mimi'smom Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Hi Louise MDS stands ffor Music and Dance Scheme. They are government funded scholarships awarded to children applying to the 4 centres of excellence - RBS, Elmhurst, Tring and Hammond. Contrary to popular belief, children awarded MDS places do not get 'free' places - they are means tested with a parental contribution based on gross income. Other than at RBS, not all children who are offered places are awarded MDS - hence some schools offer bursaries of up to 50% of the fees but others may have more experience to share of that. The amount of MDS places on offer varies from school to school and year to year. WIlderflower fingers crossed for a bursary - stay positive, the door is still open x Karen - congrats to your dd - bet she is over the moon! Good luck to all others still waiting for the postie - hope he/she brings good news xx 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancingmom Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 So sorry to read your news : ( wildflower. Fingers crossed one may come available.x We are still waiting for the post to arrive, I' ve brought the kids to the cinema, as the waiting for the post is so hard !!!! hopefully the letter will be there when we get home! : \ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancingmom Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 So sorry to read your news : ( wildflower. Fingers crossed one may come available.x We are still waiting for the post to arrive, I' ve brought the kids to the cinema, as the waiting for the post is so hard !!!! hopefully the letter will be there when we get home! : \ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancingmom Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 (edited) Amber4dancinstar I know how you feel I haven't told my dd the letters are out! I've taken her to rehearsals and when she gets home hopefully the post will have been x. Sorry don't know what I've done to your previous post lol x Edited April 7, 2012 by Dancingmom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaC Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 No letter for us today!!! Aaaarrrr!!! Im sure this waiting is going to finish me off!!!! Fingers crossed Dancingmom.xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancingmom Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Yippeeee one music and dance award for dd over the moon. Good luck to everyone still waiting xx 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Well done! :-)). Is that for Year 7 too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancingdaisy3 Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Well done everyone x will miss her so much dancing mom ;( x but dead proud and happy of her x 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilderflower Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 So sorry wilderflower you never know one may come available later fingers crossed for your dd!!! Xxxxxxx Thanks C4D but it's a year 10 place she's waiting for and I know they are few and far between!! will see what happens with regards to bursary and go from there!! unfortunately i dont think it's gonna be possible. will keep you all posted;-) well done to the MDS awards - excellent news for your dancers. congrats xxxxxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi'smom Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Fantastic news Dancingmom! Congratulations to your dd - another dream becomes reality! xx 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancingmom Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Well done! :-)). Is that for Year 7 too? Yes for year 7 xx 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie4dancin Posted April 7, 2012 Author Share Posted April 7, 2012 No mds for my little dd devastated she is!!!! Congrats on the yes letters I know how how hard it is to get them :( Cx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Interested Parent Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Dreaded letter has arrived - no MDS (DD very upset) and we have already been down the bursary route last year Well done to all those with MDS offers and very sad to hear about those who haven't had an offer. Maybe next year????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwimum Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Oh C4D and Interested Parent...am sad to read of your rotten news. That is so disappointing. Just hold on to the fact that your lovely dancers are talented as they wouldn't have gotten to the finals otherwise.....and their time WILL come!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi'smom Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 C4D So so sorry to hear your news. A big hug to your dd, such a lovely little girl whose dream deserved to come true xx Interested Parent sorry too that the news was not what you were hoping for. Hope your dd is ok and boy do I admire you for already planning to put yourself through it all again next year! We hear so many wonderful stories on here of how that deternination and resilience pays off. Good luck xx 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 (edited) My heart goes out to all those who have had bad news, and so hard as a parent to be powerless . Generally our children bounce back quicker than we do, and if it is any consolation - read about Max (CSB to BRB), from a local school to Central at 16, and now a contract with Birmingham Royal Ballet . There are many routes to success. Keep on keeping on. Congratulations to those who got a YES Edited April 7, 2012 by Seagazer 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pups_mum Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Big congrats to the "yesses" and commiserations for the "nos". Nobody gets this far without talent and determination so I'm sure there will still be good things to come for those who have been disappointed this time. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 I echo my congratulations for the "yes" s, very very well done! :-) Hugs and commiserations to the "no"s. Remember how very rare MDS places are for years 8 and above -and of course if there are fewer places because fewer people are assessed out then that's good. As Seagazer says, there are other routes and there's more choice for post sixteen training. xx 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaC Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Well my hubbie thought it would be fun to hide the letter for a while!!! DD has been given the MDS Award!!! One very happy little DD!!! And family!!!! : ) But also very sad for thoses without awards (c4d). Xxx 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi'smom Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Lovely news Amber4dancinstar- worth the wait! x 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachaelballet12 Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 congratulations Amber for Dancing great news and for everyone else with yes for funding sorry for cfor dancing and the other no letters remember they have all done well to get finals anyhow good luck for all waiting for bursaries xx 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emsloves2dance Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Congratulations Amber4dancin bet shes delighted !!! Congratulations to others who also have MDS well Done !! So Sorry for those who didnt get mds especially C4D hopefully she will move on and focus on whats next EYB might help her take her mind off it for a while ..... her time will come as will the others ..... xxx 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Dear C4d and Interesred parent DD and I both very sorry that you did not get the news you wanted today. We have enjoyed following your posts and know how you must feel tonight. Hope a good opportunity comes up for you soon - everything happens for a reason we believe. Xxx 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Interested Parent Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Thank you to everyone for your kind words. Just looking for a rich sponsor to offer the difference between the MDS and the bursary ;-) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glowlight Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 I have heard that, for some families bursaries can be more beneficial than MDS, because they are not means tested. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie4dancin Posted April 7, 2012 Author Share Posted April 7, 2012 (edited) Not on my salary it's not Thanks for the kind words Cx Edited April 7, 2012 by charlie4dancin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lildancer96 Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Well done to the yes 's and those with no's - you all did great to get that far . We know how you feeling all too well at the moment as we continue waiting ! Lil x x 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HAIRBELLES Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Hello Everyone This is my first post so here goes ....... Firstly huge congratulations for all those with MDS awards!!! I am posting this to offer a ray of hope for all those on the waiting list that, with all the will in the world will not be able to afford a bursary.. This time last year I had the worst Mothers Day ever after receiving no MDS for my youngest DD and a nail biting Easter waiting to see if anyone had declined their offers. After lots of tears (on my part as well) and driving everyone insane with the whys and whatifs we got on with the usual lessons and DD embarked on her Summer School with the CAT programme at Northern Ballet which we both loved.... Uniforms bought for Northern and local school, all thoughts of Hammond finally put to bed ,we got the call to say an award had become available 6!!!!!!! days before the start of term. Circumstances can change for any number of reasons don't lose hope just yet!!!! Thoughts are will you all tonight.... reading your posts has brought back lots of emotions and I feel for you all x 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 What a lovely post Hairbelles. :-). Welcome to the forum! :-)) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Well done to all of the children who have auditioned this year. Nobody understands how stressful all this can be, except those who have gone through it. I have mentioned on another topic about the 6th form auditions. There are so many children who have not gone to vocational school that were brilliant at the auditions and were also sucessful securing places that vocational children did not. If non vocational children have got really good dance teachers behind them and if they can attend an associate scheme or have access to a private teacher for a one to one session, then they are really, really not missing out. Try and view auditions as practice for 6th form places, have lots and lots of tries and if you are sucessful along the way eg year 8,9,10th then brilliant, and if it was not your time then it was only a practice along the way. I hope I am making sense as I feel that I am rambling. Good luck for next year everyone, it will soon come around again. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallbythesea Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 congratulations to those with yeses, comiserations to those with no & fingers crossed to those who are awaiting bursary info.xxx 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie4dancin Posted April 8, 2012 Author Share Posted April 8, 2012 (edited) Unable to sleep so trying to make sense of the amazing world of dance!!! Hammonds loss is most certainly our gain and we will get to keep our very talent dd for longer than she wished too the hardest part for me is trying to answer her contant doubts about whether she is physically right for ballet... As a mum I feel very guilty having allowed her to go through the whole process in the first place but have comfort in the fact it will make her stronger and prepare her for life whether or not she chooses dance or not. Obviously she feels like her dream has come to an end and will now be saying goodbye to her very dear friends who will be going off to dance school making it whole lot harder for her, one of which she has danced with for about 7/8 years and they have danced/trained/grown-up together!!' she is proud of her friends achievements but it is very bitter sweet for obvious reasons As a parent you feel your children's pain but still I DO believe things happen for a reason and I remain a strong believer in FATE and I know my dd will pick herself up very soon and move on because she is a tough little cookie as are all the other dd and ds who have for whatever reason not achieved their hopes and dreams Please remember life is what we make it and I will continue to support my dd in whatever she may choose to do in her life Cx Edited April 8, 2012 by charlie4dancin 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilderflower Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 Thanks Hairbelles for your post and welcome to the forum. Lovely to hear that your DD was offered a place at the last minute, how amazing, especially when you say you'd put it behind you and moved on. Not on my salary it's not Thanks for the kind words Cx This info is obviously for everyone but in particular those waiting for bursary info, like ourselves, who are weighing up whether or not we can afford to send DD. If you are in receipt of tax credits, I would strongly recommend you read the this, which I obtained from HMRC http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/tctmanual/tctm02630.htm. It may be possible for you to get help towards the boarding costs, which is hopefully some more "funding" if you like. Hope this helps someone. We are def going to be looking into this further and I'm not sure it's "common knowledge" tbh - have never seen anyone else share this info! Residential Boarding Schools The Working Tax Credit (Entitlement and Maximum Rate) Regulations 2002, Reg. 14 (1), (2) and (5) A person who is incurring and paying relevant childcare charges for a child in a residential boarding school, may be entitled to claim childcare costs providing that the school meets the conditions and those costs do not include any element for compulsory education. Example 1: A school charges £7,000 per year for compulsory education, and £1,500 per year for boarding which is provided as an option. The school provides an itemised invoice to show the £1,500 boarding fees. If the customer has chosen to pay for the additional fees for boarding, the childcare costs would be considered as relevant for tax credit purposes. Example 2: A school charges £8,000 per year for compulsory education, and breakfast and after school clubs. The fees are the same whether the child attends these clubs or not. The invoice shows that the fees for the clubs are £2,000 per year. As all parents are charged the same whether or not their child attends the clubs, the costs are not allowable. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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