AllAboutTheJourney

Thank you @valentina - appreciate you taking the time to post that - very helpful, practical advice.

Thank you for the honest and frank responses on this thread - it's a very interesting read especially for those of us with children in y6 I imagine. At the moment I feel utterly confused about what the 'best' pathway is - and I think it will be different for everyone. Funding is definitely an issue, I can absolutely understand why vocational school feels like a great option if there is considerable MDS funding available and it covers the whole package of training. If you're in a situation where you still have to pay a very hefty chunk of the fees then it's a considerable financial investment which has to be borne in mind - I confess to having real doubts about it purely on a financial basis. For what we would have to pay, could that money be used in a more direct, individual way - private coaching, associates, 'normal' dance school fees and - in time - perhaps higher level competition fees. But then - is that enough to 'keep up' with the children who go to vocational school... Sorry - probably going off track a bit. I really do hope that the teenagers who have moved on or are about to move on to other things are happy (or will be, in time).

😂😂 she’s not quite that crafty. I was very glad they offered a zoom for the first round as travelling to all these things really adds up. To be honest I think we might leave it for this year - it doesn’t align with the Scottish school holidays which means DD would basically have to miss the first two weeks of school to do it. I’m sure its great fun but the timing of it is a shame given that it’s meant to be a national thing. Can’t do everything though - will have a think before the final round.

There's a slightly more recent thread here - But no, results not out yet. White Lodge y7 results just came out on Tuesday so it will be a little while yet until the school places are confirmed, then MAs after that I believe. I think they said around Easter time.

Sorry I can't help with that as my DD is in a younger group. Can I ask if anyone knows anything about the junior group and what it entails? How much dancing do they actually get to do etc? Are the juniors just on stage for a few mins realistically? It looks like fun and I'm sure DD would enjoy it but it's a long way from us and would involve quite a lot of expense going down for the performances on top of the actual residential costs so I want to have a think about whether it's worth it or not. DD did the initial zoom audition without us knowing much about it so I'd like to find out a bit more before committing to going to London for the final audition.

Exactly though - it's a UK based forum and the intake at all the vocational ballet schools in this country is from the whole of the UK, not just England (without even getting into the international sphere). There are different challenges at all stages of the vocational journey and how it matches up to your academic system depending on where in the UK you live - hence the importance of a plan B. Absolutely this - surely it's up to us, as the adults, to help change the perception.

A massive well done to your DSs @BalletBoysDadand @Julsgalaxy - fantastic news. And commiserations to everyone who didn't get the news they'd hoped for - it really is such a bittersweet time. My DD got wait list for White Lodge - she's really happy as she feels like she did well to get that far so that's all that matters. She only wanted to try for that one school so the rollercoaster is over for us at least! I said at the start of this thread that I was going into the process with mixed emotions and I still feel exactly the same. It's been a fun ride and we had fantastic experiences at all three WL auditions, some great weekends away together and both DD and I made some lovely new friends. I'm glad she went for it, but I'm also glad we get to keep her at home for a little longer and that our family dynamic doesn't have to change right now. I'm also glad she will be able to stay here to do her last year of primary school - with all the fun stuff that entails. Hopeful for a place in MA's as she's very much enjoyed the last few years in JA's - hope we don't have to wait too long for those results now!

I’m not sure if your point is directed at me or not but there are quite a lot of assumptions there. There are many ways to approach academic schooling these days, also not everyone lives (i) in England or (ii) in an area where good local schools are oversubscribed. I assume anyone considering any vocational school has a Plan B for what happens if you don’t end up staying there long term. That doesn’t take anything away from the teenagers who are now going to be moving on to a different chapter in their education.

I don’t want to assume that this thread is about any particular school, but to answer the post above - yes RBS are very much advertising two separate programmes for lower school now. That has been very clear all through this year’s audition process and was explained at length on the recent zoom call for parents and finalists. I totally agree with the comments above - all the current y9s have completed the first three year programme and well done to them for having done so. Some will have been accepted into the next programme and others not - but I think it’s positive to look at that first three year programme in and of itself. We all know the chances of anyone making it to a professional ballet company are exceptionally slim. There’s also been a huge amount of criticism of the ‘old methods’ of assessing out at will. Surely then its a good thing to see each step of the journey in and of itself - and to encourage our children to take from it whatever skills/discipline/confidence/learning they can?

Aw sorry that's rubbish! I can't believe they're not letting you go at another time, or even offering it by zoom... Sorry can't help with school places as we have a different age bracket up here (so high school is actually another year off for us). Sounds like it might be worth accepting it though so you don't lose out - it does seem like RBS results could be a while yet x

Ignore my last post - just read their email update!

Yes I was getting a bit impatient thinking we'd not heard and then remembered you'd been waiting even longer... That's been a while for you guys. Hopefully tomorrow - I'd really like to know one way or other before the weekend so we can just move on!

Also I think I'm right in remembering (?) that it's Tring finals tomorrow. Good luck to anyone going to that!

I just wondered if you'd had any results through yet from 24th-26th Feb or whether all the WL finals results are likely to come out at the same time?

Yes most of them came out and a small number didn’t appear. The person with them explained they were in the recall and they then came out about 15 mins later. It’s v hard not to wonder about what it means but it does sound like it can be for various reasons (with various results) as Sunrise says!

Thanks @stardust that's useful to know - I hope you hear soon.

PS - a huge good luck to all the boys going tomorrow. DD had a lovely experience and whatever the outcome it was a special and exciting couple of days. I hope all the boys love it too 😃

I'd hoped we'd hear this week too but as @Julsgalaxysays they did also stress on the zoom call yesterday that it would likely take longer than usual this year. Yes there were 30 girls at finals (though at least one absent as I say who's still to be seen). For anyone reading this for info for next year, in case it's helpful, on the first day they were split into 3 groups and they did ballet and physio. The second day they were split into 2 groups and they did more ballet and also character. There was a short recall at the end with a small number of girls in it. There were 5 people on the panel both days. Just mentioning the above as I know last year was all a bit different to the norm. I would imagine next year will follow a similar format to this year, with a smaller group taken through to finals and the panel spending more time looking at them.

The girls were told yesterday they would be out within 2 weeks I believe. There is at least one girl who wasn’t able to attend so they need to wait and see her first anyway.

Thank you all 😊 Yes, girls’ finals (for Y7) today and tomorrow. The boys must be getting impatient - it feels like a long time since those preliminaries in November!

We're in the UK too but my DD did the summer intensive last year and there were quite a few international children I believe, even in the younger groups 🙂

Thanks so much for posting this - we’ll be coming down on the train and then using the tube so this is really useful to know. At the moment we should be arriving in Richmond on Wednesday and leaving on Friday so hopefully we won’t be too affected but now that I know I’ll keep an eye on it. Thank you!

Sorry and hope she's ok - great that you still had a positive experience overall. Glad you heard quickly x

Hope it went well today if you were at the additional semi-final x

I'm sorry to hear that @MissEmily - I hope she is ok about it. And commiserations to anyone else who has had a No this morning of course. DD is happy on this occasion - she's through to finals.