White Lodge Sept start

[LinMM]

I think it's the doing ones hair for an exam which can be difficult for some as some examiners are so fussy apparently that not a hair must be out of place.

All the people doing local exams recently were perfectly capable of doing their hair in the normal way but were worried about it being neat enough for their grade exams so parents or other adults including teachers help out on a special day like this. Also some people have more difficult hair than others eg people with very fine hair which refuses to stay in place sometimes!!

 

As a general rule of course you would expect a ten/eleven year old to be able to do own hair for ballet class and most other occasions except perhaps for ballet EXAMS and maybe weddings eg you are the bridesmaid!!!

[Pups_mum]

My DD struggled to put her own hair into a bun til she was about 12 or 13. She does have waist length hair that is very thick though, and to be fair, our hairdresser struggles to style it. I took her to the hairdresser to have it put up prior to a competition once in the hope tgat they would manage to get rid of the little wispy bits that I always struggled with. Two different girls had a go and as soon as we left tge salon DD asked me to re do it as they hadn't got it secure enough. I think perhaps they were scared of hurting her whereas I have learned to be fairly brutal over the years! She makes a pretty decent job of it herself now, but has never achieved the immaculate not a hair out of place look that some other girls have. She had it shoulder length for a while, but that was even worse as somehow without the length it seemed even thicker! I guess she is destined to always look just slightly scruffy - takes after her mum!

[JulieW]

This is exactly why WL say (and I presume they still do) that girls' hair should be shoulder length. Much easier to deal with! I remember seeing a London JA, who had hair to her bottom, but at the end of term before she stated at WL it was up to her shoulder blades

[LinMM]

Can you have very short hair at WL if you want or do they like you to have it long enough be able to put up in a bun? If so that might solve a few problems!

 

It's amazing how long some people can grow their hair. I read an article which said the length of your hair is programmed into your genes which is why some people are the opposite and just don't seem to get much beyond shoulder tip length.....which would explain my own hair.

 

But Ive said before doing people's hair is one of my worst nightmares I think if I had a DD doing an important vocational level exam I'd have toget someone else to do it or take her to the hairdresser just before I'd be too nervous let alone do my own hair!!

Sorry might be a bit of topic here but best of luck to anyone's DD or DS starting at WL in September and hope to see them in the RBS school matinee this time next year!

[DancingtoDance]

This is exactly why WL say (and I presume they still do) that girls' hair should be shoulder length. Much easier to deal with! I remember seeing a London JA, who had hair to her bottom, but at the end of term before she stated at WL it was up to her shoulder blades

WL also states "no fringes" in one of their Documentations. Elmhurst states that girls' hair must be shoulder length (at least a few years back it did). Just as WL did and probably still does according to JulieW - I presume that some other vocational and local ballet schools also state that?.

 

LinMM, I think your question is a very good one! I definitely hope having short hair or fringes when auditioning for WL or Elmhurst doesn't affect your chances too much. But what if someone had as much potential and are as suited for the school, but one has short hair or fringes, which one are they going to take? But everyone is different and shines at different things.

 

But the schools might argue that by having short hair or fringes (for girls) they are breaking the schools' policies/rules - and by breaking the rules they are they are not only destroying the reputation of the school, but putting themselves at greater risk as they are not following instructions.

 

Or maybe hair can grow long enough from March to September and maybe if someone with short hair or fringes is accepted they can state that hair must be at least shoulder length!!!!

 

But even if they do it doesn't tell us whether it is likely or not to affect the chances of getting in itself....

Edited July 18, 2013 by DancingtoDance

[JulieW]

I hope that's tongue in cheek rather than a serious question ;-) I can't see them basing their decision on your hair length :-)

[Actsingdance]

Dd used to have a fringe and decided (against my wishes) she wanted to grow it out. It took about 2 years in total!

 

At Hammond induction there were a couple of boys unhappy they were going to have to cut their hair.

[Stirrups36]

I believe fringes are not allowed as facial expression includes the eybrow and forehead area (same for boys as girls) and fringes too long, especially towards the end of the term, can reduce the visibility of this key area of expression.

 

that's what we have been told by all our child's teachers since, well, forever!

 

however, as a boy, he doesn't have the bun hassle (just the dance belt hassle... and that's a whole different thread).

[LinMM]

Dance belt hassle.....what on earth can this be...intrigued!!

[tomuchtallent]

My dd is 10 and has hair down to her bottom.She can do her own bun very well.So if she went to vocational school would they still ask her to cut it?

[JulieW]

Possibly, tomuchtalent

 

And jockstraps Linmm!

[Billyelliott]

Yes dance belt hassle ! It's as ba as gettig used to wearing a bra for the first time !

My DS has been practicing wearing it for the local dance school summer show ..... Not much impressed!

[LinMM]

Thanks Julie ????????!!

[Lisa O`Brien]

When I was part time at Northern Ballet School in Manchester from ages 12 to 15,they didn`t mind too much if our hair in a bun was a little bit iffy. But on the day of an RAD exam,everyone`s hair was done for them by either one of the teachers or one of the full time students,to make sure it was perfect. They also used to put hairspray at the knot part of our ribbons,to ensure no coming undone during the exam. When we had to quickly change ,back in the changing room [at NBS] into character shoes and skirt, the ballet ribbons were cut away with a pair of scissors so they didn`t waste time trying to unpick sticky ribbons.

[pas de chat]

I hate doing DD's hair for exams as she has the worse double crown and heaps of new growth under her long fringe!  We try and do the front as a sweep to the side style.

 

She tries to do her own hair but it is always a mess but at least she tries.  I'm hoping a week away without mummy might bring her hairdressing skills on.

[LinMM]

One can always live in hope!!

 

Unfortunately for my mum my hairdressing (or sewing or knitting) skills never really came in!!

[Ribbons]

Hi all,

 

I'm wanting to know people's thoughts on the influenza vaccination which WL offers to all of their pupils. My DD is due to start in Sept. The letter from the RBS says "Because of the tight-knit community in a boarding School it is advisable for children to be vaccinated" Ive never had any dealings with this vaccination before so just wondering from people who have experience with WL, do they all mostly go ahead & get it done?

Edited July 24, 2013 by Tippy_Toes

[hfbrew]

Hi all,

I'm wanting to know people's thoughts on the influenza vaccination which WL offers to all of their pupils. My DD is due to start in Sept. The letter from the RBS says "Because of the tight-knit community in a boarding School it is advisable for children to be vaccinated" Ive never had any dealings with this vaccination before so just wondering from people who have experience with WL, do they all mostly go ahead & get it done?

Of course. The students are together 24/7 in a fairly confined environment so it stands to reason that if one students contracts an illness more will follow. And because they are doing such physically demanding work,they will be more susceptible at their age.

 

Id rather my child be immunised than get flu! Ds says medical staff very nice!

[Fiz]

We all have the flu vaccination in our house as we all have asthma. I wouldn't think twice about having it done. Flu can be dreadful.

[Billyelliott]

Highly recommended !

[Ribbons]

Thanks everyone... I have no problem with her having it, I was just wondering what the uptake on it was. Think I'll tell DD nearer the time though as she hates injections!

[along for the ride mum]

That's an interesting point, I wonder if any of the other schools do it, or if we could get it done at home. I was also wondering about ( forgive my ignorance, I don't know the name) the injections that girls get in yr 7 ((or 8) against the virus that causes cervical cancer. In our local secondary school they all have it, on mass at school. Does that happen everywhere. or will ppl we need to sort that out at home, I wonder?

[Lifeafterballet]

Dd's vocational school certainly do the HPV vaccine in year 8 with the parents permission. The girls are given all the information too ! They, so far, have not offered any influenza immunisations. IMO if you are in a high risk group then go for it but otherwise I would be reluctant to sign up for it. Might be worth discussing it with your dd's gp first.

[along for the ride mum]

Thank you CDR 

[KathyG]

At Elmhurst they only give the flu jab to those who need it (Asthma sufferers).  Though DS managed to evade his last autumn.

[pas de chat]

You only get the flu vaccine at your GPs if you are in the high risk category, if you want it privately then you have to go elsewhere like Asda/Boots etc and it is usually under £10.   Your own GP will not be able to provide it privately for you as it is against their contract to charge their own patients for the flu jab.  You can go to another GP surgery however and pay privately. They are looking at giving all school children the flu vaccine whether they are high risk or not.  They do this in many countries as children are often the spreaders of the virus!  They haven't worked out the logistics yet so it won't be happening this year but if my DD was at risk I would def. make her have the jab.

 

All schools must give children the HPV as part of the national contract.   If your child decides to opt out during the year they are meant to have it they risk having to have it done at a later stage in their teens but done privately.  It costs about £85/£95 per jab and they must have 3.  Most private organisations charge about £400/£550.  A small jab in the arm is far less painful than a day en pointe and is free during that year at school - a total no brainer!

 

Sorry to bore you all!

[Pas de Quatre]

As I do not qualify for a free flu vaccination at GP, I have had one at Superdrug the last few years.  It cost me less than £10 (although DD says hers in London cost more).  With vocational pupils it isn't just the time off while they are ill with flu, which can be 2 - 3 weeks, but the residual weakness which can last months.  

[Pups_mum]

I would guess that the thinking ar WL is that as there is quite a large number of children living in close proximity (are they in dormitories with quite a few in each room?) they want to do what they can to minimise the risk of an infectious disease through the school.Flu spreads largely by droplets containing the virus that are released into the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes or even talks. Unfortunately this starts happening about 24 hours before the infected person becomes unwell, and the droplets spread up to something like 6ft. So the illness can spread very quickly through places like schools and offices where people are closely co located for much of the day. I guess in a residential school where the children are together 24/7 the risks are further magnified. Of course for many people flu is a very unpleasant but short lived illness. Those with pre existing illnesses, very young children, the elderly and pregnant women are most at risk of becoming seriously unwell so that is why they have been targeted by the NHS immunisation programme so far. In other countries, such as the USA, it is part of the standard childhood immunisation programme and the vaccine is also going to be more widely offered here. I think that the epidemic a couple of years ago realise how serious a flu outbreak can be and more people are interested inbeing immunised now. I am without doubt biased as I have seen the very worst that flu can do, and my children and myself have been uneventfully immunised for years. So I am strongly of the opinion that the benefits outweigh the risks of immunisation. However, nothing is ever 100% black and weight and it is a personal decision. If you are unsure about the pros and cons probably the best thing todo is to talk to your GP, practice nurse or health visitor and get some further information.

[Picturesinthefirelight]

My husband is a teacher and in the past in the area we used to live has been offered it because of that.

[Spax]

12 in each dorm

[Nana Lily]

Just to clarify the HPV programme, the vaccine is only offered to girls. Currently it's not offered to boys, which is quite scandalous. A number of my friends have paid for their sons to have the vaccine privately.

[pas de chat]

I'm afraid this is down to lack of funds in the NHS as it was introduced for girls to protect themselves against cervical cancer which is very common and kills 1000 women a year in the UK.  At the moment the only evidence there is for boys to have the HPV vaccine is to prevent some rare forms of cancer in males -  I won't go into details.  

 

I don't necessarily agree with this decision from a moral stand point but I understand financially why they haven't rolled out the programme to the boys based on the current financial crisis within the NHS.  This may change of course you never know with the NHS - they tend to have flavour of the year style funding!

 

However like your friends I would provide the vaccine privately for my son and will do so when he is older.

[Spax]

where do ds get their blazers from, M & S, John Lewis or Len Smith?