2littledancers Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 I was wondering if anyone has had any recent experience with the examining of the new grade 3 syllabus ? My Youngest daughter has recently been examined on it and although the result was good , compared to other exams I could not help but feel that it had been examined rather cautiously. Approx 20 pupils took the exam from my daughters dance school and although the marks crossed the whole of the marking spectrum , they were all slightly on the low side. I was just wondering if any other people had experienced similar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurora Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 The new work is a lot harder than the old syllabus, about a grade level higher I would say. Did your dd spend longer than she normally would have working towards it or was it done in the usual timeframe? Dd's school are spending at least an extra 6 months on it so the children are taking the exam later than they normally would. If your dd has done it in the usual time that might account for a difference in the marks but perhaps the teacher will acknowledge it and take a little longer on the next grade to balance it out a bit. Also it's new to the examiners too, once they've done a few sessions they will be more used to seeing the level the children are achieving and may adjust their marking a little, or the RAD might feel that the marks are lower than they had expected and adjust to guidelines to examiners. I know when the marking system changed a few years ago suddenly most students were getting much higher marks than usual but the RAD quickly responded to that and they went back to a more normal level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Dd has spent a lot longer on this Grade and the teacher also recommended the Grade 4s who were the last cohort to take Grade 3 on the old syllabus take the Grade 3 class slongside Grade 4 as the syllabus is harder. Because of their biannual show they will be doing the exam in the autumn. She took Grade 2 two years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2dancersmum Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 At DDs school they are also taking a lot longer on the new grade 3 syllabus and the grade 4s were also asked to take the class. The first group to be examined for the school on the new syllabus is next month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snape Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Hi there, My little 9 year old DD has just done the new RAD grade 3 and just had results back. She did well a good distinction but..... Not so everybody. All results but my little girls were down dramatically, some by 20 marks! most by at least 10. Teacher was a bit shocked to say the least! Lots of very disappointed children. Two students just scraped a pass who have always been mid merits and lots of children that normally get, or get near to a distinction got merits or low merits. The examiner was very harsh with all grades actually( hardest examiner yet apparently) but the grade 3's seem to get the brunt of it. The class started studying the old grade but then switched to the new grade when teacher had been on the course. Most of the girls in DD's class are 1,2,3 or more years older than her. They all work hard and have extra lessons and practice at home, most have had a few private lessons as well. I think if they have done all the old grades up to grade 3 and just then the new grade 3 it must be very difficult as it is so different. ( I do like the new grade 3 though) I have the video and it even seems a big jump from new grade 1/2 to 3, let alone the old one. Lot's of the moves seem to be joined up and it seems to my untrained eye they really do need a lot of core strength which they have been able to get away with out having so far and concentration. They also do not have the character exercises or the freemovement which a lot of children could claw back marks on. DD's class all really enjoyed the new work and music ( they felt like real ballerinas) ;-) It seems in DD's class the strong ones with good technique & turnout did well and the normal gaps in the marks grew a lot wider. I think the marking system has also changed so that probably played a part. I do think they must be marking a lot stricter, but this may not be a bad thing. Anyway they are all finding grade 4 quite easy!... The only problem is that with the new grade 4-5 coming this Jan I think, they will have done old grades up to 2, new grade 3, old grade 4, then New grade 5 ( It must be a nightmare for the children getting used to one thing and changing back and forth!) They will probably struggle again with new grade 5. It gives me a head ache! I wish they could have introduced them this January and gone for some continuity. Hey ho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snape Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Also forgot to ask… How were your pianists? Are they struggling with the music? We used the same one as usual and had rehearsals but he really struggled with the new music for all new grades 1-3. ( we don’t have a pianist usually, just a few rehearsals before exam) The practice was scary! DD’s teacher was changing lots of things, pianist was complaining it had all been written wrong! Nightmare, it took ages. So it must have been new to him. He is great with all the old syllabus music. Anyway when it came to the exam he played the classical dance piece at about twice the speed it should have been at and he played it fine in practice. She was number 1 as well, so really not expecting that!!! It was lucky really she was number 1 because I think the others would have been a bit taken back if they hadn’t heard the speed first. Not sure what they would have done. It was the first exam DD was upset about because she said she could not do it justice at that speed. Anyway her mark was good thankfully, but… her lowest score was the dance and she has never got less than 9 for it before, so it did make a difference if only by a mark or so. I thought the examiner would have stopped him. I don’t think they are supposed to really. DD’s teacher told pianist in break so at least all but the first 4 got nice slow music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 At dd's school they have a pianist most weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurora Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Dd's school are using the CD for the new grades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemongirl Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Has Grade 4 been changed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pas de Quatre Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Not yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpybearzuk Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 My dd did new grade 3 exam in November and did get a distinction but slightly lower score all the girls who took it got similar . They then did the solo performance grade 3 award in march and got distinctions again but slightly higher . My dd loved the new grade but was hard to learn , maybe it depends on which examiner you get? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2littledancers Posted May 22, 2013 Author Share Posted May 22, 2013 Thanks all for your comments , It wasnt so much my daughters score that i was querying , as even though its the lowest she was received , you can hardley grumble at a Distinction with 86 , but like Snape said many of the other dancers who would normally achieve a reasonable merit only just scraped one or got a pass .I think It just seemed to me that the Benchmark had not quite been set yet and the examiners were being over cautious , or in fact maybe the new syllabus truly highlights strenghs and weaknessess in a child ability. Aurora , your right the work is a great deal more difficult and lovely at the same time and so much more enjoyable to watch , my daughter loved it , and is now thoroughly bored in grade 4 ( back to plinky plonkey boring work she says!!) She took 18 months to study it so wasnt rushed through the exam. Although DD teacher is thinking of doing just that with grade 4 , so once the new grade 5 comes out in Jan , she can commence with learing that straight away , taking her time to perfect that over the next 18 months , but im also very reluctant to push her through as she is still very young. Snape , we used the cd s for the music . 1st time , as had a great pianist playing the old stuff , but actually the students preferred it. I do think your right grumpybearzuk , it depends what examiner , they are all human at the end of the day. What are the solo performance awards , our school doesnt do these , it would be something my daughter would love as loves performing , ie festivals etc , speaking of which , got the All England semi finals to take up the whole of my half term , oh the joys !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legseleven Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Your DD could just miss out grade 4, 2littledancers and move straight on to take the new grade 5 exam? There is no requirement to take the children's grades in order. My DD never took her grade 2 for various reasons - she learned the work but was moved up to do grade 3 and it caused no problems for her. I know that there are minimum age restrictions which may mean that your DD can't do her grade 5 exam just yet but if possible perhaps she could study grades 4 and 5 simultaneously and a decision could be made later on as to whether she takes the grade 4 exam or misses it out. I am so glad that the new children's work is considered more enjoyable to dance as well as more difficult. The new IF and intermediate are also more difficult but much 'dancier' than the old syllabi and Snape's comments about the new work being more joined up and making the students feel like ballerinas are very relevant to the IF and Intermediate. Your DD will be well prepared for the IF and intermediate syllabi! My DD is hoping that the new Advanced work will be along the same lines - first teachers' workshops for those in the next few months, so fingers crossed! I am also hoping that her vocational examiner teacher will already have learned the new Advanced work, but will have to wait and see as she is only just back from lengthy examining sessions abroad...;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemongirl Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Gosh is a Grade 5 new as well? Dd starts that in September. Is it also much harder than the old one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2littledancers Posted May 22, 2013 Author Share Posted May 22, 2013 Think if I am correct the new grade 5 comes out in January , with teacher classes scheduled before that . DD S teacher will then dispense with the old and start with the new . She goes on to the new as soon as she has learnt it. If the other grades are anything to go by it will be a great deal harder and a lot more enjoyable . Does anyone know off the top of their heads if there is an age limit for grade 5 . I know there is one somewhere in the middle but wasn't sure if it was grade 5 or 6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loulabelle Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Minimum age of 7yrs for grade 5 and 11yrs for grades 6-8. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 You have to be 7 years to take Grade 1 and 11 to take Grade 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpybearzuk Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Hi 2littledancers solo performance award is a new optional add on to the grade exam. They do it after they have took main exam and then in next exam rounds they take the solo exam . There is 3 dances they learn classical ballet, freestyle ballet and character and they take it in turns to do their dance in front of the examiner. They are lively dances and my dd loved learning them and performing in front of her 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpybearzuk Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Oops lovely dances not lively!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemongirl Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 If the new Grade 5 comes out in January, does anyone know when's the latest you can take the old syllabus? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amber21 Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 I was wondering if anyone has had any recent experience with the examining of the new grade 3 syllabus ? My Youngest daughter has recently been examined on it and although the result was good , compared to other exams I could not help but feel that it had been examined rather cautiously. Approx 20 pupils took the exam from my daughters dance school and although the marks crossed the whole of the marking spectrum , they were all slightly on the low side. I was just wondering if any other people had experienced similar In my dd's grade 3 class I am aware the results were lower than usual by between 4 and 5 points. Still gaining distinctions. One girls results were higher probably due to private lessons. Our teacher made the girls aware that there was to be a trainee examiner accompanying the qualified examiner and that they would be double marked by both the experienced marker and trainee. In one of my dd's friends school they had the same experience both in terms of marks and 2 examiners. My dd has enjoyed the new graded work and is finding the old grade 4 quite easy in comparison. Ax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snape Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 (edited) At dd's school they have a pianist most weeks. We are very jealous! That is great. We struggle to get them for exams ( we do live in the middle of nowhere though) He comes from 2.5 hours away. Our lessons are already quite expensive I dread to think how much they would be with a pianist on top. Edited May 22, 2013 by Snape Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 We do pay £7 per lesson but its free to attend a 2nd ballet class. The pianist is there on Saturdays but not always in the week. She's been the dance school pianist for years and years and years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2littledancers Posted May 23, 2013 Author Share Posted May 23, 2013 I do think it s interesting how fees differ so vastly. Amber 21 , my daughter is also finding the grade 4 very easy , but im sure this will not be the case once starting the new grade 5 ! Lemongirl , if this release follows the trend of all the other new grades , the new syllabus is released this January 2014 and wont be available to be examined for a couple of terms after that , so I assume you can carry on taking the old exam up until that date. At my dd dance school though , the last round for the old syllabus will be November exams , then after xmas everyone will start on the the new syllabus. I do like the idea of the solo performance awards , something our dance school does not do , but I suppose the thinking behind that is that our students receive a great deal of performance opps from dancing in many festivals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurora Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 The new grades 4 and 5 are being released in January 2014 and examined from January 2015. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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