Tring Park sixth form auditions

[Danceroo]

Hi, I wonder if anyone could answer a few questions for me please. I have searched the old threads but haven’t found what I was looking for. My dd is interested in auditioning for the dance course and is currently in year  11. 

She is pretty academic and we want her to do 3 A levels alongside- is this actually doable? I find it hard to comprehend how you can give 100 % to either area, there are only so many hours in one day. 

We live within driving distance but it would be complicated to get her there. Do you think boarders settle in more than day girls, would they feel excluded? If you are a boarder are you able to come out during the week to attend other classes elsewhere as long as you are back at a certain time? 

Are there lots of new starters in the 6th form or do the majority come up from the lower school. 

From the website it says the audition dates should be published in September but I can’t seem to find them. 

Lastly I have looked at the funding information. Am I correct in thinking that Tring can offer a 10% scholarship plus a further bursary which is no longer means tested if your income is over £90k. 

Sorry for all the questions. 

Thanks 

[tutugirl]

Hi there

My DS was at Tring .

He took 3 A levels but found it too much and dropped to 2 .

His friend , however , took 3 A levels and got  high enough grades to get into medical school .

 

A pupil of mine has just completed her first year .

There is a mix of new pupils and those who have come up through the school .

 

i don’t know much about fees as my DS and my pupil both had MDS

 

Its normally DADA I think .

I imagine outside lessons would be permitted , but shouldn’t really be necessary .

 

PM me if you like

tutugirl 

[Harwel]

Doing 3 A’levels is doable for the very academic and equally gifted dancer - they would have to be incredibly focused and determined.  

 

Most dancers at Tring do 2 A’levels as it is important to get enough time in the studio.  In the year that have just completed their A’levels there were some fantastic results from the dancers.  I think it is harder for the dancers to get 3 A’levels than the MT or drama students just because the dance timetable is so demanding.  One student has just left the school after A’levels as realised they wanted to follow an academic career, but as they only did 2 A’levels is going to do an intensive year to get the 3rd A’level to get into university. 

 

I really cant answer the question re boarding/not boarding.  It would all depend on the personalities in the year group as to whether someone felt excluded or not, boarding can be tough and there is a camaraderie in that. In my DC year there is a day pupil and as far as I know mixes well with the boarders.  

 

As far as extra classes outside of school,  I think this would be madness - weekends perhaps but not during the week.  The timetable is incredibly busy and bodies and brains need some downtime.  Although at Tring there really isn’t much downtime, the first term is probably the easiest but it ramps up pretty quickly with rehearsals, choreo shows, cups, show rehearsals and assessments. 

 

The school had a glitch in their DaDa funding which effects them for 3 years - this will be the last year of that 3 year cycle (I presume they will reapply this year). In replacement of that they implemented a bursary scheme similar to that which they offer the MT and drama students.  They will and do offer funding help for the students they want, the amounts vary.  There is no upper financial

limit as in the DaDa funding.  

 

In the present 3rd year upper school only 2 students are left that came from lower school. 

 

Hope this helps

[balletbean]

16 hours ago, Danceroo said:

Hi, I wonder if anyone could answer a few questions for me please. I have searched the old threads but haven’t found what I was looking for. My dd is interested in auditioning for the dance course and is currently in year  11. 

She is pretty academic and we want her to do 3 A levels alongside- is this actually doable? I find it hard to comprehend how you can give 100 % to either area, there are only so many hours in one day. 

We live within driving distance but it would be complicated to get her there. Do you think boarders settle in more than day girls, would they feel excluded? If you are a boarder are you able to come out during the week to attend other classes elsewhere as long as you are back at a certain time? 

Are there lots of new starters in the 6th form or do the majority come up from the lower school. 

From the website it says the audition dates should be published in September but I can’t seem to find them. 

Lastly I have looked at the funding information. Am I correct in thinking that Tring can offer a 10% scholarship plus a further bursary which is no longer means tested if your income is over £90k. 

Sorry for all the questions. 

Thanks 

Hi. I know of two 16yr olds that have just started at Tring. Both boarders. One is there for 6th Form (A Levels) and MT Foundation course. Another is there for the 3yr classical Diploma + A Levels. Both were offered 50% scholarship. However, without being too personal and asking the parents directly I’m not sure if the 50% was for fees only and the families still had to cover the full costs of Boarding or whether the scholarship was towards the full all inclusive costs. Many Vocational schools do bury their fees well inside their websites. Probably trying not to put parents off! Whilst not wanting to dampen any teeenagers dream the harsh reality of life (££££’s) doesn’t help the old blood pressure (and bank account) for the parents. 😩

[Bluebird22]

Parent of one of my students rang this week and was told £40000 per year with the possibility of a 10% deduction from the school scholarship? I rang this morning and could get no specific amount from them but there was no mention of DaDa funding. 

[Pas de Quatre]

Tring don't have any DaDa funding at present. see Harwell's reply above.  Even though signed up for the 3 year classical course, quite a few do leave after A-levels to do a dance degree elsewhere or an Academic degree.   

[Bluebird22]

Yes I had read Harwels reply before I called them. I suppose there is no guarantee they will end up with DaDa funding in the future so until it is guaranteed there is no point mentioning it to prospective pupils? Who knows the whole funding thing is a nightmare.

 

As with a few schools myself and my students parent have spoken to the information given seems to vary based on who answers the phone, and the position of the person calling. I managed to get far more details regarding the application process than the parent, specifically the photo requirements. 

[balletbean]

1 hour ago, Bluebird22 said:

Parent of one of my students rang this week and was told £40000 per year with the possibility of a 10% deduction from the school scholarship? I rang this morning and could get no specific amount from them but there was no mention of DaDa funding. 

From their own website the fees incl Boarding are £34,000pa. 

[Ellie]

I know that this has been mentioned before and although the discussion didn't involve 'A Levels' and as such not entirely relevant to this particular thread, looking at the eye watering fees which are probably out of the reach of many, I'd quietly remind parents of DC's that there are excellent schools in Europe (I'm talking classical and contemp - can't comment about MT) which if you feel are suited to your child are well worth looking at.

[Harwel]

2 hours ago, Pas de Quatre said:

Even though signed up for the 3 year classical course, quite a few do leave after A-levels to do a dance degree elsewhere or an Academic degree.   

 

Yep, there is a little bit of everything going on.  Some leave to go into academic courses, some go to get further dance training elsewhere,  some get dance jobs after 2 years and some go into dance work after 3 years. Yet others go on to do something else entirely. Certainly not one size fits all. 

[Harwel]

Indeed @Elliethe fees are eye watering - well beyond our reach without an MDS and the training in Europe is fantastic.  My DC auditioned abroad at 15 but was utterly freaked out by the prospect of living in a foreign country - I was quite amazed by his reaction as I trained abroad and thought it was as a huge adventure - he quite clearly did not share my view!! Horses for courses. 

[Ellie]

27 minutes ago, Harwel said:

Indeed @Elliethe fees are eye watering - well beyond our reach without an MDS and the training in Europe is fantastic.  My DC auditioned abroad at 15 but was utterly freaked out by the prospect of living in a foreign country - I was quite amazed by his reaction as I trained abroad and thought it was as a huge adventure - he quite clearly did not share my view!! Horses for courses. 

Of course (Horses for courses) I just thought that it was important for the parents of dancing Dc's to know that, if suitable, there exist quite a few excellent options beyond the Uk which may be worth looking into. X

[Danceroo]

Thank you for all your replies. It’s wonderful to get some inside knowledge. Tring is particularly attractive as it fairly local to us and our dd equally wants to do A levels at this stage. I agree that the fees are eye watering, , much higher than most good private academic schools in Hertfordshire! 

[Piepie]

Hi, I'm also looking at Tring for DD next year.  She only wants to apply there as she sees it as the only place where she may be able to get A-levels and she has decided that that is important to her too.  I don't think we can afford the fees to board, but we are just a bit too far to drive every day.  Has anyone ever found any other option like boarding in the town with anyone, or even living on their own in a flat? I think that would take fees to around the £20k mark which is at least less than I earn (though only just)! 

[tutugirl]

My DS had a small flat in grad year at Tring 

There are also home stays available .

I don’t know how to go about it but maybe school can help you 

tutugirl 

[Piepie]

Thank you, I will try to get in touch with school.  I know at other schools they are expected to be reasonably independent at sixth form.  Plus she spends most of her time on her own in her room anyway!! xx

 

[Karen]

17 hours ago, Piepie said:

think

 

17 hours ago, Piepie said:

Hi, I'm also looking at Tring for DD next year.  She only wants to apply there as she sees it as the only place where she may be able to get A-levels and she has decided that that is important to her too.  I don't think we can afford the fees to board, but we are just a bit too far to drive every day.  Has anyone ever found any other option like boarding in the town with anyone, or even living on their own in a flat? I think that would take fees to around the £20k mark which is at least less than I earn (though only just)! 

If your daughter is interested in looking at alternatives, it’s possible to do 2 A levels at The Hammond and they are timetabled well to fit alongside dance classes within the daytime curriculum. DaDa funding is available too, so if that is secured, costs are for the parental contribution to DaDa and accommodation (host family for at least one year if U18) which, for middle income families is much less than £20k per annum.

[Picturesinthefirelight]

5 hours ago, Karen said:

 

If your daughter is interested in looking at alternatives, it’s possible to do 2 A levels at The Hammond and they are timetabled well to fit alongside dance classes within the daytime curriculum. DaDa funding is available too, so if that is secured, costs are for the parental contribution to DaDa and accommodation (host family for at least one year if U18) which, for middle income families is much less than £20k per annum.

 

Even not accounting for a DaDA the fees at Hammond £6050 per term are considerably lower than those at Tring £7885 per term. However the choice of A level subjects are slightly more limited from what I gather. 

 

Accommodation costs vary. At Tring boarding appears to be just over the £4,000 mark which is about £300 less than what I’m currently paying for homestay. 

 

We were very impressed by Abbott’s Bromley but their scholarship offers were not as generous & at over £9,700 per term including boarding even with the scholarship Dd was offered it was not viable for us (& as my dh currently isn’t working I’m so glad we didn’t attempt to stretch ourselves). 

[Anna C]

On 15/09/2018 at 08:21, Piepie said:

Thank you, I will try to get in touch with school.  I know at other schools they are expected to be reasonably independent at sixth form.  Plus she spends most of her time on her own in her room anyway!! xx

 

 

Is she 16, Piepie?  I'm just wondering because there's a big difference between being alone in a room at home (or with a host family) and living alone in a flat, under 18.  I know it's common for grad year students to live independently with others but by that time they have been away for two years.   

 

While my daughter was at full-time training, even the first years (spread out in properties around town) had to do their own food shopping, cooking, cleaning and laundry.   After a long day dancing and studying, it's very hard for many 16 yr olds to muster up the energy to cook and eat a proper meal, even in a shared flat.   If I could go back in time, I would only have let dd board or be in a catered homestay environment, especially at 16.  

It's one thing to spend time alone in your room at 16 when you know you're safe and someone else is responsible for bills, emergencies, cleaning and cooking; quite another to be in charge of everything as well as training all day! ☺️

[balletbean]

On 18/09/2018 at 17:15, Anna C said:

 

While my daughter was at full-time training, even the first years (spread out in properties around town) had to do their own food shopping, cooking, cleaning and laundry.   After a long day dancing and studying, it's very hard for many 16 yr olds to muster up the energy to cook and eat a proper meal, even in a shared flat.   If I could go back in time, I would only have let dd board or be in a catered homestay environment, especially at 16.  

It's one thing to spend time alone in your room at 16 when you know you're safe and someone else is responsible for bills, emergencies, cleaning and cooking; quite another to be in charge of everything as well as training all day! ☺️

I totally understand where you are coming from. That part did scare me slightly, this time last year when my DD was completing the application forms. 

Whilst NBS do not offer A levels, they do offer accommodation (Uni Halls) literally around the corner from the school. 6 minute walk to be precise. It does mean that the pupils are living independently from just 16yrs old but there is 24hr on-call staff, cleaners, inclusive of fees and free wifi in a purpose built block. Up to 5 pupils per flat. each with their own ensuite shower room and shared kitchen/living room. So far so good. The block may well be for the University students but the pupils from NBS have certainly been treated like Princesses by all the "Unite" staff that run the property.  Nothing has ever been too much effort for them. The girls have already discovered the joys of shopping with Amazon Pantry for many goods and have plenty of stores in and around the area for fresh food. The staff even txt the pupils to let them know that they have a parcel. There are a few vocational schools in London that it is quite the norm for their pupils to take a 45 minute commute across London daily between the school and the accommodation block. Which is challenging both mentally and physically after such long days in the studio. I understand that there are many that cope with this set up but it's not for everyone. A very personal choice between parent and their teenager to know what is right for them. 

 

It was rather a challenge when completing the research for vocational training as there doesn't appear to be a like for like comparison between the vocational schools as they all appear to offer something slightly different. It really is such a personal choice what works for the individual. 

[Peanut68]

Is  NBS Leeds or Manchester? Sorry to be so uninformed! 

[Jan McNulty]

1 hour ago, Peanut68 said:

Is  NBS Leeds or Manchester? Sorry to be so uninformed! 

 

I assume it is Northern Ballet School in Manchester.

 

Northern Ballet Academy's CAT scheme in Leeds only covers "lower school" ages and is non-residential.

[Anna C]

3 hours ago, balletbean said:

I totally understand where you are coming from. That part did scare me slightly, this time last year when my DD was completing the application forms. 

Whilst NBS do not offer A levels, they do offer accommodation (Uni Halls) literally around the corner from the school. 6 minute walk to be precise. It does mean that the pupils are living independently from just 16yrs old but there is 24hr on-call staff, cleaners, inclusive of fees and free wifi in a purpose built block. Up to 5 pupils per flat. each with their own ensuite shower room and shared kitchen/living room. So far so good. The block may well be for the University students but the pupils from NBS have certainly been treated like Princesses by all the "Unite" staff that run the property.  Nothing has ever been too much effort for them. The girls have already discovered the joys of shopping with Amazon Pantry for many goods and have plenty of stores in and around the area for fresh food. The staff even txt the pupils to let them know that they have a parcel. There are a few vocational schools in London that it is quite the norm for their pupils to take a 45 minute commute across London daily between the school and the accommodation block. Which is challenging both mentally and physically after such long days in the studio. I understand that there are many that cope with this set up but it's not for everyone. A very personal choice between parent and their teenager to know what is right for them. 

 

It was rather a challenge when completing the research for vocational training as there doesn't appear to be a like for like comparison between the vocational schools as they all appear to offer something slightly different. It really is such a personal choice what works for the individual. 

 

That's brilliant, balletbean - it sounds ideal. ☺️ I think RCS students have similar accommodation.   I also liked Elmhurst's accommodation for 6th formers; a short walk to school and purpose-built accommodation all in one block.  

 

I think the key is to find out exactly what and where the accommodation is going to be before committing; is there a responsible adult onsite, is the property secure, what's the procedure for emergencies and so on.   Some degree of independence for 16 year olds is fine and good practice for after graduation - fortunately many upper schools find the balance between encouraging independence and remembering that 16 and 17 year olds are still children, to all intents and purposes.  Not all of them do, though. 

[balletagogo]

Hi,my daughter successfully auditioned for 6th form Musical Theatre. 

She was invited to a scholarship audition and was offered a very small amount.

The amounts I heard of were 10%,20%,50% and a full. 

She was on a waiting list for boarding and under 18 had to be with a host family or board, it wasn't the school for her as we felt too academic, I do believe that they have stopped doing  BTEC ,possibly doing UAL instead? 

[Anna C]

Hello balletagogo and welcome to the forum.  Congratulations to your daughter on her offer!

 

Yes, Tring does have a very good academic record.  As far as I know though, it's not compulsory to take 3 (or even 2) A levels, is it? They do offer a qualification in Dance and also Drama and Theatre studies; the latter being useful for Musical Theatre.  Last year they definitely offered a BTEC rather than an A Level as it's in the 2018 exam results.

 

I think it all depends upon what your daughter's next steps might be, post 6th form?  Some 18+ schools like London Studio Centre ask for 2 A Levels or equivalent.  Many MT courses at places like Millenium, Arts Ed and so on are Level 6 Diplomas or Degrees and it can be a big leap academically to go from studying at GCSE level straight to a degree or diploma course.  So I wouldn't rule out the usefulness of 6th form qualifications. 

[Picturesinthefirelight]

Quite a few non vocational schools and colleges have started to offer the UAL diploma instead of the btec as well.  I think its more to do with Pearson's admin and changes in the spec.  The UAL diploma is accredited in the same way however and accrues the same UCAS points.

 

For us personally I am glad that dd is with a host family.  She sorts out her own packed lunch each day, shopping if necessary but I think sorting out evening meals and bills etc would be too much.  The other girl she shares with who is a second year said that she buys her lunch at school even as she is just too tired in the evening to sort it and what with early morning ballet at 8am and late modern ending at 7pm they are exhausted.

 

 

[Happymum]

I think that on Tring website it says that DaDa is available again. 

My question is - does it partially cover only school fees and definitely not boarding? The fees for boarding pupils are shown as one and it is just possible to guess the cost of boarding looking at the day pupil fees. Around £4200 ish for 1 term! Does it mean that I’ll definitely need to pay almost £13000 per year just for boarding plus part of the school fees (depending on my income). Our income is above £33000 so no chance for help with living costs.  

DC wants to do A levels so it’s just Elmhurst and Tring really (if she’s lucky to get any offers) but I wonder if we should apply at all to Tring. Also, it says on their website that they can take the award from you if they aren’t pleased with your progress, assessment results etc. Is it really possible during 2 years of A-level? I thought you can’t change schools during this 2 years. 

[Danceintherain]

On 12/09/2018 at 19:50, Danceroo said:

From the website it says the audition dates should be published in September but I can’t seem to find them.

Hi Danceroo.  The audition dates are here - https://www.tringpark.com/applying/audition-dates

[meadowblythe]

We worked out it would actually be cheaper for us for DS to take a degree ballet course at 16, and then if the ballet didn't work out to take a second degree via distance learning (or even at a local university part time), rather than going the Tring/Elmhurst route.

[Danceintherain]

Tring is also on my DDs list, but I'm concerned about the cost.  Does anyone know when the Dada list gets updated for the September 2020 entry?  I think until I see Tring on that list, it needs be off our's.

[Picturesinthefirelight]

Also, it says on their website that they can take the award from you if they aren’t pleased with your progress, assessment results etc. Is it really possible during 2 years of A-level?

 

DaDa funding is specifically for those enrolled on the Trinity diploma which is classed as a full time course even if it is possible at places like Tring, Hammond and Elmhurst to do A levels alongside.  You have to pass each year in order to progress to the next year.  In order to be eligible for the funding in the first place schools ahve to show they are awarding it to those who have mopst potential to suceed. This isn't specific to vocational schools.  If you are at a normal school or 6th form studing say a Btec in dance plus 2 A levels but don't pass the first year then you could also be asked to leave.

Edited September 25, 2019 by Picturesinthefirelight

[Picturesinthefirelight]

10 minutes ago, Danceintherain said:

Tring is also on my DDs list, but I'm concerned about the cost.  Does anyone know when the Dada list gets updated for the September 2020 entry?  I think until I see Tring on that list, it needs be off our's.

 

I think it is usually updated about February/March time which is when the schools are told exactly what their allocation for the year is.

[Happymum]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I think I’ll just email them with my estimate income and ask how much would I need to pay if DC was lucky to receive DaDa. My child is determined (at the moment!) and wants to start A levels next year, not in 3 years time. Maybe it’s a sign she should follow an academic route? Or just that she doesn’t know how hard it will be dancing in upper school plus A levels...