Sadielou Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 So disgusted to find out that only 3 girls and 4 boys of the current year 11 White Lodge have been given places at the RBS Upper School. Doesn't say much about White Lodge training. Very sad for all those kids who have been told they are not classical enough for further training. Let's hope lessons are being learned and things are going to change dramatically over the next few years otherwise quite frankly what is the point of the RBS Junior school. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swanprincess Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Gosh, that doesn't sound good!! How many students are currently in year 11 at WL?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 (edited) I think describing it as carnage is a bit extreme but it may be very very hard for those involved. Please remember that there are parents directly involved on this forum who even if their child has been one of the fortunate few has friends who may not. Let's give support for the monent whilst it's raw, not sensationalism. Sadielou - I don't know if you or your friends are directly affected but if you are we are all thinking if you as you support the dc through this difficult time. The dream does not have to end - there are many paths to Rome. Edited March 16, 2015 by Picturesinthefirelight 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 That is very few. I wonder whether Powney's arrival at the school has had an effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieW Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 I understand what you're saying Sadielou but I have changed the title of the thread. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 That is very disappointing - I'm so sorry for all the students affected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Yes it is very sad. Why are nearly all of them no longer allegedly suitable for upper school training at the Royal? What is wrong with home grown training? This discussion arises again and again. Why aren't schools who take the most talented more loyal to their students. My heart goes out to these kids. If it's one or two who are no longer suitable for a schools regime of training then fine, but to not take the majority through, strange??? 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 I agree Tulip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa O`Brien Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Yes it is very sad. Why are nearly all of them no longer allegedly suitable for upper school training at the Royal? What is wrong with home grown training? This discussion arises again and again. Why aren't schools who take the most talented more loyal to their students. My heart goes out to these kids. If it's one or two who are no longer suitable for a schools regime of training then fine, but to not take the majority through, strange??? And if they were no longer suitable for a school`s regime of training,then why keep them for the full 8 years,raising their hopes? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa O`Brien Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Sorry, 5 years at WL. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 The numbers are unbelievable & my heart goes out to those children & their families tonight. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 I suppose they say that they keep them throughout the last two years for GCSE exams, but thing like body shapes etc change. But surely a majority of student don't change? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pas de Quatre Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 So sad to hear this. I wonder who they are taking - competition winners from Prix de Lausanne and YAGP perhaps? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balletla Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 I think the girls group was quite small to start with (maybe 10?) and some had already decided to focus on academics and not to pursue a ballet route, so maybe not as bad as it sounds. Sympathy to those who didn't get a place though but take comfort from the many before you who have gone on to have successful careers through other schools. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 I wonder why the government don't investigate, after all a huge amount of money has been used to support our most talented dancers. I believe the government should be asking why suddenly so many student at White Lodge are no longer suitable for upper school, and also who are being offered places for upper school and why? 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sadielou Posted March 16, 2015 Author Share Posted March 16, 2015 Of course the dream doesn't have to end and I am quite sure that those that want to carry on will do so. and hopefully, show those in charge at the RBS what they missed. I just think that it is beyond disgusting that the RBS think so little of the students that they have trained for the last 5 years. And I don't think it is sensationalist to be disgusted that this is the way the RBS treat their students when only 7 from 24 are given places. Very sad for all those involved feel for both students and parents alike. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 So sad to hear this. I wonder who they are taking - competition winners from Prix de Lausanne and YAGP perhaps? Quite possibly - Christopher Powney was in Lausanne on the day RBS held their London upper school preliminary audition this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 My daughters friend went on to train at ENB after White Lodge, she was always beautiful to watch with that lovely RB training, but she has absolutely thrived at ENB and I know that she will do well. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miracle Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Maybe more international students are being looked at. Not sure if international students come with more income for the school.I know that discussions into hiring out WL to make money happened a year or so ago. Is there not 14 girls & 14 boys in Yr11 so 28 in year only a quarter into Upper School. So 21 children going for places at other schools.x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa O`Brien Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 I understand about the pressures of GCSE`s but maybe they ought to assess every year,then the ones who have made it through 5 years of assessments really are good enough for Upper School. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 They do assess every year except for Year 10 as GCSEs are a two year course. You can't change school after year 10 as a general rule & those who do generally accept they have thrown away their chances of passing GCSES. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 I truly believe that they are good enough but others have auditioned who they consider to be better for reasons non of us will probably know about. Well done to the student that were kept, but they must be upset to be losing so many friends whom they have lived with for quite a few years, a bitter sweet pill. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stirrups36 Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 It's difficult times for those who wanted to stay, but aren't. And full results are not yet out, but maybe it also reflects positively on other schools training students who then get to upper school? Just a different thought, without seeing international makeup of the whole cohort. And of course, many who aren't staying will go elsewhere, continue to get great training and will dance professionally, so the MDS support is not wasted. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
invisiblecircus Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 (edited) It is disappointing and I'm sorry to all those who were hoping for an upper school place and didn't get one but wasn't there a very high number of WL students accepted into upper school last year? This is surely something that varies year after year and if, as Ribbons said, not everyone was even going for an upper school place then the result might not be as disappointing as it sounds. I don't think we should start worrying unless this situation starts happening year after year. Remember also that no year 10s are assessed out, so some students might already have not met the standard by the end of year 10. Edited March 16, 2015 by invisiblecircus 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 How many places are there in each year of the upper school? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 I wasn't meaning that MDSs were wasted, more about looking at why these students are no longer suitable for upper school training and yet they are good enough for top schools such as ENB. I wish all of these young kids all the best of luck with their lives. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belljul Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 There is often more to the "numbers game" than you think. There are quite a few who have decided to stop dancing for their own reasons, and there are also a few badly injured. Some even wanted other schools. Each year is different. Almost all the previous year went through to upper school. It is devastating for those who badly wanted it and it will be a while before things move in a better direction for them. I'm thinking of them tonight. 19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Well said belljul 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melody Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Well, let's hope there are some good reasons, but just three girls? That sounds pretty bad. I hope this isn't going to be a case of stuffing the upper school with winners from the big competitions that the RBS apparently won't let its own students enter. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 We really need to see how this US year is made up before any assumptions can be even thought about. The daughter of a colleague was at a lower school (not WL) and soon realised she did not want to dance ballet professionally. She went to an MT US. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Yes, it will be interesting to find out (once they have arrived at the school) where the students have come from. How many have come from WL? How many have come from other UK vocational schools? How many have come from local schools? How many have come from schools abroad? As others have said, this may be an untypical year with an unusually large number of WL students deciding to pursue academic studies in mainstream schools or continue their training elsewhere. Of course, there may be other explanations for the low number of WL students proceeding to the upper school. It's obviously a sensitive time to discuss this and speculate further but it will be interesting to see whether this is the start of a trend. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 A friend of a friends daughter is in the final year at WL and has been very upset (ringing home in the middle of the night) by the atmosphere there just at present so it must be tough on them all. I didn't think they had made this selection for Upper School just yet so must have been the last couple of days?? I was told there is a minimum number of students which have to go through from WL each year......but beyond that .....the minimum or more from any given year may get through. I don't know whether there HAS to be a certain percentage from outside the RBS or not ......or whether it is just all down to merit at the time of audition........which may explain why some years not so many go through. In my years as an ordinary teacher I often noticed that some years the students as a cohort were particularly good overall and in other years not so good and this must happen at ballet schools too. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Just wanted to add that until now this DD has been very happy training at WL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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