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Cost of summer schools


Picturesinthefirelight

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I'm starting to investigate the options for dd for next summer but I know a lot of details are not up yet

 

I just wondered if anyone could remember from last year what the approximate costs are for residential summer schools as dd did mostly non residential in the past.

 

I'd sort of budgeted that we could stretch to about £300 but the one I looked at is almost £500. Is that usual for a week?

 

If so it's a non starter as that wouldn't be fair on ds as it would wipe out our family holiday budget (he didn't get to go on holiday last summer due to dds dancing.

 

They need to be the sort of summer school where dd would get permission to attend from her school.

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Hi Pictures

Northern Ballet Academy at Leeds is £225 (think I've looked at the right price) but on top of this you need accommodation on top of this if it is too far to travel.

For the money I cannot recommend NBA highly enough. Both my girls have attended the Summer School and gained a tremendous amount from the teaching there.

As your dd is a vocational student she wouldn't need to audition.

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Yorkshire Assembly summer school in York is about £360 I think - residential, less if non residential.  My DD went there at your DDs age and found it very good.  Ballet Cymru is very good but non residential for under 18s.  Obviously that means combining a family holiday again but Cardiff with the DR Who stuff and the Techniquest museum are not far away and it is definitely within easy reach of the beach.  We've stayed at a nearby Travelodge but do know of people who stayed at campsites in the area.

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If you thought NBA might be the one for you, I think Leeds makes a good base. The Armouries Museum is fab for youngsters and places like Knaresborough are in easy reach by public transport. Depending on the age of your son, the Eureka Museum for children is in Halifax.

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Your DD is the right age for both Yorkshire Assembly and Ballet Cymru ballet course 3.  When DD did Yorkshire Assembly they were grouped by vocational grade (and time in each grade).  Teaching was excellent and had the benefit of including a few classes in their vocational grade also.  It was a few years ago though so it may have changed. I had 2 children to keep occupied during the day and we managed but it would have been harder if the weather had been bad and if they had not had each other to play with.  Ballet Cymru is 9.30 - 5.30 Monday-Friday with a show on the Saturday afternoon.  The first year my DD did Ballet Cymru I had an 11 year old DD with me to keep occupied during the day and we found plenty of things to do while elder DD was busy.  Techniquest is a museum for children - very much a hands on how science works.  The beach is not that far away and there are swimming pools and parks a plenty.

 

I'm not sure of the age range or price for Midlands Theatre ballet summer school in Birmingham, which might be a possibility for you.  Centrepointe in Manchester do a summer school for about £150, again not sure of ages. 

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I think the SS at Centre Pointe in Manchester was for grade 2 and above last year. There were 3 groups; the oldest advanced students, the inter and intermediates and the younger ones in grades 2-4. The groups tend to change depending upon who attends. Each group did ballet, contemporary and jazz and there was a short performance of the dances learnt on the last day. I think the hours were 10-4pm.

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Yorkshire Assembly sadly no longer includes RAD vocational exam work, although the groups do seem to be arranged on level attained/grade passed rather than on age. Olivia Pickford is one of the regular teachers, along with Brenda Last who teaches the senior ballet groups - DD loved both of these teachers. Gill Caplan also teaches although she seemed to be with the more junior/less experienced ballet groups. I agree that at c £ 360 for a residential place it is very good value for money, with a full timetable of ballet, jazz and contemporary classes plus organised evening activities such as swimming and barbecues and as it is held at Queen Margaret's school in Escrick the facilities are great (beautiful grounds, swimming pool, its own theatre where the end of summer school show is held etc). It runs from Monday from c 9-10 am, depending on the check in time allocated to your DC's group, until Thursday when the performance takes place at c 6pm and if it follows the same pattern as previous years this year's summer school will be Monday 4th - Thursday 7th August.

Edited by Legseleven
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Haven't been to either yet (hoping for YBA this summer finances permitting!) but I live in York and one of the committee for York Scholars is one of my regular teachers. Yorkshire Ballet Assembly is the summer school in Escrick, which is run by the same people as the York Scholars scheme (http://www.yorkshireballetscholarshipcentre.com/) and the Yorkshire Ballet Summer School (YBSS: http://www.ybss.co.uk/index.php) is separate. YBSS is run by Marguerite Porter and the contact address is Richmond, Surrey so maybe related to Elmhurst or something? Someone else will be able to tell you about that!

 

It's a bit confusing but hope that helps!

 

 

 

Edited to say sorry I was posting at the same time as picturesinthefirelight

Edited by FullContretemps
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I have a feeling the Sussex summer school which last year was held near Forest Row( near Ashdown Forest) is not too expensive. I need to check last years summer school chats to be absolutely sure. Lots of lovely places for ds about 45 mins to an hour though from various seaside resorts.

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There is also National Youth Ballet which while not "officially" a summer school does hold a residential school (was at Tring when my DD participated) It is a lovely experience and culminates in performances to family/friends and public. Entry is by audition - London and Leeds.  Scholarships/Bursarys are available via application. My DD thought it was a wonderful (tho not cheap) experience. Their website is http://nationalyouthballet.org/2014-auditions/ . They take both juniors and seniors.

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Another question - after having looked at a couple if the links.

 

Most of them group according to the last exam passed & ask for details on the form.

 

The last ballet exam dd took was Grade 2 in 2011! (Changes of syllabus, panto & shows meant the teacher didnt enter her ckass fir an exam)

 

She now doesn't do graded syllabus (though she started inter foundation in September)

 

What would I put? Her classmates at her old dance school have just started Grade 4 work.

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There will be no problem putting that your DD is working at intermediate foundation level especially as she is at a vocational school. Some students don't take exams so don't know their 'grade' level in any event. Obviously it is a simple short cut to use the last exam passed and grade currently studied as a guide to grouping summer school students appropriately but I can't imagine anyone would imagine that your DD must only be at grade 3 level as her last exam was grade 2! I am also sure that if necessary your DD would be moved into a different class/group at summer school if it seemed that she had inadvertently been placed incorrectly; but a student working on RAD inter foundation should be easily allocated.

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