Dance.Mum

Can anyone let me know of reasons a DC might get additional marks for an examination under the special consideration box?  Could this have been applied due to COVID?

From conversations we have had with recent pupils there is not currently a Classical versus Dance stream in any years including 6th Form.  However our understanding from speaking to the school last year is that they are looking to have more of a focus on classical ballet although it was not clear how they planned to achieve this.  I have recently been told that one of the Directors of Dance has a good number of contacts and has been getting pupils auditions with companies throughout Europe.

Tring is very much on our list of upper schools with ballet focus on both the dance and academic fronts.

Seat AA10 £60

Any takers?

I am reading from your post that you auditioned for associates and were offered a full-time place.  This happens at YDA from what I heard when I was looking at the school last year although we looking at Year 10 entry directly.  We decided against it for a number of reasons but did get some good advice from current parents on the forum.

They have some accommodation options and on-site academics all be it that GCSE options are limited.  I am sure someone will be able to provide details.

On 16/04/2021 at 18:24, balletmum20 said:

Does anybody know of there has been any movement yet from any upper school schools;

Elmhurst

tring

central

Enb

 

i have not heard any movement has anybody else x 

 

DC heard of movement on the lists for all of these schools at the end of last week as DFs made final decisions on places to accept.  

4 hours ago, Raquelle said:

I know a someone in yda who does associates...I'm pretty sure hammond said in the open day they don't do associates either x 

When we looked at schools last year we were told that they do not allow associates other than for YDA where they seemed to encourage pupils to apply for RBS Mids and SAs.  I am not aware of any Tring pupils at Mids but a number have attended SAs in the last few years.  There have been a few who are training vocationally attend BalletBoost but not aware of any other associate programmes.

4 minutes ago, Returnofthejedi said:

This may seem like a strange question but here it goes:

Once offers come from other schools and then we all start accepting, do RB ever update their waiting lists if they clear? Same question for other schools. 

Some people do decline offers and having seen schools and individuals post pupils with multiple offers (some up to four and five in years past) there will be those on waitlist who will get a call offering a place.  Royal maybe the dream school but we know of two families over the years who have decided against going citing differing reasons.  We have also know of two offers from wait list but these were not Year 7 entry.

2 hours ago, Pas de Quatre said:

Some Tring 6th formers still receive MDS.

We were told that those already at the school with MDS can carry them forward but it was unlikely you would get one going straight into 6th Form, although it does happen and I have since heard there was one given to a new entrant a few years back.

6 hours ago, BbcBoy said:

Well done to everyone even to get wait list offers is amazing!  
 

Motomum congratulations for you son fab news! 
 

as we are not on the MDS scheme for funding just school scholarships & bursaries can I ask what the difference is?  Those who do not get MDS are expected to pay full fees with no funding help? Or will school offer scholarships?  
 

I find the whole thing a little confusing? 🤷‍♀️

An MDS is an MDS and the amount you get is means tested.  We have seen a number of dancers say they are on a full MDS scholarship but my understanding is that your family income would need to be less than £20,000 a year to have everything paid for, depending on the fees of the school you are attending and if it is boarding or day pupil.  There is a scale for calculating this.  School scholarships vary from school to school and in some cases are also means tested but not always.  Tring have MDS for lower school dance and their own scholarships for performing arts.  There is DaDA for 6th Form but this is does not give as much as an MDS.

23 minutes ago, Peanut68 said:

Good luck to all awaiting results...

I can’t tell you how wonderful it feels to NOT be in that position for once as no applications any! How  much stress I have saved by not having the photo or video sagas to go through & how much healthier my bank balance is for not shelling out for applications to merely be looked at!! 

 

We are in the same position this year - no photos or videos for summer schools and no application costs.  We have been lucky and had our share of RBS successes but DC decided this year that the summer school, for her, is not as good as other courses.  I am not going to miss the fervent refreshing of e-mails.  Our summer is already mapped out with the understanding that it is COVID dependent and things may well change - we are all well used to that after the last year.  Good luck to all those waiting for results for the summer and for September.

1 hour ago, sunrise81 said:

I was under the impression that if they had a place offered from last year when it couldn't happen, then they had a place this year. Plus some kids who attended the online ones have also been given direct entry....so don't have to apply.

Places were not carried forward and those with places last year have to apply for this year.  Those who were given direct entry still had to submit an application for the dates they wanted through the application portal.  I heard of a number of direct entry so there may well be fewer places this year especially if there is still an element of social distancing.  They have added an additional face to face week and there is a week of on-line classes which I assume will be the same as last year so an additional opportunity.  Good luck to those who have applied.

DC's friend was in an older age group later in the afternoon.  Does anyone know how many MDS might be available for years 8 to 10?  

6 minutes ago, Dancermom said:

Does anybody know how many girls/boys rbs take on in year 7? X

They take around 14 girls and 14 boys into Year 7, although it can vary slightly.  

4 minutes ago, margarite said:

There was a child at my daughter’s school who was offered places at all four MDS schools - with funding! Pretty incredible achievement. 

 

DCs friend was in the same position with four offers.  They had a favourite school going into the process but then changed their mind after the offers were in.  Fast forward and they are now in the favourite school.  Not all schools are the right fit and there is some movement between schools.  Another friend had four finals and three offers with the no being from their preferred school. They are really happy with their final choice and can’t imagine bring anywhere else.

2 hours ago, BalletBoyMumma said:

Congrats to those who’ve got places. Well done! 

 

Another waiting list place here (boy, current yr6 JA). Same as this year for summer (which didn’t go ahead). 
 

DS is feeling rather deflated lately, he thinks it’s him because he really struggles to train at home so his usual confident, happy self has turned quite sad and always questioning whether he can even do what is required - we are trying to keep his spirits up and remind him it’s really not and that everyone is in the same boat with a hit to their training at the moment. Stressful times indeed.

Sorry to hear your DS is feeling deflated.  Places on Royal intensives are few and far between in any year but with reduced class sizes they are even fewer this year but the wait lists are there in case they are allowed to put more students into the studios and boarding houses.  Having the decisions based on photographs is hard to take and we have had knockbacks based on photos and the following year Yeses for auditions.  I would love to be bale to say it gets easier as they get older and understand more but I am not sure.  All we can do is be there for support and encouragement.

59 minutes ago, Mum of unicorn dancer said:

SWL #6 for my DD, but just wondering if residential vs non-residential had any impact. Congratulations to everyone. 

They are limiting class sizes so I am not sure this is too much of an issue.

DC was a WL for JAs, no for WL finals and WL for MAs at the same time as getting Yeses for Summer and Spring Intensives.  Then WL for Spring and Summer the same year as a Yes for SAs.  No-one can second guess Royal not even their own teachers, from I was told.  This year we can't make the Spring dates due to an important family event and I doubt I can afford two weeks in the summer so we will never know if being an associate would make any difference to an Intensives place.  

DC attended their two week summer school and loved the training despite not being a fan of Russian technique.  It is usually at Sadler's Wells but a modified version took place in their home premises.  We booked it as it was one of the few that was in the studio.  Most who attended were their own pupils and were of a high standard.  Others who attended were from vocational schools such as Tring and a girl who is going into Elmhurst 6th Form.  They have a boy heading off to Vaganova in a few weeks, have pupils place in international competitions and gain places at top upper schools such as RBS and ENB.  Definitely worth speaking to them about what they can offer.  If we had known about them before we would have looked at them while considering vocational school.  The timing of their classes does appear to fit with academic schooling better than some other options we had been considering.  We definitely plan to look at going back next summer if it works out. 

11 hours ago, dancefanatic said:

I think offering this to vocational schools a really good idea but would say from Y10 (14+) rather than Upper Schools only. I have seen a lot of eating issues start in Y10, certainly with my own DD and her friends. As this is an age, particularly for girls but boys too, where hormones are changing rapidly, as are physiques, much more support from a safe resource and training of staff is needed. 
 

Good luck Louise, this sounds like it could be an incredibly helpful tool for young dancers. 

This is most definitely a topic that should be covered by boys as well as girls.

Is nutrition not covered at vocational schools?

Just read this interesting article

https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/voices/coronavirus-artists-culture-lockdown-football-tv-a9508451.html

Echos what I have been shouting about in my house for days now.

On 08/03/2020 at 00:40, Dance.Mum said:

We are considering Rambert summer school - can anyone give me insight into what the course is like for a 14 year old?

We have a place on the summer course but have still not decided, assuming if it runs, if this is the right course for us.  Has anyone here had a DC attend?  What did they think about the level of training?  What is the timetable in terms of dance hours and mix? 

42 minutes ago, KeenButClueless said:

The original letter says 7-10 days after the audition.

Thank you - I obviously didn't read it that well!

Did anyone pick-up on when we will get results?

On 15/02/2020 at 12:47, Dance.Mum said:

I am relieved to hear that the GCSE offering at vocational schools is not as bad as I  was beginning to think.  The only school that I am still not clear on is YDA so any insight would be great.

I am back to follow up on my question about academics at YDA.  They seem to have a good record but I am not sure how many GCSEs you can take there and how it relates to the BTech and exactly what level the BTech is.  Can anyone fill me in on this?

The Government wrote a report on the MDS scheme a number of years ago but I can’t seem to find it now.  In it they gave the percentage of pupils in each school who receive an award.

There is also some information on the forum where a member provided some statistics.

At the moment we are still considering waiting another two years and reapplying for US.  Even with an elusive MDS we would still have a considerable contribution and when it comes to a DaDA I am not sure if we would receive very much at all.  Another two years of saving might be the best option at this point.