Karen

I declared my other daughter as a dependant when she was an apprentice (stating that she was an apprentice) and received the allowance for her. Probably no harm in trying!

Dd has just completed an amazing week at Dunsford, nr Exeter (Dpa, run by the amazing Layla Harrison.) A great range of genres and guest teachers including (dd's highlight) Anna Rose O'Sullivan and Elisha Willis. We had an amazing demo this afternoon with ballet, pas de deux, jazz, drama, street, commercial, tap, yoga, singing and drama. Saw more of dd than in recent voc school show. Dd's audition shots for next year fine too. Such a good week with amazing dedication from all who are part of the organising team. Maybe local, but definitely national in quality. ????

We got mds info today. Seems to have gone up a bit on similar income to last year. Grrr!

If you are sewing name tapes into the socks you could pinch them into a loop and sew the ends, leaving room for stretch.(or you could buy 10 cheap pairs and write on with laundry pen and be prepared to buy another 10 at half term!!)

We have not heard about mds either but we are W too! I was emailed a question for clarification about a fortnight ago (can any of us say that out older children ever stop bring dependant...?!!) but no news on how much to pay yet.

Dd is auditioning in 2017 and her vocational school has advised early auditions. She is older in her year group (Nov) and fit and healthy (please let this remain the case! ) so the advice was to get them done and dusted ASAP as several of her choices will also have finals to go back to if she is successful. I think the only reason I would not think this the best advice for anyone would be if recovering from an injury or if you felt that the dancer was on an upward progression slope that would suggest significant gains would be made in 4 or 5 months, thus giving a better chance of later success. I keep looking for 2017 audition entry info on web sites and hope someone will start a post as soon as they see something!

Anna Rose is teaching at the summer school my DD is attending next week. Looking forward to it!

You can park at the back - take first road on right with university building in the corner (approaching from fountain end of road) and then right again. You can go into the boarding house from the back - if the downstairs back door is not open you can walk round the side of the house to the front door.

In the past I have had a reply really quickly but sent off forms over a week ago and not heard anything yet. Maybe has to do with the bands not being set yet?

Don't forget the cost of private lessons (probably £40 - £50 per hour) and possibly accommodation and travel if you are going a distance. Obviously you can choose within personal limits here!

I also saw the show 3 times and thought the lower school performances were overall the best I had seen in 4 years. I liked Flight best of the senior performances too and did think that there was less variety across the range shown by the seniors this year. A great show consistently performed.

Large handbag type bags are popular; Dd has a black 'Michael Kors' tote type, but it is a genuine copy from the market in Turkey! It has lasted a school year and I suspect will be replaced with similar version this summer.

A really interesting post and food for thought for all of us to consider. I expect there are quite a lot of non visible conditions that people are living and coping with who might say the same thing. I hope your daughter finds it easier to live with her condition as time goes on and that people she comes into contact with treat her with care and kindness.

I now have it on good authority that the bands have not yet been confirmed. Edited for typo

Not yet but still hoping!

Becky at Stardust is so helpful and kind and will always go the extra mile. Discounts are offered for school students and I find prices to be reasonable. However, I'm quite perplexed that school feel entitled to make.this decision without any explanation of the reasons behind it. It's bound to affect some people, particularly relating to pointe shoes as mentioned above. I wonder if they are allowed to decree this under the rules of the scheme? Worth challenging perhaps?

Thank you for the replies - I agree the scales haven't changed much over the years, but I wanted to know what we are currently working with.

I am looking for the equivalent of this for MDS, but don't think it's on the web site.

We have just had our MDS form to complete from school and I have tried to find information on Gov.co.uk about the current contribution bands. I can't find anything and wondered if anyone has an up to date list or could provide a link, please? ????

Wanted for summer school, black preferably (but tan ok) New Yorkers size 6 or 7. Reasonable condition please. Please message if you have any for sale. Thanks.

I recall an EYB 'care for your pointe shoes' session where it was suggested that garden wood preservative products which had particular strength against wet rot were perfect for this purpose. A Ronseal product was mentioned but I am not sure of its name (maybe it's what it says on the tin.?!) The power of advertising!

I will ask my Dd also - I am aware of someone in yr 10 heading to the south coast which may require travel through London. I'm surprised that school will not help with the info but if your Dd doesn't feel able to ask the older students herself, perhaps there is an older student she is comfortable with who will point her in the right direction?

Suggest you have a word with the boarding staff to ask which other students make this journey if your Dd does not know the older ones. My Dd, currently in yr 10 has travelled back to the south west with a number of others - it does vary who takes the train each time, depending on personal commitments, parents evenings etc.

Staff are also great at booking medical appointments at the surgery if needed. The only downside we have found is that on a couple of occasions when Dd has been too unwell to attend school, there have been no 'spare' matrons to wait at the boarding house with her whilst the duty matron has to go to school to escort the children back on the bus at the end of the school day. This has meant she has had to go to school in a taxi, dragging her out when poorly and for which we get a taxi bill!