SpaceForDance Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 I’m new on here, so my apologies if this is not the correct forum to post this but – I am having a bit of a panic about our Grade 3 RAD exam this week. Can anyone explain to me what the difference is between the ‘ordinary exam’ and the ‘class award’. (I have looked at the RAD web site) I understand that the teacher is in the exam room, but what is the teacher permitted to do? Verbal prompts? Counting? I don’t know what to expect. Thanks in anticipation. S4D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 Hello SpaceforDance and welcome to the forum. Yes, you are in the right place! :-) I found this on the RAD website: "After the Examiner has checked the students' names, the teacher can conduct the class in his/her own manner. The teacher may interject and remind the students from time to time, but should refrain from demonstrating or counting throughout the exercises. Teachers may move around the room as felt necessary, but the Examiner's view should not be obscured. Generally, standing near the piano or at one of the downstage corners is the most comfortable position from which to conduct the class. The Examiner may ask to see an exercise a second time, and may speak to the students from time to time. The Presentation Class must be kept within the stated time limit. Teachers can bring either the syllabus or a list of the exercises into the studio as an aide- memoire." http://www.rad.org.uk/files/ART190_Handbook%20for%20teacher%20-%20GRADES.pdf So yes, verbal prompts are acceptable but counting and demonstrating are not. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2dancersmum Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 Welcome to the forum. I may not be correct in this as my DDs have never done the class awards but I thought that for the class award the teacher led the class as normal, but obviously without giving comments/praise/corrections and that the examiner observes and assesses the class on their general level. For the 'ordinary exam' there is no teacher present. The examiner directs the students through the syllabus and assesses each student individually against the specification. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa O`Brien Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 Can`t help with your question,but just wanted to welcome you to the Forum,SpaceForDance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceForDance Posted November 18, 2013 Author Share Posted November 18, 2013 Many thanks for the above, and especially the RAD link. I was looking through the syllabus section and had missed that. I think I was searching for ‘class award’ (as per the exam entry paperwork) rather than ‘presentation class’. I now feel much for confident about what to expect! (I’m volunteered to operate the music – hence my interest in what happens in the exam room) S4D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 I think the RAD changed the name of the presentation class to class award when they brought in the recent syllabus changes to the grades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2dancersmum Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 I think the class award is actually new and slightly different to the presentation award. I found a brief explanation of the types of exams/awards offered on the RAD site. http://pilot-rad.org.uk/achieve/exams/what-we-do/types-of-exams-quick-guide 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceForDance Posted November 18, 2013 Author Share Posted November 18, 2013 (edited) Thanks. It appears to be two different things: Class Awards(Grade 1-3) Class Award syllabus (all exercises and one dance), led by the teacher Presentation Class(Grade 4 - 7) Selection of exercises from the syllabus, led by the teacher Both say 'led by the teacher' so I wonder if it is safe to assume the same rules apply? Has anyone out there done this award? S4D Edited November 18, 2013 by SpaceForDance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 Yes, two different things, although I think it used to be called a presentation class for all the grades before? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 Are they two different things purely because of the grades involved - but in essence the same, i.e. the teacher being present and taking the class, and the dancers being given an award? Might sound like a strange question, S4D, but are you a parent, or a student? I just wonder what it is that is worrying you and why, and whether your (or your child's) teacher could help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2dancersmum Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 I think the presentation classes have always been with examiner observation rather than assessment and for all grades there were presentation classes. I called this class award new simply because it is an assessed class, rather than just observed and talking with DD's teacher she described it as 'new'. Our studio has entered children in for the class award for grade 1 but as I said my DDs are older so they were not part of it. I won't see DDs teacher until the weekend to ask and I think that is too late to help SapceforDance. For what its worth I would have thought the same rules apply as both are 'led by teacher' - only personal opinion though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pas de Quatre Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 There is a difference because Grades 1-3 are the new syllabus, Grades 4 & 5 are still the old one, the new one for those two will be released in January. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceForDance Posted November 18, 2013 Author Share Posted November 18, 2013 Might sound like a strange question, S4D, but are you a parent, or a student? I just wonder what it is that is worrying you and why, and whether your (or your child's) teacher could help? I am a parent (father), but for the purpose of this query I’m the bloke that operates the music. Both for the exams, ballet productions, and so on. I’ve not done class award before and just like to be prepared before I walk in. This is all most helpful. :-) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurora Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 I've just been reading about the class award and it says it is assessed but the result gives a broad indication of standard rather than a detailed breakdown. So is it easier to pass than the exam do you think? If not I'm wondering why a teacher would chose that over exams. Perhaps for less confident children that need more guidance I guess. Just wondering if the pass level is the same... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 Dd's teacher has entered a few students for class award/presentation award in the past - I THINK on the basis that if the children had special educational needs (or couldn't cope with the stress and demands placed by having to go into an exam situation without teacher leading the class) then they would still get the sense of achievement of receiving a certificate or medal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 Some teachers tend to use the presentation classes/awards much more than others, from what people have mentioned to me in the past. DD's friend goes to a school where everyone moves up a grade at the same time, a few take the exam while the rest do the presentation (She's in grade 6 I think). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2dancersmum Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 DDs best friend is special needs and always did the presentation awards. She was unlikely to have ever passed an exam due to her physical limitations. From what her Mum said I was under the impression that the Presentation award was more like a participation certificate. This new class award is definitely assessed. DD's teacher wondered the same as Aurora about pass levels etc and she decided to enter the same children for both the standard grade 1 exam and the class award for grade 1 in a recent exam session as a means of comparison. I've not heard the results yet. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurora Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 (edited) I'd be interested to hear them when they come 2dancersmum! Edited November 18, 2013 by Aurora Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemongirl Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 You sound very committed spacefordance. Nice to see a Dad on here! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now