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Hammond Lower School Auditions for 2020

Izzy_Ballet

By Izzy_Ballet
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Tutusrus

Tutusrus

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Flower said:

They also said that oygroip was so good they’ve invited almost the all of them back!! So it will be stiff competitions for those MDA 😬

They invited 52 back to the MDS audition last year for a handful of MDS awards at a cost of £160 per child auditioning 

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Peanut68

Peanut68

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Posted

Call me a cynic but any school charging £160 a pop to attend a second audition (surely not right????) to be considered for a funded place surely could say ‘all really talented - all come back’ and then the unsaid ‘we’ll make a lot of money to only award funding to the minority’ A nice little earner!

MDS is government money; I do not think there should be a cost associated with seeking what is in effect a means tested benefit.

Most schools do also have some other independent funding they control... but even for this it is a strange irony that if you require funding, you have to pay a significant (non refundable?) sum up front to be considered for it....I’d suggest surely these are exactly the families who cannot afford to potentially ‘give away’ £160 or similar!

This does seem quite common in academic private school sector however.... heard of a school where to be considered for a scholarship there is a fee of £125.... bonkers. There surely should be no costs to seek any scholarships/bursaries /government funding award for any institution... surely the costs can be borne? And a way of ticking those boxes to prove they are being inclusive/diverse etc etc.

Maybe be more demanding of information/higher entry eligibility tests or be more ‘selective’ in first round auditions to limit numbers invited back to reduce those costs? 

No direct knowledge of the £160 fee mentioned for the Hammond funding audition but I would certainly check & challenge it re: what it is for, is it a ‘registration fee’ to confirm accepting a place should funding be awarded or if you will accept a place without any funding? Is it refundable should a place (either funded - we all know some lucky & talented pupils may have multiple schools offering places) be declined? 

I understand a school seeking a level of ‘commitment’ (we do also all know of those who still attend a funding audition for s school despite having already decided to accept an offer from their first choice school....parents bragging rights to say ‘well of course my little darling had scholarship offers from x/y/z’. ) But of course with dates all so close it can be necessary to attend ‘all the recalls’ to make an informed decision....there are lots of points; how affordable a place I’d even after MDS or bursary contributions taken into account? Looking at additional costs such as travel? Looking at geographic location? Is boarding an option or something suitable for pupil/family? A closer school may be chosen over one further away for all sorts of reasons for instance. Is it the ‘right fit’?) 

If a kid had 4 funding audition invites & each cost £160 that would be £640!!! (plus let’s face it often high travel & even hotel & associated costs, parent maybe having to take a day holiday/foregoing earning those days, kids missing regular schooling each time).

So ask questions & clarify every detail! 

A deposit for a place should be refundable - usually during last term at school fees. Most private schools will however have some sort of upfront non refundable admin (often called registration fee) fee.... in my knowledge this is usually between £100-500. Academic schools very often allow families to pay this up to 2 years even before sitting evtrance exams! It shows a families desire for little darling to attend their hallowed institution.... it’s almost another one of those points which confirm the class structure IMHO sadly. 

But it would be nice to think Dance schools do not fall into this & should not wish to (or be allowed to) penalise due to ability to pay which could prevent an invitee from attending a class whereby funding could be gained - esp. if this is means tested government funding!!! 

If this is indeed happening in any of the dance schools it makes me Q ‘Where is the auditing I wonder?’ 

 

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Peanut68

Peanut68

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Posted (edited)

Surely - unless accepting a place regardless of wether offered any funding or not (I hate to hear of people remortgaging houses or grandparents cashing in pensions to pay - but it does happen...) then that registration fee is not payable before attending audition? Is the letter inviting to funding audition also a guaranteed offer of a place to join school if one can fund another way? Imagine if there are up to the mentioned 52 at a lower school funding audition day & they all accepted places with or without funding? I doubt the lower school across the year groups could take in such a large new cohort yet if they’ve taken your money by way of a non refundable registration fee then my layman understanding would be that they have entered into a contract with the payer. 
So if this Registration fee is requested upfront then I personally would want very clear written explanation of what it is & the refund status. 
I am sure all can be resolved....

To my knowledge there are no additional charges for attending funding auditions elsewhere....

(there may occasionally be requests for  separate medical/physio assessments/certificates of fitness etc which could incur a private practitioner charge or letter fee - but that I would expect would be payable to practitioner not a school)

Good luck to all.... this admin stuff is the added irritation we parents have to put up with sadly!

Hope all get happy training & schooling outcomes long term!

Edited by Peanut68
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Farawaydancer

Farawaydancer

Posted
Posted
6 hours ago, Peanut68 said:

Surely - unless accepting a place regardless of wether offered any funding or not (I hate to hear of people remortgaging houses or grandparents cashing in pensions to pay - but it does happen...) then that registration fee is not payable before attending audition? Is the letter inviting to funding audition also a guaranteed offer of a place to join school if one can fund another way? Imagine if there are up to the mentioned 52 at a lower school funding audition day & they all accepted places with or without funding? I doubt the lower school across the year groups could take in such a large new cohort yet if they’ve taken your money by way of a non refundable registration fee then my layman understanding would be that they have entered into a contract with the payer. 
So if this Registration fee is requested upfront then I personally would want very clear written explanation of what it is & the refund status. 
I am sure all can be resolved....

To my knowledge there are no additional charges for attending funding auditions elsewhere....

(there may occasionally be requests for  separate medical/physio assessments/certificates of fitness etc which could incur a private practitioner charge or letter fee - but that I would expect would be payable to practitioner not a school)

Good luck to all.... this admin stuff is the added irritation we parents have to put up with sadly!

Hope all get happy training & schooling outcomes long term!


Yes, theoretically, everyone who is successful is offered a definite place after the first round of auditions and so they could end up with 52, or however many, all taking up their places, regardless of success at the mds funding audition. Tring does it the same way, but I’m not sure about their deposit system, because they don’t invite everyone back to funding finals. 

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SissonneDoublee

SissonneDoublee

Posted
Posted
11 hours ago, Millicent said:

I wonder if that applies to RBS? I assume not?

RBS and Elmhurst are able to offer funding to all eligible students, so a different set of circumstances. Finals are linked to the availability of places at the school, not funding. They see around 60 girls (more like 40 at Elmhurst) to allocate the 12-15 or so places that they have. They only offer the places that are available, and operate a reserve list (WL and sometimes Elmhurst) or reopen for an additional round of auditions (Elmhurst) to ensure places are filled in September when school starts.

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Tutusrus

Tutusrus

Posted
Posted
On 05/02/2020 at 08:45, Peanut68 said:

Call me a cynic but any school charging £160 a pop to attend a second audition (surely not right????) to be considered for a funded place surely could say ‘all really talented - all come back’ and then the unsaid ‘we’ll make a lot of money to only award funding to the minority’ A nice little earner!

MDS is government money; I do not think there should be a cost associated with seeking what is in effect a means tested benefit.

Most schools do also have some other independent funding they control... but even for this it is a strange irony that if you require funding, you have to pay a significant (non refundable?) sum up front to be considered for it....I’d suggest surely these are exactly the families who cannot afford to potentially ‘give away’ £160 or similar!

This does seem quite common in academic private school sector however.... heard of a school where to be considered for a scholarship there is a fee of £125.... bonkers. There surely should be no costs to seek any scholarships/bursaries /government funding award for any institution... surely the costs can be borne? And a way of ticking those boxes to prove they are being inclusive/diverse etc etc.

Maybe be more demanding of information/higher entry eligibility tests or be more ‘selective’ in first round auditions to limit numbers invited back to reduce those costs? 

No direct knowledge of the £160 fee mentioned for the Hammond funding audition but I would certainly check & challenge it re: what it is for, is it a ‘registration fee’ to confirm accepting a place should funding be awarded or if you will accept a place without any funding? Is it refundable should a place (either funded - we all know some lucky & talented pupils may have multiple schools offering places) be declined? 

I understand a school seeking a level of ‘commitment’ (we do also all know of those who still attend a funding audition for s school despite having already decided to accept an offer from their first choice school....parents bragging rights to say ‘well of course my little darling had scholarship offers from x/y/z’. ) But of course with dates all so close it can be necessary to attend ‘all the recalls’ to make an informed decision....there are lots of points; how affordable a place I’d even after MDS or bursary contributions taken into account? Looking at additional costs such as travel? Looking at geographic location? Is boarding an option or something suitable for pupil/family? A closer school may be chosen over one further away for all sorts of reasons for instance. Is it the ‘right fit’?) 

If a kid had 4 funding audition invites & each cost £160 that would be £640!!! (plus let’s face it often high travel & even hotel & associated costs, parent maybe having to take a day holiday/foregoing earning those days, kids missing regular schooling each time).

So ask questions & clarify every detail! 

A deposit for a place should be refundable - usually during last term at school fees. Most private schools will however have some sort of upfront non refundable admin (often called registration fee) fee.... in my knowledge this is usually between £100-500. Academic schools very often allow families to pay this up to 2 years even before sitting evtrance exams! It shows a families desire for little darling to attend their hallowed institution.... it’s almost another one of those points which confirm the class structure IMHO sadly. 

But it would be nice to think Dance schools do not fall into this & should not wish to (or be allowed to) penalise due to ability to pay which could prevent an invitee from attending a class whereby funding could be gained - esp. if this is means tested government funding!!! 

If this is indeed happening in any of the dance schools it makes me Q ‘Where is the auditing I wonder?’ 

 

You def have to pay it to be able to attend the funding audition and it isn’t refunded if you can not attend due to not getting an MDS. Been there and got

the t-shirt 😞

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Peanut68

Peanut68

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Posted

That’s an awful big sum to just ‘give away’ especially as if no award means DC can’t go. I would personally challenge (even retrospectively) as a breaking of contract. Your registration fee in good faith to join only upon tevivbinv a funding award.... I would obviously counter that with a Q as to wether any box was ticked to say should funding not be received would you still be able to take place (I recall some institution forms ask this.... you do get some who as I said before will sell homes/family silver to go...) If then & still decide to not go then it could be argued the family have broken contract. This amount & type of charge should not be slllowed ‘just because it’s what private schools do’. Most are choosing this school for the chance to develop a talent not just a schooling choice. 

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Peanut68

Peanut68

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Flower said:

Has anyone phoned the school to clarify this? I thought it was send back the MDS audition form to get a place in that session. Then send back the other form - with the money - to register for a place at the school 🤔

So maybe it’s return one form only with no to get funding audition. But if prepared to find other way to pay then return other with the money to ensure your place otherwise if wait til after guess one could find all places taken by funded plus those who already returned form & registration fee? Either way, talk to schools finance teams as they all have to be transparent in all charges etc 

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Penguinboysmum

Penguinboysmum

Posted
Posted

I queried it last year as DH had just been made redundant and we didn't have the money to pay by the due date and could only send if MDS funding was received. It was confirmed it was non-refundable regardless of outcome of audition and we had to remove DS from the MDS audition list. Thankfully a guardian angel of a friend insisted on helping us so DS attended and was successful in gaining MDS funding. I am eternally grateful to that friend! 

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