Year 7 options

[Laura_ballet]

Just talking hypothetically here….the results are in. Unfortunately, it's a no for Whitelodge, Elmhurst, and Tring, for example. So, what's the next step? If vocational training is not an option, what other types of training could be pursued? How many hours per week should be dedicated to training, and how many private and group lessons should be taken? Additionally, what extracurricular activities could help maintain strong technique? Should festivals be put on hold in favor of bigger global competitions? I'm curious about the alternatives available for those who don't attend vocational school in year 7.

[Mummy twinkle toes]

There is also YDA, Moorland and the Hammond at year 7. It depends where you live as to what is available. Dd1 couldn’t go to vocational school in yr7 as my dh was made redundant and even with a good fee remission we couldn’t afford it.

Instead she did Elmhurst associates and in yr8 joint Bristol Russian youth co. The latter gave her show experience and working with professional dancers. 
She did lots of summer schools and during the week trained in Legat ballet and RAD. She went to upper school at 16. We didn’t do festivals but did do GDO and DWC. 

[Neverdancedjustamum]

20 minutes ago, Thelittleswans said:

Just talking hypothetically here….the results are in. Unfortunately, it's a no for Whitelodge, Elmhurst, and Tring, for example. So, what's the next step? If vocational training is not an option, what other types of training could be pursued? How many hours per week should be dedicated to training, and how many private and group lessons should be taken? Additionally, what extracurricular activities could help maintain strong technique? Should festivals be put on hold in favor of bigger global competitions? I'm curious about the alternatives available for those who don't attend vocational school in year 7.

It depends where you live and how much time and finances you can realistically commit.  Not speaking from close personal experience (my own DD only attends classes during the weekend), but I have witnessed and personally seen young dancers who attend dance schools who are able to offer quality, high level ballet training with hours almost at par with full time vocational schools.  They also have more flexibility in choosing coaches, physios, mentors, summer intensives, international competitions to participate in etc without being limited by or having to ask permission from a vocational school.  I have seen beautiful, exquisitely trained dancers following this route and some of them have more success than full time vocational students in securing upper school places in top ballet schools here and overseas. The costs can be staggering and the amount of travelling around can be eye watering. It would also depend on where you live, some places have more options (ie London) and some places you’ll struggle to find any schools that offer anything beyond recreational dance classes. A good gauge of how competitive and intense the training would need to be is quite easy to see especially in the age of social media. Look at the dancers offered places in the top vocational schools recently. A lot of them are very public about their training regime and you can quickly and easily approximate how much time and finances you need these days. The higher up the years you go, the more resources you need and the bigger the ‘competition pool’ will be.  You would then need to weigh this against the well known stats relating to the number of dancers who progress successfully through their training and secure jobs afterwards.  If you have the time and resources, why not? But also be willing to subscribe to the school of thought that the experience itself will provide invaluable life lessons on resilience, hardwork etc etc should the end mean the DC eventually ends up in a non-dance related endeavour or profession. But I think the most important thing is to make sure it is what your DC wants whilst also bearing in mind that what an 11/12/13/14 year old think they want right now might not be what they want a few months or years down the line and be ready for that.

[tutugirl]

I highly recommend Moorlands 

[La sylphide]

If close to London the academy of balletic arts runs a vocational programme 5 afternoons a week alongside normal schooling. Amazing teachers and support for both parents and students. 

[Swanwings]

This is such a big question, personally I reccommend YDA, its a wonderful school and I speak from personal experience. They do have some accommodation options and some funding but not always. They turn out some fantastic students and always look for the potential in students.

 

Otherwise; a local school which will offer high level classes is fine for now, If my dd had not gone vocational, I would have looked at doing several ballet locally, plus an associate course to give some variation and experience, plus some private lessons with a really good teacher (I dont think this needs to be every week). 

 

There are always opportunities to move schools later on, and opportunities tend to increase as students get older. There are lots of holiday courses as well which can help supplement weekly classes. Im happy for you to DM me if you want any more details.

 

 

[Dancing unicorn]

Going to vocational school isn’t everything! We sort of wish we hadn’t gone down that route and kept her home longer.
DD’s final school/college she went to was the best thing we did from 16! We wish we’d have found the school earlier as we’d have done their classes, associates etc instead of pursuing full time vocational. We’d have still done summer schools and possibly more private lessons too. I feel sure we’d have had a happier dd during those years. It probably would have saved us a lot of heartache and money 🤣

So maybe don’t think of not getting in as a negative but a positive 💗

Hope that helps put a different perspective on things 💗

Edited March 16, 2023 by Dancing unicorn

[Swanwings]

3 minutes ago, Dancing unicorn said:

Going to vocational school isn’t everything! We sort of wish we hadn’t gone down that route and kept her home longer.
DD’s final school/college she went to was the best thing we did from 16! We wish we’d have found the school earlier as we’d have done their classes, associates etc instead of pursuing full time vocational. We’d have still done summer schools and possibly more private lessons too. I feel sure we’d have had a happier dd during those years. It probably would have saved us a lot of heartache and money 🤣

So maybe don’t think of not getting in as a negative but a positive 💗

Hope that helps put a different perspective on things 💗

This is very true... boarding isnt for everyone. I've known lots of young dancers whove done very well at local schools and gone on to train full time later. It just depends what your local options are.

[AllAboutTheJourney]

There was a helpful answer to a similar question on page 3 of the 'Assessed out - Success Stories Please' thread from around this time last year. But please note that it was locked later on.

 

Vocational school is absolutely not the be all and end all but your alternative options very much depend on where you live, how much money you have, what else you've got going on in your life and what your child wants to do. 

[WhereToNow]

A little insight from a mum who’s Dd got flat no’s from all auditions for yr7.  We found an amazing 10hr programme, with an ex professional Ballerina.  It was fairly local to us, but DCs came from all over the South East to work with her.  Fast forward to 3yrs later, my DD was accepted into a vocational school for yr10 entry.  It took a lot of hardwork, late nights and determination from both of them, it wasn’t an easy journey, but it did work out in the end, and she is much stronger (mentally & physically).  From my perspective, everything happens for a reason, and I’m not sure she would have been the same DD if she had been successful at yr7.

 

[coniger]

we took our DC out of a vocational school after a year because quite frankly it was awful! so DC trained from home with the amazing Jose Martin - and it was definitely more than good enough as DC was offered a year 10 place at White Lodge.  But remember teenagers change their minds!  Mine decided to turn down WL place which they had wanted since they were 8 because they loved their mainstream school, didn't want ballet as a career, and wanted to play team sports.  That decision was made in a week! It was the right decision for DC two years on and who is ridiculously happy with his choice

[Mum of unicorn dancer]

1 hour ago, Thelittleswans said:

Just talking hypothetically here….the results are in. Unfortunately, it's a no for Whitelodge, Elmhurst, and Tring, for example. So, what's the next step? If vocational training is not an option, what other types of training could be pursued? How many hours per week should be dedicated to training, and how many private and group lessons should be taken? Additionally, what extracurricular activities could help maintain strong technique? Should festivals be put on hold in favor of bigger global competitions? I'm curious about the alternatives available for those who don't attend vocational school in year 7.

I would suggest Ballet Boost and the Academy of Balletic Arts if DC will be attending regular secondary school (classes are afternoon in central London). Other options if you live close to London is Masters of Ballet or Natalia Kremen (again afternoon and weekend classes). If you want to go ahead with vocational secondary and are you near London - YDA is a great choice too. 

Edited March 16, 2023 by Mum of unicorn dancer

[WhereToNow]

3 minutes ago, coniger said:

we took our DC out of a vocational school after a year because quite frankly it was awful! so DC trained from home with the amazing Jose Martin - and it was definitely more than good enough as DC was offered a year 10 place at White Lodge.  But remember teenagers change their minds!  Mine decided to turn down WL place which they had wanted since they were 8 because they loved their mainstream school, didn't want ballet as a career, and wanted to play team sports.  That decision was made in a week! It was the right decision for DC two years on and who is ridiculously happy with his choice

Oh I completely agree with that! We always we discussed the option to stop, with the knowledge that ballet has given her so many other skillsets, that if she packed it in tomorrow we would still be immensely proud of her.  I think we need to be mindful our DCs have so much more to offer, just by being in ballet.  The opportunities no matter how small are definitely building blocks to a good career, no matter if it is ballet or not.  My DD is so much more confident than I was at that age.  

[Laura_ballet]

Based in Essex we have a few amazing teachers locally. Groups classes and private lessons could be manageable, It’s just a lot of money isn’t it! The travelling to associate programmes, funding costumes and all the different uniforms etc plus if they want to be a part of LCB/EYB, masterclasses, spring/summer schools, competitions….. I can only imagine the older they get, the more money it will cost. Of course, if you have the money I think it’s quite doable especially if you’re close to London with all the suggestions that have been made. 

[Lifeafterballet]

1 hour ago, Dancing unicorn said:

Going to vocational school isn’t everything! We sort of wish we hadn’t gone down that route and kept her home longer.
DD’s final school/college she went to was the best thing we did from 16! We wish we’d have found the school earlier as we’d have done their classes, associates etc instead of pursuing full time vocational. We’d have still done summer schools and possibly more private lessons too. I feel sure we’d have had a happier dd during those years. It probably would have saved us a lot of heartache and money 🤣

So maybe don’t think of not getting in as a negative but a positive 💗

Hope that helps put a different perspective on things 💗

You are so right 👏 

Having also had a child leave for vocational ballet school at 11, we regret naively accepting the offer.  Dd was too young to make a career choice. She just liked dancing. The decisions we made will haunt us and affect her for the rest of her life 😞

Ds went to vocational ballet school at 17.  He was mature enough to make that choice. 
There are many routes to being a professional dancer, vocational school is just one, and in our experience not always the only and best one. 

[WhereToNow]

39 minutes ago, Thelittleswans said:

Based in Essex we have a few amazing teachers locally. Groups classes and private lessons could be manageable, It’s just a lot of money isn’t it! The travelling to associate programmes, funding costumes and all the different uniforms etc plus if they want to be a part of LCB/EYB, masterclasses, spring/summer schools, competitions….. I can only imagine the older they get, the more money it will cost. Of course, if you have the money I think it’s quite doable especially if you’re close to London with all the suggestions that have been made. 

I can add that she did do EYB twice, but before the vocational route became the plan.  After yr7 auditions we did very little in the way of extras.  No associates, no LCB, no EYB, just what was recommended by her teacher (the odd festival for performance opportunities) and the external teachers she brought on board for masterclasses and her summer school.  We had to really watch what we were spending, but it still worked out.  If you are in Essex, you definitely have access to extemely good schools that work on vocational entry for yr10 and 6th form 😊

[Kerfuffle]

3 hours ago, Thelittleswans said:

Just talking hypothetically here….the results are in. Unfortunately, it's a no for Whitelodge, Elmhurst, and Tring, for example. So, what's the next step? If vocational training is not an option, what other types of training could be pursued? How many hours per week should be dedicated to training, and how many private and group lessons should be taken? Additionally, what extracurricular activities could help maintain strong technique? Should festivals be put on hold in favor of bigger global competitions? I'm curious about the alternatives available for those who don't attend vocational school in year 7.

Try and find as good quality training as you can, so associates and a classical focused CAT scheme depending on what’s available. Continue with other training as well during the week, but consider not just RAD but perhaps other approaches too (eg Vaganova - this is really challenging and quite different!). I would say 10 hours classical ballet is what my DD typically does, 4 nights a week and also weekends, but not every single one - she needs some time to study! She’s in year 11 and has got through to finals here and abroad. As your DD gets nearer this age get some performance experience - perhaps here (EYB) and also I recommend YAGP in Europe because then your DD will get an idea what is going on abroad (including dancers from Australia and USA). Also summer intensives are a good idea, especially the kind that draw non U.K. dancers. Some conditioning is important particularly as 13-17 is peak age for injuries because of hormones/hyper mobility. We haven’t bothered much with private lessons because my DD knows her weaknesses and also she has a peer group of very high standard dancers where she trains. This is what we’re doing but as someone has already said your daughter is very young and she might change her mind about ballet or find she’s suited to another dance discipline so it’s probably worth keeping those going for at least a while. You have 5 years before the next major audition rounds and a lot can change in that time ! We have only recently (in the past 2 years) dropped modern tap jazz etc as it’s become clear that ballet is her focus. Good luck and don’t let the pressure of keeping up with vocational schools get you down, there are plenty of dancers at top upper schools who have never been at them! 

[Zara]

My DD originally wanted to go to mainstream secondary! She hated it and realised that she wanted to be with like minded pupils! Fast forward to her currently in Year 8, she successfully auditioned for a place at YDA and started in January! She absolutely loves it, I can’t say it hasn’t be hard as it’s a massive change for us all but I can say she is incredibly happy at YDA and we are really happy with the school too! If you are close enough definitely look at it! 

[balletbean]

On 16/03/2023 at 08:29, Thelittleswans said:

Just talking hypothetically here….the results are in. Unfortunately, it's a no for Whitelodge, Elmhurst, and Tring, for example. So, what's the next step? If vocational training is not an option, what other types of training could be pursued? How many hours per week should be dedicated to training, and how many private and group lessons should be taken? Additionally, what extracurricular activities could help maintain strong technique? Should festivals be put on hold in favor of bigger global competitions? I'm curious about the alternatives available for those who don't attend vocational school in year 7.

Back in the day vocational school at yr7 wasn’t even on the radar. Our location hindered any chance of even applying for Associates as we don’t live on the mainland. Fast foreword to the summer hols at the end of yr9, DD attended her first SS. A light bulb moment. Came home increased lessons at her studio of up to 14hrs per week. Ballet/Greek/Contemporary/Modern & Tap - the latter I appreciate is not for everyone. No private lessons but then her classes were small anyway. Which was all rather crazy when you factor in GCSE school work/mocks/exams/shows/school trips etc. but you don’t think of it at the time. 

 

Entered any comps/festivals/performances that came her way and other ballet associated opportunities but still stayed loyal to her studio & regular lessons. Took RAD grade 6/7/8 incl Inter in quick succession. Auditioned for post 16 pre professional training in the Autumn of yr11. Graduated 2021.
Haven’t looked back since.🩰 🌏💃🏼

 

To sum up. Whilst there are the obvious merits for Vocational Schools there’s still no guarantees at yr11 to progress to US. Please don’t let the lack of offers at yr7 to be the end of any dream. It’s just the start of an exciting future just by a different pathway. 
Remember anything is possible 🤞🏼😊

[Jane156]

So are they actually any advantages of going to vocational school for Year 7? 

[Lifeafterballet]

3 minutes ago, Hanmah67 said:

So are they actually any advantages of going to vocational school for Year 7? 

Not in our experience 

[balletbean]

2 minutes ago, Hanmah67 said:

So are they actually any advantages of going to vocational school for Year 7? 

A very interesting question. I’m also interested to know just out of curiosity as we are past that point(e). 🩰😊

[balletbean]

4 minutes ago, Lifeafterballet said:

Not in our experience 

Neither in ours but still an interesting topic. 
 

Edited March 21, 2023 by balletbean

[MissEmily]

It depends on your family circumstances. As many people

on this forum know, my (ex-)pupil started at vocational school in September and it was absolutely the right thing for her. Her parents’ working hours and arrangements, and the fact she has a much younger sibling, mean that they would have been unable to drive her here, there and everywhere for classes etc. and she would not have been able to reach her potential as a result. Her personality lends itself very well to being in that environment and she is thriving and very happy. But all children and their circumstances are different. 

[OnTheMove]

1 hour ago, Hanmah67 said:

So are they actually any advantages of going to vocational school for Year 7? 

I think the main advantage is having quality training (hopefully!) that you may not have nearby. If you’re not near a big city it’s often hard to access vocational level training while living at home. 
 

I also think going to a private/independent school can have some advantages for some children. Less bullying for being a dancer etc. It’s certainly an interesting experience compared to most comprehensive schools. 
 

If you have quality training nearby and you can do the hours needed, then why go away to school? I would try for upper school instead in that situation. 

[Swanwings]

1 hour ago, Hanmah67 said:

So are they actually any advantages of going to vocational school for Year 7? 

Absolutely! But its personal, perfect for my dd, she is so happy at her vocational school. She cannot imagine going to the alternative local secondary and firmly believes she would have been unhappy doing that.... I think shes right.

 

But as I said, its personal and also depends on what is available locally; if a dc is serious about pursuing dance, there really needs to be some excellent teachers and good opportunities in your area. 

[Jane156]

7 minutes ago, Swanwings said:

Absolutely! But its personal, perfect for my dd, she is so happy at her vocational school. She cannot imagine going to the alternative local secondary and firmly believes she would have been unhappy doing that.... I think shes right.

 

But as I said, its personal and also depends on what is available locally; if a dc is serious about pursuing dance, there really needs to be some excellent teachers and good opportunities in your area. 

Can I ask which school she is at? Feel free to DM if you like. I have just heard v little positives so would be good to know which school 

[Swanwings]

4 minutes ago, Hanmah67 said:

Can I ask which school she is at? Feel free to DM if you like. I have just heard v little positives so would be good to know which school 

I dont mind, dd is at YDA. 

[Jane156]

4 minutes ago, Swanwings said:

I dont mind, dd is at YDA. 

Ah yes I’ve heard good things but too far for us 

[Swanwings]

1 minute ago, Hanmah67 said:

Ah yes I’ve heard good things but too far for us 

I know there are homestay options which apparently work very well, but we live withing travel distance so I've never investigated it personally. My dd knows the ones who do homestay though and she says they're very happy there.