, Matthew) are already taken!

They have been paired together on the last two runs. I am afraid I was  disappointed with his performance, so not planning to see these two again.

Very pleased to be able to see Takada/ Campbell again, and also very happy about Kaneko's debut with Muntagirov.

19 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

Gosh Alex has got 2xDes Grieux and 4xLescaut!

Well deserved...he is excellent in both roles !

Romany is cast in the "Sea of Troubles" film to be premiered in the Clore in October. I don't know when this was filmed.

7 hours ago, Candleque said:

It was seeing Francesca Hayward and Alexander Campbell back when that made me fall in love with them as dancers.

...and made me fall in love with ballet!

1 hour ago, Rob S said:

Oh god, I've just counted my trips:

 

 

17  - Don Q (one a rehearsal)

5 - Cellist

2 - Dante

1 - Limit

17 - Nutcracker

 

 

Keep it up @Rob S ! ...your curtain call photos are so special and always looked out for. 

Perhaps your trips should be aided by a special  BcF funding pool ?!? 🤭