private boarding in chester for hammond

[famcandance2]

Hi

 

If anyone on the forum has privately boarded children for the Hammond school or knows of someone who has, could you please pm me ASAP. I am looking for a private boarding place for my dd who would attend the Hammond school. If anyone can help I would be grateful.

 

Thanks

[Pups_mum]

No personal experience sorry, but have you tried contacting the Children's services dept at the relevant county council (Cheshire I presume)? They might have knowledge of this kind of thing.

Good luck. I hope you're able to find somewhere suitable.

[tutugirl]

I have some pupils at The hammond, apparently there are spare beds in the girls boarding house this term , 2 girls from year 10 didnt show up !! I would ring the school quickly x

[Jellybeans]

Do people REALLY just not turn up to take their places at vocational schools?

 

Famcandance, I do hope that your dd can take advantage of this!!

 

Edited for typo.

Edited September 8, 2012 by Jellybeans

[Tulip]

I must admit I have never heard of students just not appearing. It is shocking as there are other student who would snap them places up who are on the waiting list. Still they must perhaps have their reasons that only the school know about perhaps. Didn't one of the teachers at the Hammond rent out rooms in her own house, I think she did it for the 6th formers.

[famcandance2]

Thanks everyone. I have emailed the school post haste. I know the ex-cook used to board pupils but she is unwell so doesn't anymore. Don't know about any teachers. A name would be helpful. Thanks again.

[amber21]

Thanks everyone. I have emailed the school post haste. I know the ex-cook used to board pupils but she is unwell so doesn't anymore. Don't know about any teachers. A name would be helpful. Thanks again.

Hi I am sorry to hear of your daughters plight. I am aware that independant schools do tend to use guardianship agencies.for some of their boarders who maybe from another country. I will pm you.

Ax

Edited September 10, 2012 by amber21

[Tulip]

I think it was the history teacher, she is tall with blond hair in her 50's I think, can't remember her name sorry.

[drdance]

Yes my colleague and friend is the daughter of the history teacher at Hammond and I remember her mentioning something about having kids at theirs but I'm not 100% sure. If you're still looking let me know and I can put the feelers out!

[famcandance2]

Definitely still interested. Would you please find out if she is still doing this and if she would be willing to take a boarder and how much it would cost? Thank you so much for your help.

[Jellybeans]

famcandance, do you think it might be better for you to ask this question of the school yourself as, presumably, they will have knowledge of staff offering boarding or if there is currently space in the boarding house? Perhaps the more they hear from you directly the more they will realise how serious you and our dd are about taking up the place?

 

Another thought is have you talked to the school about deferring the place until next year when they can factor your dd into the numbers for boarding before the houses fill up? It isn't so long until auditions for next year start anyway so they will be offering places for next year soon enough!

 

Having said that, I do perhaps agree that you should be thinking about setting a time limit on your endeavours as it will possibly be easier for our daughter to settle when she knows where she will be longer term!

[Anna C]

Asking for the place to be deferred is a great idea, but is that possible on a dance course? Surely so much could have changed in a year, physique-wise?

[Jellybeans]

That's true, spanner, but I think that famcandance's dd was offered the place while at summer school (sorry if this is wrong) so it isn't much different time wise to the first round of auditions this term. I guess that another option would just be to audition along with everyone else this term and hope that that results in the offer of a place for next year!

[famcandance2]

Unfortunately she would not be able to defer for a year. Hammond don't do this, you have to apply every year. Also she would be going into her GCSE year whilst only having done 3 years of secondary school in Scotland. She would also not have the right subjects.

[JulieW]

I'm going to be brutally frank and say that it seems to me that if you want some good dance training and you can't get her a funded place in a vocational school, you've got two choices - travel long distances (for good dance school or associate programme or DSoS), or move house.

 

I know families from Scotland who have done both. Travelling to London by plane or train to RBS associates for example - I think they managed to get most travel paid for by sponsors.

 

Sadly if your can't do either of these options perhaps you'll have to reconsider dance as a future career path for her. I'm sorry if this sounds a bit black and white but sometimes we can't do what we want in life due to circumstances.

 

As we've discussed before, lots of children go on to get into upper schools/colleges at 16 without going to full-time vocational schools, but they do need to have good teaching to keep up.

 

I hope you can find a way to get her the training she needs/wants, but you have some tough decisions to make as a family about whether you invest the time and money needed to get it. I'm sure I'm not saying anything you haven't already considered.

 

Good luck.

 

(I hope this all makes sense - writing on my phone can be an issue!)

 

Edited to say , whoops - meant to put this in your other thread ' Help for an unhappy girl' - can't change it from my phone