Jewel

I know someone who moved from teaching on the L6 diploma at one of these places to a university/conservatoire setting and the pay and conditions are so much better. (And the atmosphere is less toxic). 

I can't speak for Tring but I know that at other similar places teacher salaries are already lower than in other schools/colleges.

On 23/03/2024 at 10:08, Doing Dance 1 said:

Interesting.
Is the school one that can’t currently be discussed in the forum? 

it's a school where certain matters relating to auditions and attendance can be discussed but not other opinions due to (now concluded but potential for future) court case.

I've never known it.  

They used to give 50% bursaries as standard to non MDS holders but I believe they are a lot less generous now. 

Good on them.

There is another similar school where similar dubious practices have led to a huge percentage of staff leaving over the past few years.

Back in our day Hammond had the wonderful Janet Starmer who used to explain the process in clear, simple detail to parents.  It was a sad day when she lost her job in the big re-organisation.

Yes it would.  The school has a set number of awards and if a student is not eligible either because they don't meet residency requirements or have a very high family income (it's somewhere around £150-200k per year I think) then it will be given to someone who is eligible.

Student Roost are fairly flexible if someone is unable to take up their place (as opposed to changing their mind and going to another halls.)

We struck lucky.  Our GP used to attend a private school in the same city as dd's school and back in the day his school shared a bus with them so he did it for free whilst reminising.  

Any college doing that in writing is in danger of their funding being removed.  I know that some have always tried to get away with it.  But it is very dodgy. 

Edit - This only applied to DaDa funding not internal scholarships

The government does not allow anyone to be offered definite DaDa funding until at least 1st March so everyone under consideration will be on the reserve list for now.  

On 09/02/2024 at 19:35, 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?

Yes, they ask to see evidence.  The self-declaration is just so the school can estimate how much of the DaDa pot each applicant needs so they know how many people to offer funding too.  Later in the year you will get the proper form from the government and that will ask for copies of P60's, self assesments, pension statements, payslips etc.

The way that Dada funding works at all schools/colleges is that everyone who is offered a place is ranked in order of perceived talent.  

At some point after 1st March the school/college offers DaDa funding to those at the top of the list.  As DaDa funding is a pot of money rather than a set amount of awards they do not know at this point exactly how many funded places they can offer so they use data from previous years to help them.  Applicants are asked to make a self declaration of parental income and the school/college uses these declarations to help them know how much money they need to allocate to each person.

If a lot of the people at  the top of the list are from high income families then they will need less support so the money will spread amongst more people so more awards may then be offered.  Also applicants who hold more than offer may decline in favour of somewhere else.  When my daughter was there she was offered a DaDa straight away but her friend was not offered one until much later in the summer.  

It's not the best wording but I would imagine that everyone has had the same letter.  

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 

 

 

Schools are not allowed to allocate DaDa funding until 1st March.  This is a rule set by the DFE.  Also until income information forms are sent in the school will not yet know how many students the  Dada money will support.  In fact, I don't think the schools even know how much they have in the pot in total until about March (though they can guesstimate from previous years).  

You are supposed to be 18 to stay in a Travel Lodge or Premier Inn alone I think.

My daughter stayed in a youth hostel when attending an audition once but prices vary depending on the date.  You can stay unaccompanied from aged 16.

If you income drops substantially during the student's time there you can apply to be re-assessed.   This would usually be in the case of something like a job loss/change, divorce or death of a parent.  

That's certainly interesting.  I wonder when they brought that in?

On 30/09/2023 at 19:30, Peanut68 said:

Oh I’m sorry to hear this & am not really up to date on staff etc there….

In my experience day pupils at almost all vocational schools seem to take additional outside classes/coaching & can put themselves at an advantage (though risk burn out IMO too).

When you say returned to old boarding houses, surely not to Hampton Lodge? Last time I happened to be near Chester I did a nostalgia drive-by & was saddened (though not surprised) to see it empty & up for sale. But what was so sad was how decrepit it was…. Empty buildings deteriorate so quickly. But -tbh - it was not really fit for purpose in this day & age…. The most recent extensions were the proverbial ‘icing on dog mess’ providing more beds to share pretty dire dining & relax facilities etc. 

It needed vacating, pulling down all the modern bits & doing a sympathetic to its original period architecture & features - a restoration to preserve the history of the school too with its dance studio! To then be perhaps a study centre for the school or upper school accommodation in a few created flats…. But of course that would require money a school could not justify… 

Clovelly was legions better but still pretty dire…. But both had their highs & lows of memories & will provide former boarders with great stories to tell their grandkids!! 
 

The lovely carol service you remember so fondly, now only the degree (not diploma) students take part.  The turnover of staff has been quite extraordinary (teaching and pastoral staff)

1.  No regrets for the first 7 years, I do regret not pulling her out when things changed towards the end.

2.  Started off ropey in Year 7 when the year group was small and classes mixed ability.  Much improved in later years.  Some low quality science teaching but the teacher involved is no longer there.  Achieved excellent GCSE's and A levels.  

3. Yes, that was always the intention.  Many from the lower school dance course used to go onto musical theatre courses.  However I know there have been a lot of  changes recently so I don't know if that has altered the focus or not.  

Lifeafterballet.  I'd really like to ask you some specific questions about your daughter's degree  & the application process but you are not accepting messages

One of the very limited lists of specific degrees, yes, or a top up, again yes.  But not transferring from say two years of dance to English Literature or History etc etc.

But you appear to think you know it all so I will leave anyone in this position (as we currently are) to investigate for themselves.

Graceful - you are the one mis-informing.  You cannot get 2 years funding on 1 degree and then transfer to another degree and get another 3 years worth of funding to complete that degree.  You simply cannot.

Hammond & Tring both take day students.  Italia Conti closed it's lower school but Sylvia Young is still going strong.  Fee paying of course.

*You can get funding for 4 years for your first degree. *

The exact rules are the length of the course plus 1 year which is meant for those who need to re-sit a year.  Open university funding isn't available for everyone is they already have a degree unless they are studying specific subjects.