Vocational school applications for Y7 entry 2022

[AllAboutTheJourney]

Thanks @stardust that's useful to know - I hope you hear soon. 

[Julsgalaxy]

39 minutes ago, stardust1 said:

Just to further manage expectations, the results from the Yr8/9 and Yr10/11 audition that took place 24th-26th February haven’t come out yet.  

Is that for finals or semi finals? 
it sounds like we might be in for a long wait .

TBH, I can’t wait for tomorrow and Tuesday to be finished.

[Ottobotto]

1 hour ago, Waverley said:

I'd hoped we'd hear this week too but as @Julsgalaxysays they did also stress on the zoom call yesterday that it would likely take longer than usual this year. 

 

Yes there were 30 girls at finals (though at least one absent as I say who's still to be seen). 

 

For anyone reading this for info for next year, in case it's helpful, on the first day they were split into 3 groups and they did ballet and physio. The second day they were split into 2 groups and they did more ballet and also character. There was a short recall at the end with a small number of girls in it.  There were 5 people on the panel both days. 

 

Just mentioning the above as I know last year was all a bit different to the norm. I would imagine next year will follow a similar format to this year, with a smaller group taken through to finals and the panel spending more time looking at them. 

Thank you this is helpful for tomorrow. Did some get to go home when some got recalled then?  Any idea why? I’m guessing that might be hard not to read into either positively or negatively 🙈! So pleased it was a positive few days 😊

[sunrise81]

Getting a recall is their way of checking something.

 

The year my DD auditioned she was not recalled..... she got a no, and knows people who get yeses. If they don't recall you then they have seen enough to be definitely sure of their decision about you.

 

My DD knew people who were recalled.....one was seen for extra physio, and another was taught something again and made to perform it again. One of those got a no and the other a waitlist followed by a place.

 

So who knows 🤷🏼‍♀️🤣

[stardust1]

40 minutes ago, Julsgalaxy said:

Is that for finals or semi finals? 
it sounds like we might be in for a long wait .

TBH, I can’t wait for tomorrow and Tuesday to be finished.

It was finals - no semi final round for those year groups. Yr10/11 was over 2 days the same as Yr7

[AllAboutTheJourney]

15 minutes ago, Ottobotto said:

Thank you this is helpful for tomorrow. Did some get to go home when some got recalled then?  Any idea why? I’m guessing that might be hard not to read into either positively or negatively 🙈! So pleased it was a positive few days 😊

Yes most of them came out and a small number didn’t appear. The person with them explained they were in the recall and they then came out about 15 mins later. 
 

It’s v hard not to wonder about what it means but it does sound like it can be for various reasons (with various results) as Sunrise says! 

[Cheshiredancemum]

11 hours ago, Ottobotto said:

Thank you this is helpful for tomorrow. Did some get to go home when some got recalled then?  Any idea why? I’m guessing that might be hard not to read into either positively or negatively 🙈! So pleased it was a positive few days 😊

A recall is to have another look at a child. For various reasons. A child who is not recalled means they have enough information to make a decision. My dd had a recall and got offered a place last year. A friend had a recall and was offered wait list. It’s not something that you can second guess unfortunately 😊 Hope everyone hears back soon 🤞🤞😊

Edited March 7, 2022 by Cheshiredancemum

[MissEmily]

Hello again!

 

My pupil has just been offered a place at YDA for Year 7, but still has final auditions at Elmhurst (23rd March) and Tring (18th March) to go. The letter from YDA says she has to accept her place by 18th March. Does anyone have any experience of how to deal with this?

 

Thank you!

[The red shoes]

1 minute ago, MissEmily said:

Hello again!

 

My pupil has just been offered a place at YDA for Year 7, but still has final auditions at Elmhurst (23rd March) and Tring (18th March) to go. The letter from YDA says she has to accept her place by 18th March. Does anyone have any experience of how to deal with this?

 

Thank you!

This depends on if you need to hand over a substantial deposit to accept her place. I know Tring do this ! 

[MissEmily]

@The red shoes No, we are not being asked for any money at this stage, so of course for US, there's no harm in accepting and then, if she were lucky enough to be offered a place at Elmhurst or funding at Tring, pulling out. I just don't want to mess YDA about unnecessarily.

[coniger]

4 minutes ago, MissEmily said:

Hello again!

 

My pupil has just been offered a place at YDA for Year 7, but still has final auditions at Elmhurst (23rd March) and Tring (18th March) to go. The letter from YDA says she has to accept her place by 18th March. Does anyone have any experience of how to deal with this?

 

Thank you!

Our experience with YDA they were happy to wait a few days more - they are very nice there

[MissEmily]

@coniger That's great to know thank you. I did actually phone them not long ago and was asked to phone back at 14:15 because she was in a meeting! She was very nice on the phone.

[Tdc34]

I hope everything has gone well for the boys at WL today. Rest up tonight (parents and dc!) to prepare for tomorrow. Does anyone know how many boys were at the finals and if all managed to attend today? 

[Pointeshoesarethedream]

Good luck to all the boys for day of 2 WL 🤞

 

TRING FUNDING FINAL QUESTION

At the prelim DD had a physio assessment and the funding final offer just states that it is a ballet class for the final. It doesn’t mention anything about physio. I know on recent years they have also done a physio assessment during finals so do you think they have possibly changed it this year? 
 

Any insight into how many possible MDS this year? Past threads have shown anywhere from 3 to 10 but these are for all years 7-11 which I think is about 40-50 children at finals if I’m right? So slim chances whichever way you look at it 🙈

[BalletBoysDad]

15 hours ago, PurplePirouette said:

I hope everything has gone well for the boys at WL today. Rest up tonight (parents and dc!) to prepare for tomorrow. Does anyone know how many boys were at the finals and if all managed to attend today? 

I believe there are 26 boys at finals for Y7 places 

[MissEmily]

@SJBalletI think there's likely to be a lot of movement with the MDS places, as the children who are originally offered the MDS places at Tring are highly likely to also have been offered WL and/ or Elmhurst.

[Pointeshoesarethedream]

1 minute ago, MissEmily said:

@SJBalletI think there's likely to be a lot of movement with the MDS places, as the children who are originally offered the MDS places at Tring are highly likely to also have been offered WL and/ or Elmhurst.

That’s what I’m hoping 😁

[BellaF]

11 minutes ago, MissEmily said:

@SJBalletI think there's likely to be a lot of movement with the MDS places, as the children who are originally offered the MDS places at Tring are highly likely to also have been offered WL and/ or Elmhurst.

 

Hopefully WL results will be out before the 18th and anyone offered a place will not attend the funding final.

[Ottobotto]

58 minutes ago, SJBallet said:

Good luck to all the boys for day of 2 WL 🤞

 

TRING FUNDING FINAL QUESTION

At the prelim DD had a physio assessment and the funding final offer just states that it is a ballet class for the final. It doesn’t mention anything about physio. I know on recent years they have also done a physio assessment during finals so do you think they have possibly changed it this year? 
 

Any insight into how many possible MDS this year? Past threads have shown anywhere from 3 to 10 but these are for all years 7-11 which I think is about 40-50 children at finals if I’m right? So slim chances whichever way you look at it 🙈

Have you received any further information from Tring apart from the written paperwork?  I just assumed they had done the physio check so they won’t need to do another one (hopefully!). 

 

 

[Pointeshoesarethedream]

6 minutes ago, Ottobotto said:

Have you received any further information from Tring apart from the written paperwork?  I just assumed they had done the physio check so they won’t need to do another one (hopefully!). 

 

 

No, no further information received. 
 

I too am hoping the physio check doesn’t need to be redone at this point 😁

[Pointeshoesarethedream]

26 minutes ago, BellaF said:

 

Hopefully WL results will be out before the 18th and anyone offered a place will not attend the funding final.

I expect some will still attend assuming WL isn’t their first choice? Not sure how many that would be though 🤷‍♀️

[Neverdancedjustamum]

50 minutes ago, BellaF said:

 

Hopefully WL results will be out before the 18th and anyone offered a place will not attend the funding final.

Sadly, in the past I’ve found that a lot offered WL still attend the Tring funding final and Elmhurst finals. I did wonder why because more often than not (in fact 100% of what I’ve witnessed), they always pick WL when offered. I never did understand why some would do this, I suppose it’s quite nice for them to be able to say “Received MDS offer from all 3 schools” or something. It’s not too bad for Tring  because they have a recognised waitlist and it actually does have a lot of movement once students pick WL but it’s worse for say, Elmhurst when someone who already has an offer from WL (and fully intending to accept) still attend Elmhurst final and then suddenly get offered too effectively taking an Elmhurst MDS place from someone who potentially would have actually wanted and needed it. I’m not sure if Elmhurst has a waiting list as such? 

Edited March 8, 2022 by Neverdancedjustamum

[Ottobotto]

3 minutes ago, Neverdancedjustamum said:

Sadly, in the past I’ve found that a lot offered WL/Elmhurst still attend the Tring funding final. I did wonder why because more often than not (in fact 100% of what I’ve witnessed), they always pick WL when offered. I never did understand why some would do this, I suppose it’s quite nice for them to be able to say “Received MDS offer from all 3 schools” or something. 

Yes maybe the MDS funding at Tring is the Holy Grail 😅!! Fair play to any child who wants to go through these auditions for fun when they already have a place elsewhere. Although, days off school and nights in hotels are possibly enjoyed more by the children than the parents!! I'm guessing it all works out though as if you got a wait list place at Tring that would come up if someone took a place elsewhere anyway. The mind games is possibly harder than anything else 🙄

[Ballet Dreams]

14 minutes ago, Neverdancedjustamum said:

Sadly, in the past I’ve found that a lot offered WL still attend the Tring funding final and Elmhurst finals. I did wonder why because more often than not (in fact 100% of what I’ve witnessed), they always pick WL when offered. I never did understand why some would do this, I suppose it’s quite nice for them to be able to say “Received MDS offer from all 3 schools” or something. It’s not too bad for Tring  because they have a recognised waitlist and it actually does have a lot of movement once students pick WL but it’s worse for say, Elmhurst when someone who already has an offer from WL (and fully intending to accept) still attend Elmhurst final and then suddenly get offered too effectively taking an Elmhurst MDS place from someone who potentially would have actually wanted and needed it. I’m not sure if Elmhurst has a waiting list as such? 

Elmhurst has a wait list my DD got a place last year from the list and yes most people will unfortunately still attend Tring and Elmhurst auditions despite maybe already knowing they have a place at WL.  Last year was slightly different as Tring and Hammond funding and Elmhurst finals were scheduled before WL final. 

[MissEmily]

In the end, it doesn't really matter whether the WL offerees attend their Elmhust/ Tring auditions though because the places will simply be offered to those on the waiting list. It does prolong the agony though!

[BellaF]

7 minutes ago, MissEmily said:

In the end, it doesn't really matter whether the WL offerees attend their Elmhust/ Tring auditions though because the places will simply be offered to those on the waiting list. It does prolong the agony though!

 

It doesn't but I still think is a little bad form if you know you are going to accept the WL place... It's nice for as many children to feel they are a school's first choice as possible. 

 

I will be delighted to hang up DD's audition boots in this (very unlikely) event anyway!

[MissEmily]

@BellaF I entirely agree, but @Neverdancedjustamumis right: many children want to see through the process, which is a wee bit selfish but I do understand it.

[Mum of unicorn dancer]

35 minutes ago, MissEmily said:

@BellaF I entirely agree, but @Neverdancedjustamumis right: many children want to see through the process, which is a wee bit selfish but I do understand it.

I just wonder if some people do it in a case they get assessed out in future from WL, so it might help to get a funded place in other school they were offered place in past. 

[BellaF]

57 minutes ago, Mum of unicorn dancer said:

I just wonder if some people do it in a case they get assessed out in future from WL, so it might help to get a funded place in other school they were offered place in past. 

I might just be very cynical but I think it's more likely a case of trophy collecting...

 

I'm pretty sure an offer 3 years previous won't count for that much and I imagine, if anything, it's frustrating for schools to offer places to children who have no intention of them taking them up.

[Ballet Dreams]

2 hours ago, MissEmily said:

In the end, it doesn't really matter whether the WL offerees attend their Elmhust/ Tring auditions though because the places will simply be offered to those on the waiting list. It does prolong the agony though!

Lucky for us my DD was offered a place off the wait list from Elmhurst within a day or two so we didn’t have to wait really.  I wouldn’t give up hope if anyone gets a Wait list place there really is so much movement in the first few days. 

Edited March 8, 2022 by Ballet Dreams

[Neverdancedjustamum]

4 minutes ago, BellaF said:

I might just be very cynical but I think it's more likely a case of trophy collecting...

 

I'm pretty sure an offer 3 years previous won't count for that much and I imagine, if anything, it's frustrating for schools to offer places to children who have no intention of them taking them up.

I can totally see what you mean @BellaF and a part of me can’t help but think that too especially if they are already decided on accepting an offer already. However, I also think that these days a lot of these kids and their parents invest so much (money and time) in preparing for these auditions that they might as well show up to all even if they have an offer they’re intending to accept. For their dance schools too, it’s good marketing (“So and so got offers from these schools”).
 

Yes, I’m just thinking of the last few years and I’m not sure how it would be easy to do that (move to another school), especially if funding is a consideration. Can’t think of many examples personally. if I was the school, I would be hesitant offering someone who’s already turned down an offer from me before. Perhaps I’m thinking of it too personally! I also did wonder as an outsider how MDS allocation per school is worked out. Ballet is such an expensive hobby and for those who have invested specifically into preparing their kids for auditioning, there must be a significant financial capability and output. I wonder how many students say in WL (and other schools) actually receive (or need) MDS or only need quite a small amount of funding. It’s one thing to say “over 90% of students receive funding for their studies” but another thing how much allocated. I know there have  been numerous FOI requests over the years in relation to MDS and it’s allocation. Even then, I think there’s a lot of discussion on “income” that’s probably not considered on paper. 

[Tdc34]

3 hours ago, BalletBoysDad said:

I believe there are 26 boys at finals for Y7 places 

Thanks so much. I hope your ds is having a brilliant couple of days!

[NotadanceMa]

4 hours ago, SJBallet said:

Good luck to all the boys for day of 2 WL 🤞

 

TRING FUNDING FINAL QUESTION

At the prelim DD had a physio assessment and the funding final offer just states that it is a ballet class for the final. It doesn’t mention anything about physio. I know on recent years they have also done a physio assessment during finals so do you think they have possibly changed it this year? 
 

Any insight into how many possible MDS this year? Past threads have shown anywhere from 3 to 10 but these are for all years 7-11 which I think is about 40-50 children at finals if I’m right? So slim chances whichever way you look at it 🙈

There were 60 children in the final last year years 7-11 (someone auditioning for US place) there were 6 MDS awards across the years.

And they had a physio assessment.