Vocational schools yesses and no's

[Lifeafterballet]

20 minutes ago, Lara Eschler said:

I think the other two might be more about body type and facility as especially for boys you hear of children getting places with very little previous dance training or from a gymnastics background. I think I have made a decision and it isn't for any of the schools listed above but I think it is the best fir for my ds. 

Ds started ballet at 12, only ballet. He attended two local classes a week and one at Elmhurst and then RBS SAs on a Saturday. He got nos for RBS and Elmhurst and was offered Tring but with no funding at 16. The AD commented on his height. He was petite for his age. He started his A levels and re auditioned for just Elmhurst at 17 and got a yes. Going from local classes to full time vocational was tough, he was broken a lot in 6:1. But he found an inspirational teacher and the rest is history. I’m so pleased that he had a normal local lower school experience. Unlike his vocational sister. I feel this has really helped. What I’m trying to say is that there is no rush. In hindsight I would have kept both of mine at home for lower school and spent the money on accessing associate classes and intensives. Then tried at 16/17. It’s a level playing field then. I wouldn’t worry about competing with children who have endured LS training for 5 years, my personal experience is that the light and passion fades 😔 Dd said recently that what she wanted aged 11 isn’t what the 16 or 20 year old her wants. 

[Pixiewoo]

7 minutes ago, cotes du rhone ! said:

 Dd said recently that what she wanted aged 11 isn’t what the 16 or 20 year old her wants. 

 

My DD isn't/ hasn't auditioned but this struck a chord with me.  At 11 DD only did ballet because she had to,  in order attend other ballet based classes at her dance school, but she wasn't bothered about it! And now at 16, although she won't be heading down the classical route, she loves ballet! 

[ponklemum]

3 minutes ago, cotes du rhone ! said:

Ds started ballet at 12, only ballet. He attended two local classes a week and one at Elmhurst and then RBS SAs on a Saturday. He got nos for RBS and Elmhurst and was offered Tring but with no funding at 16. The AD commented on his height. He was petite for his age. He started his A levels and re auditioned for just Elmhurst at 17 and got a yes. Going from local classes to full time vocational was tough, he was broken a lot in 6:1. But he found an inspirational teacher and the rest is history. I’m so pleased that he had a normal local lower school experience. Unlike his vocational sister. I feel this has really helped. What I’m trying to say is that there is no rush. In hindsight I would have kept both of mine at home for lower school and spent the money on accessing associate classes and intensives. Then tried at 16/17. It’s a level playing field then. I wouldn’t worry about competing with children who have endured LS training for 5 years, my personal experience is that the light and passion fades 😔 Dd said recently that what she wanted aged 11 isn’t what the 16 or 20 year old her wants. 

Thank you for this. I was unable to accept places for my dd for years 7 and 8 so she goes to the local high school. I’ve learned over the last year that many roads lead to Rome and that looking back, so, she didn’t get to go, it’s not a big deal any more.  She’s getting good training at home and even more so with the zoom training available. Xx

[Ljmk]

3 hours ago, Pixiewoo said:

 

My DD isn't/ hasn't auditioned but this struck a chord with me.  At 11 DD only did ballet because she had to,  in order attend other ballet based classes at her dance school, but she wasn't bothered about it! And now at 16, although she won't be heading down the classical route, she loves ballet! 

Like my daughter. She took up Ballet to help with her figure skating and now loves Ballet and dance

[BalletBoyMumma]

3 hours ago, cotes du rhone ! said:

Ds started ballet at 12, only ballet. He attended two local classes a week and one at Elmhurst and then RBS SAs on a Saturday. He got nos for RBS and Elmhurst and was offered Tring but with no funding at 16. The AD commented on his height. He was petite for his age. He started his A levels and re auditioned for just Elmhurst at 17 and got a yes. Going from local classes to full time vocational was tough, he was broken a lot in 6:1. But he found an inspirational teacher and the rest is history. I’m so pleased that he had a normal local lower school experience. Unlike his vocational sister. I feel this has really helped. What I’m trying to say is that there is no rush. In hindsight I would have kept both of mine at home for lower school and spent the money on accessing associate classes and intensives. Then tried at 16/17. It’s a level playing field then. I wouldn’t worry about competing with children who have endured LS training for 5 years, my personal experience is that the light and passion fades 😔 Dd said recently that what she wanted aged 11 isn’t what the 16 or 20 year old her wants. 

Thank you for sharing your family’s experiences. I really hope your DD is finding a new, much happier path now. It’s not a loss, it’s actually rather brave to admit that, even if it’s painful. 
 

I’ve often worried DS would struggle if accepted for full-time training. We only applied to one school as he didn’t like the idea of being so far away, so any chance of vocational training at this stage is incredibly slim (and he knows that and is fine with it). He’d love a place as he thinks the schools are like ‘Hogwarts for Ballet’ but, as parents, we are actually hoping for an MA place. We’ve already noticed he thrives with some teachers and really not with others so some flexibility over the matter is helpful at this stage. At 10yrs old he’s still all about the fun and has far less interest in perfecting technique yet (hoping this comes with maturity). If things become too serious and stressful, and too soon, it might just ruin the love of dance forever - that would be the worst outcome. 
 

Does everyone’s DCs know what they want to be when they are older already? DS loves dance and music equally. And science. He has no idea what he wants to be yet but just knows he really enjoys dancing and performing, so having good quality access to all of those is important - that’s been the most frustrating thing about not knowing enough about the schools. While the focus is obviously ballet, it’s not ONLY about ballet. 
 

Good luck to all those applying. I think the advice on choosing the best fit for your child rather than popularity of course/school is excellent, the sad thing is that nobody’s had the opportunity to visit anywhere this year or get a feel for for the places and their learning environments. A particularly difficult time to navigate all of this. I really feel for those who are going to have to make difficult choices over which places to accept. Just know, as others with older DCs are proving, no choice has to be permanent, there will always be new opportunities over the years. 
 

And a ‘no’ could well be a not yet, and that could be a blessing in disguise for the future.  
 

Edited February 11, 2021 by BalletBoyMumma

[Bunny]

2 hours ago, BalletBoyMumma said:

Thank you for sharing your family’s experiences. I really hope your DD is finding a new, much happier path now. It’s not a loss, it’s actually rather brave to admit that, even if it’s painful. 
 

I’ve often worried DS would struggle if accepted for full-time training. We only applied to one school as he didn’t like the idea of being so far away, so any chance of vocational training at this stage is incredibly slim (and he knows that and is fine with it). He’d love a place as he thinks the schools are like ‘Hogwarts for Ballet’ but, as parents, we are actually hoping for an MA place. We’ve already noticed he thrives with some teachers and really not with others so some flexibility over the matter is helpful at this stage. At 10yrs old he’s still all about the fun and has far less interest in perfecting technique yet (hoping this comes with maturity). If things become too serious and stressful, and too soon, it might just ruin the love of dance forever - that would be the worst outcome. 
 

Does everyone’s DCs know what they want to be when they are older already? DS loves dance and music equally. And science. He has no idea what he wants to be yet but just knows he really enjoys dancing and performing, so having good quality access to all of those is important - that’s been the most frustrating thing about not knowing enough about the schools. While the focus is obviously ballet, it’s not ONLY about ballet. 
 

Good luck to all those applying. I think the advice on choosing the best fit for your child rather than popularity of course/school is excellent, the sad thing is that nobody’s had the opportunity to visit anywhere this year or get a feel for for the places and their learning environments. A particularly difficult time to navigate all of this. I really feel for those who are going to have to make difficult choices over which places to accept. Just know, as others with older DCs are proving, no choice has to be permanent, there will always be new opportunities over the years. 
 

And a ‘no’ could well be a not yet, and that could be a blessing in disguise for the future.  
 

It’s so difficult to know how well your child will cope with moving away I think. I like to think my DS is quite independent and would settle well but the reality might be completely different. 
 

My DS wants to be a ballet dancer. His dance principal says he is an all rounder and is competent in all styles so shouldn’t pigeonhole himself at such a young age, but that a ballet school is a fantastic option anyway as ballet is the core of everything dance wise and once they have been to

a ballet school, if they decide ballet isn’t for them, they are still in good stead to pursue another dance option.  I think that’s quite a nice way of looking at it! He isn’t amazing academically, just average, enjoys most school subjects, but there’s no passion there for any of them. It’s all about dance. 
 

I agree entirely with everything you say! Nobody knows what’s around the corner and as one door closes another somewhere else opens up! 

[Theodore19]

My DS gained a place as a London JA 6 weeks after his first ever ballet lesson he was nine .

Exactly 2 years later we opened the yes for year 7 place at WL letter.

I can still remember how we both jumped up and down screaming whilst the post man who I had been stalking watched in amazement. 

DS was also awarded an MDS for Tring and Elmhurst for year 7 . He didn't audition for Hammond. 

This year would have been his graduation year.

However the road took a very different direction from the one we saw ahead of us when he was 11.

In year 10 he decided that the love he had once felt when dancing had been destroyed and all the joy was gone.

He was tired,unhappy and fed up.

He will finish his Mercedes Benz apprenticeship this Summer and will be fully qualified, just as his contemporaries are starting to try and gain Ballet contracts. 

It is a long road with many bumps... so go in with your eyes wide open.

Always remember that it is ok to change your mind.

3 hours ago, Bunny said:

It’s so difficult to know how well your child will cope with moving away I think. I like to think my DS is quite independent and would settle well but the reality might be completely different. 
 

My DS wants to be a ballet dancer. His dance principal says he is an all rounder and is competent in all styles so shouldn’t pigeonhole himself at such a young age, but that a ballet school is a fantastic option anyway as ballet is the core of everything dance wise and once they have been to

a ballet school, if they decide ballet isn’t for them, they are still in good stead to pursue another dance option.  I think that’s quite a nice way of looking at it! He isn’t amazing academically, just average, enjoys most school subjects, but there’s no passion there for any of them. It’s all about dance. 
 

I agree entirely with everything you say! Nobody knows what’s around the corner and as one door closes another somewhere else opens up! 

 

[Canary]

@Theodore19thank you for sharing your experiences. I’m saddened that such talent wasn’t able to be nurtured in the way such talent should have been, but I am thrilled he has found an amazing career and wish him every success in the future. Well done for adapting, changing, supporting him through the minefield of UK training. 

 

[Bunny]

45 minutes ago, Theodore19 said:

My DS gained a place as a London JA 6 weeks after his first ever ballet lesson he was nine .

Exactly 2 years later we opened the yes for year 7 place at WL letter.

I can still remember how we both jumped up and down screaming whilst the post man who I had been stalking watched in amazement. 

DS was also awarded an MDS for Tring and Elmhurst for year 7 . He didn't audition for Hammond. 

This year would have been his graduation year.

However the road took a very different direction from the one we saw ahead of us when he was 11.

In year 10 he decided that the love he had once felt when dancing had been destroyed and all the joy was gone.

He was tired,unhappy and fed up.

He will finish his Mercedes Benz apprenticeship this Summer and will be fully qualified, just as his contemporaries are starting to try and gain Ballet contracts. 

It is a long road with many bumps... so go in with your eyes wide open.

Always remember that it is ok to change your mind.

 

I’m so sorry to hear of the negative experience your son had at vocational school, but how amazing that he was brave enough to know when enough was enough and walk away from it, and even more fantastic that he now has a career he enjoys and is happy. Nothing is more important than happiness at the end of the day! I wish your son every success as he continues on his chosen path x

[glowlight]

I don't see @Theodore19's ds's experience as negative.  He lived the dream that he had when he was a young child.  That helped to make him the man he became in his new chosen career with Mercedes Benz.

 

One of the hardest, but most crucial things that we do as dancing parents is to support our DC's as their journeys change. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BalletBoyMumma]

That’s just the thing. Don’t see a ballet career as the destination. See ballet as a journey. If they end up there - great. If they don’t - great. It’s their lives, not ours. We are just here to facilitate their journeys the best we can (albeit very expensively sometimes - that’s the tough bit, though they do gain an awful lot of important life skills from dance training which will likely serve them well in whatever they choose to do). ❤️

Edited February 12, 2021 by BalletBoyMumma

[BalletBoyMumma]

8 hours ago, Bunny said:

It’s so difficult to know how well your child will cope with moving away I think. I like to think my DS is quite independent and would settle well but the reality might be completely different. 
 

My DS wants to be a ballet dancer. His dance principal says he is an all rounder and is competent in all styles so shouldn’t pigeonhole himself at such a young age, but that a ballet school is a fantastic option anyway as ballet is the core of everything dance wise and once they have been to

a ballet school, if they decide ballet isn’t for them, they are still in good stead to pursue another dance option.  I think that’s quite a nice way of looking at it! He isn’t amazing academically, just average, enjoys most school subjects, but there’s no passion there for any of them. It’s all about dance. 
 

I agree entirely with everything you say! Nobody knows what’s around the corner and as one door closes another somewhere else opens up! 

It’s perfectly ok not to be great academically (especially at this age, watching my eldest and her peer group it’s been interesting to see how much things can change over time and how the ‘best’ while still young are often not the best in the long run). They are all on their own journeys.
We home educate by choice and DS has never been to school so we have no idea where he fits in with his age group (though home ed is nothing like we are all currently experiencing - this is definitely ‘crisis schooling’ not regular home educating). DS absolutely loves dance too (I’m wondering if they are in the same JA class now).

There will be a pathway to success somewhere for each of them, no doubt about it.  
It’s just frustrating knowing almost nothing about where we are applying to. Same for local schools though - there’s been no open evenings this year. Not a single chance to get a feel for anywhere. It’s been a very strange and frustrating year. 

Edited February 12, 2021 by BalletBoyMumma

[Bunny]

10 hours ago, glowlight said:

I don't see @Theodore19's ds's experience as negative.  He lived the dream that he had when he was a young child.  That helped to make him the man he became in his new chosen career with Mercedes Benz.

 

One of the hardest, but most crucial things that we do as dancing parents is to support our DC's as their journeys change. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Perhaps I have misunderstood, it was the line that said his love for dancing had been ‘destroyed’ and the love was gone, as opposed to it fading, as sometimes happens naturally as people change and grow.

 

I absolutely didn’t mean to imply that it was a negative thing that Theodore’s DS didn’t pursue a career in ballet, because of course it isn’t. I am sure that everything he has learned at vocational school has contributed to who he is and helped him arrive at the right decision for him which is so important. Very few of us still have the same dreams and desires as young adults that we did at 10 and 11. I suppose this is partially why it’s so difficult, not to mention the physical and mental demands of dance. 
 

All any of us can do is attempt to make the right decision with and for our children at the age and stage they are at. Nobody knows what the future holds or what’s around the corner! Right now for my DS dance is the biggest part of his life. I appreciate and understand this could change, in the same way as it could for any child who sets out to become a teacher but then decides half way through secondary school they’d actually prefer to be a nurse. I think as long as you go into the process with your eyes open and remain aware of your child’s feelings and experiences that’s the important part. I think the danger is in the thinking that they have made it once they’ve got a vocational school place. That’s only the beginning.

[alison]

Welcome to the forum, Theodore19.  I'm sorry your son lost his love for dance, but hopefully that will start to return in the future as he gets older and his experiences start to recede.  In the meantime, he's acquired a load of life skills which will serve him well in the the future, and has changed career path completely with what I assume is high-quality training with MB (and how good it is to hear of someone doing an apprenticeship instead of going to university.  I think we need more of that!).

[meadowblythe]

 

Not sure if this is a postive or negative, but even in the days when there were Open Days and the like, there are plenty of cases, my DS included, where it turns out to be not quite the perfect fit .. teachers change, you may have bad luck with a particular cohort,  boarding may turn out to be a more positive or negative experience than anticipated, injuries may come into play. 

 

And Open Days, vocational schools and otherwise, will paint a picture which may not reflect the every day reality.  I'm genuinely proud of the school I work at - we have a policy of sending parents round with year 7 tour guides who are encouraged to "tell it as it is .." - as are staff.  But local  state schools as well as vocational schools are looking for customers!  

 

I'm not trying to diminish the task ahead of you, or how grim the current situation is.  However,  there will always be an element of make the best judgement at the time, and making sure the lines of communication are open, as prior experience, including associate schemes, may not reflect full time study at the schools. 

 

I don't think many children, at 11, are expected to know that they want to be a fire fighter/pyschologist/nurse/salesman/engineer/career of your choice, so it's perfectly reasonable to expect that although a DC may have the potential to pursue a dance career, it doesn't mean it's what they want to do.  Every staff room in the country is full of teachers frustrated that although x is their star pupil they don't want to study german/physics/DT - why should ballet be different?

 

Meadowblythe

[rowan]

I’ve said this before, but I think it’s best to regard the dance vocational schools not as vocational schools but as normal schools with a specialism in dance, just like many other schools might have a specialism or focus on a particular area.

[BalletBoyMumma]

 

Really good points, Meadowblythe. Thank you. 

You are right, I know it’s slightly different to vocational schools but DD didn’t get her first choice state secondary school but it’s actually turned out brilliantly - that could certainly happen for vocational schools too, and I hope it does for anyone accepting places that might not have been their preference. 

 

I don’t know if others have managed better but I’ve struggled to get much grip on the non-ballet/dance side of things at the vocational schools - I don’t just mean exam results but the little things you’d usually ask while looking around. For example, DCs being allowed to play instruments in their spare time would be a total game changer for DS - DS did ask in one of the zoom meetings and was told yes, parents could pay extra for music lessons if we wanted - which wasn’t quite what he meant but the Q&A was swiftly moved on as it was so busy (he meant are there instruments available to use during down time or can I bring my own). It’s those little unknowns that make it particularly difficult to get a feel for where is a best fit this year. 

 

It’s not anyone’s fault - just a frustration with how things have panned out. Everyone is doing their best and the schools must be having such a frustrating time of it all too. 

Edited February 12, 2021 by BalletBoyMumma

[sunrise81]

Also check out what you get as part of your MDS package if you get awarded it. DD at Elmhurst gets a music lesson each week,  weekly RAD lessons, £625 uniform bursary and health insurance included........I don't think RBS is the same. DD gets away with wearing navy jogging pants from M&S......don't think its quite like that at RBS! 🤣

 

DD got yes to finals to both Elmhurst and RBS (only 2 we applied for). Got no for RBS and wait list for MAs, and then a yes for Elmhurst. 

Edited February 12, 2021 by sunrise81

[BalletBoyMumma]

3 minutes ago, sunrise81 said:

Also check out what you get as part of your MDS package if you get awarded it. DD at Elmhurst gets a music lesson each week,  weekly RAD lessons, £625 uniform bursary and health insurance included........I don't think RBS is the same. DD gets away with wearing navy jogging pants from M&S......don't think its quite like that at RBS! 🤣

 

DD got yes to finals to both Elmhurst and RBS (only 2 we applied for). Got no for RBS and wait list for MAs, and then a yes for Elmhurst. 

Wow! That’s really good. Valuable information. Thank you. ☺️
 

(Everyone’s contributions on this forum have been so helpful.) 

[sunrise81]

I definitely learnt so much this time last year......even down to which hotel was best tonstay in for WL finals 🤣

[Lifeafterballet]

Just to be aware that your child’s private health insurance is paid by you but the school, in our experience, try to control what it is used for. We were told that the BUPA insurance we paid over £900 a year for would not cover mental health. It did. 

[BalletBoyMumma]

1 minute ago, sunrise81 said:

I definitely learnt so much this time last year......even down to which hotel was best tonstay in for WL finals 🤣

I’m sure some of us on here will be asking about that soon. 😆 (fingers crossed!) 

[BalletBoyMumma]

2 minutes ago, cotes du rhone ! said:

Just to be aware that your child’s private health insurance is paid by you but the school, in our experience, try to control what it is used for. We were told that the BUPA insurance we paid over £900 a year for would not cover mental health. It did. 

Oh gosh! That sounds very stressful. And another expense (I hadn’t considered that one).  

[Lifeafterballet]

In our vocational journey we had 4 different insurance companies through the school. BUPA was the first one. It was not included in the MDS or Dada, it was added to the bill 😂 Some parents set up their own for their child. 
There are lots of other expenses to be aware of, our huge mortgage

reflects this 😂

Also, there is discount if you have two Dc on MDSs but not on an MDS and Dada or two Dada’s, it is the fee doubled 😢 Just to be aware if ballet is contagious as it was in our family 😂

Edited February 12, 2021 by cotes du rhone !

[Lara Eschler]

35 minutes ago, rowan said:

I’ve said this before, but I think it’s best to regard the dance vocational schools not as vocational schools but as normal schools with a specialism in dance, just like many other schools might have a specialism or focus on a particular area.

Absolutely, to us academics are really important for instance. His current very academic school has mandatory rugby, hockey, cricket and football which he does not enjoy and it is challenging to do ballet afterschool finding enough classes locally and the time and then running and traveling to associates schemes on the weekend. Hence, finding a school which has ballet on site, no mandatory rugby and good enough academics seems amazing and not necessary a commitment to a career in ballet. Another important factor at this young age is how the school interacts with parents in my opinion. After schools had agreed to not audition until January, they  initially set the deadline to November for parents to submit the homemade video which in my opinion was not really in line with what they previously published as vocational schools supporting applicants and not auditioning until later, etc. and caused a huge amount of stress. Also, the agonizing wait at present just to know if someone is invited to finals while other schools have already offered places. Auditions are always stressful but there are ways schools could try to make the process less stressful and that is probably the type of school I would chose. 

[BalletBoyMumma]

29 minutes ago, cotes du rhone ! said:

In our vocational journey we had 4 different insurance companies through the school. BUPA was the first one. It was not included in the MDS or Dada, it was added to the bill 😂 Some parents set up their own for their child. 
There are lots of other expenses to be aware of, our huge mortgage

reflects this 😂

Also, there is discount if you have two Dc on MDSs but not on an MDS and Dada or two Dada’s, it is the fee doubled 😢 Just to be aware if ballet is contagious as it was in our family 😂

See, these are really important things to know about before applying. I understand they don’t want to put people off but a lot of people applying will have a fine line to balance financially. It’s not worth getting in debt over because the pressure is then on to pay lots of extras if/once accepted or decline the place. 

 

I have three DCs who dance but thankfully only one who wants to do it more ‘seriously’. It already burns a hole in our pockets - I often question my sanity on why I say yes to these things. 🤣 
 

 

[BalletBoyMumma]

I agree @Lara Eschler, the audition video process caused undue stress. It played a big part in why DS then put his guard up about applying to anywhere else this year. And at one point really put his guard up on continuing in general (it’s not been fun!)
The initial message was the video wasn’t overly important, and likely won’t be looked at but that changed to actually it will and will determine who gets into finals(!!!) The video guideline changed too, which I didn’t realise till after I’d submitted our video (we’d done the far more vague version they’d asked for in the beginning). 🤦‍♀️
I don’t blame them in any way as it’s been out of everyone’s hands but it’s not been a good process at all. 

 

Gosh! Mandatory contact sports sounds particularly stressful. The ballet on site definitely appeals here too (DS really doesn’t like the travelling). 

I hope you get your first preference. Your DS is looking really wonderful and he works so hard - he’ll go far! 💙 

[Lifeafterballet]

1 hour ago, BalletBoyMumma said:

See, these are really important things to know about before applying. I understand they don’t want to put people off but a lot of people applying will have a fine line to balance financially. It’s not worth getting in debt over because the pressure is then on to pay lots of extras if/once accepted or decline the place. 

 

I have three DCs who dance but thankfully only one who wants to do it more ‘seriously’. It already burns a hole in our pockets - I often question my sanity on why I say yes to these things. 🤣 
 

 

If anyone is curious about “extras” this is an example of what appeared on our 6:2/6:3 Dada invoice termly. I can’t find an old MDS, must have burned 🔥 them 😂

It shows the total full fees prior to the Dada discount so don’t panic 😟 
There is no uniform/pointe shoe etc allowance with a Dada as there is with an MDS. 

The 6:2 is boarding and the 6:3 is a day student, then you pay rent and bills. It is not my intention to frighten anyone, I wish I had known a bit more before entering the vocational world. 

https://ibb.co/PtsDxQF
https://ibb.co/ZmqRPCG

Edited February 12, 2021 by cotes du rhone !

[Farawaydancer]

3 minutes ago, cotes du rhone ! said:

If anyone is curious about “extras” this is an example of what appeared on our 6:2/6:3 Dada invoice termly. I can’t find an old MDS, must have burned 🔥 them 😂

It shows the total full fees prior to the Dada discount so don’t panic 😟 
There is no uniform/pointe shoe etc allowance with a Dada as there is with an MDS. 

The 6:2 is boarding and the 6:3 is a day student, then you pay rent and bills. It is not my intention to frighten anyone, I wish I had known a bit more before entering the vocational world. 
https://ibb.co/PtsDxQF
https://ibb.co/ZmqRPCG

 

 
And then there’s the mysterious ‘miscellaneous’ items that are added each term, that no one ever explains! 🤣

[BalletBoyMumma]

43 minutes ago, cotes du rhone ! said:

If anyone is curious about “extras” this is an example of what appeared on our 6:2/6:3 Dada invoice termly. I can’t find an old MDS, must have burned 🔥 them 😂

It shows the total full fees prior to the Dada discount so don’t panic 😟 
There is no uniform/pointe shoe etc allowance with a Dada as there is with an MDS. 

The 6:2 is boarding and the 6:3 is a day student, then you pay rent and bills. It is not my intention to frighten anyone, I wish I had known a bit more before entering the vocational world. 

https://ibb.co/PtsDxQF
https://ibb.co/ZmqRPCG

Thank you for sharing these.
No, it’s definitely important information. The fee lists are on the school websites but it’s good to know what ‘additional charges’ can actually look like in reality. 
 

I guess there will always be the ‘keeping up with everyone else’ financial pressures too (extra tuition, music lessons, extra curricular activities, school trips). It’s all important to know about beforehand. 

Edited February 12, 2021 by BalletBoyMumma

[Tdc34]

3 hours ago, sunrise81 said:

Also check out what you get as part of your MDS package if you get awarded it. DD at Elmhurst gets a music lesson each week,  weekly RAD lessons, £625 uniform bursary and health insurance included........I don't think RBS is the same.

This is such useful information, thanks so much for sharing. Can I ask, do you know if this is the same for everyone on an MDS at Elmhurst, or does what’s included vary from person to person? 

[Lifeafterballet]

5 minutes ago, PurplePirouette said:

This is such useful information, thanks so much for sharing. Can I ask, do you know if this is the same for everyone on an MDS at Elmhurst, or does what’s included vary from person to person? 

MDSs are the same for everyone but there are extra bursaries available for say pointe shoes etc for certain children. 
When some girls can destroy a pair of pointe shoes in one class the costs mount up 😟 so this can be very helpful. 

Edited February 12, 2021 by cotes du rhone !

[sunrise81]

2 minutes ago, PurplePirouette said:

This is such useful information, thanks so much for sharing. Can I ask, do you know if this is the same for everyone on an MDS at Elmhurst, or does what’s included vary from person to person? 

It applies to each person awarded MDS But those not awarded get no uniform bursary, have to pay for music lessons, have to pay for health insurance and RAD lessons. It made it much easier for us to afford to send her. On top of that we pay a small amount for accident insurance £5 and the fee protection scheme of you sign up is £40 a term. There is also a £30 termly house fees which goes towards supper time snacks and treats and prizes for weekend tasks and afternoon teas......when they are at school. We have spent all of the uniform bursary thus year......but won't have uniform to buy for yr 8.....but will have pointe shoes to buy instead!