What do I do with DD?

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Katymac
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Re: What do I do with DD?

Post by Katymac »

Goodness - so you apply to the school, do an audition, if you get in you apply for funding

That's a lot of applying

I imagine getting in & not getting funding is awful for the children
Katymac
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Re: What do I do with DD?

Post by Katymac »

I had a long chat with the head of GCSEs at school

She is down for 14 qualifications but I have the set up wrong

She does
GCSE Spanish & Geography over yrs9 & 10
GCSE Maths, RE & Science (double or triple depending on he grade in yr 9) over yrs 10 & 11
GCSE Eng lang Yr 10
GCSE Eng Lit Y 11
Btech Dance & Science in Yr 9
An option in Yr 10 & 2 options in Yr 11

which is 13 or 14

We have agreed to drop RE and she might be able to do only one or two of the options depending on how it goes

Blimey!!
Overspent
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Re: What do I do with DD?

Post by Overspent »

Katymac wrote:Goodness - so you apply to the school, do an audition, if you get in you apply for funding

That's a lot of applying

I imagine getting in & not getting funding is awful for the children
Yes and no. My DD was initially really upset at getting offered a non-funded place but over time has realised how well she did to get offered the place at all. The thing is, if our children want a career in dance, drama or Musical Theatre Arts they are very likely to get "no"s and knock backs at some point in their career, so in some ways the earlier you get used to it the better. I know there are the odd few performers who have sailed through life and had a smooth path to the top but I think they are few and far between.

Auditioning is good experience in itself. :)
2dancersmum
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Re: What do I do with DD?

Post by 2dancersmum »

That breakdown of subjects now seems a lot more manageable, especially with dropping RE and possibly an option later on.
English Language and Literature courses overlap in that some study material is used for both so that won't be extra work for DD. Science is 25% each of physics, chemistry, biology and a practical - 2 x 45 mins exams of each subject for the dual award and an added 45 mins of each for the triple - there is quite a step up from dual to triple award. I imagine your year 9 science award introduces some of the topics studied later in more depth. Just keep a close eye on how your DD is going and make sure she is well organised with her time and I am sure she will be fine. I would also be inclined to get her to ask older friends about workloads of options and look at how each course is examined to choose the best fit for DD as some subjects get a lot more homework than others.
Katymac
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Re: What do I do with DD?

Post by Katymac »

I guess so - it still seems a lot to me

The thing with auditioning (to me) is that you are 'offering' something that you have virtually no reasonable chance of getting
2dancersmum
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Re: What do I do with DD?

Post by 2dancersmum »

It is still a lot of GCSEs, I agree but you will just have to see how she goes and keep communicating with the school. Certainly unless science is a real strength for your DD I would encourage her to do the dual award, rather than the triple, regardless of her year 9 grade. Having had 1 child do double and 1 do triple I can tell you the triple scince award does invlove a lot more work.

As for auditioning - I don't know the proportion of students in the lower schools of Tring, Hammond, Elmhurst etc funded by the MDS (Music and dance scheme) but it is supposed to be 50-60% for the over 16s on the DADA funded courses. I know it does vary between schools and courses. My DD wants to dance and has always wanted to dance so she is auditioning this year, knowing full well she needs a DADA to take up a place. She views it as good audition experience and although she will be disapointed if she does not get a DADA she says at least she knows that compared to her peers she is at the right standard to be offered a place in the first place. At 18 there are further options open to her with normal student loans and she will pursue this route after A levels if not successful this year. Just will need to find more dance classes at her level so that she can progress which is a lot easier said than done.
funnygirl
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Re: What do I do with DD?

Post by funnygirl »

At RBS, all lower school students qualify for MDS, but it is, of course, means tested so some may still pay full fees while some will pay almost nothing. At Elmhurst, probably about 90% are offered funding in the lower school and they do offer a very few non funded places, which is still a great achievement. Hammond have very few MDS places but do offer quite a few generous bursaries on top of this. Tring also have very few MDS places and don't have any bursaries or scholarships for the lower school dance course either and because of this they offer a huge number of non funded places so that they are able to attract enough students to remain viable.

I think the thing is to be honest with your child. If they know the odds and also that they cannot go without funding, then it does no harm to audition if that is what they want. And you never know - they may be one of the lucky ones!
Katymac
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Re: What do I do with DD?

Post by Katymac »

That sounds better fr those of you with Ballet girls. DD doesn't fit into the ballet really - she only started in September she is much more latin based iyswim; I doubt she'd keep up at one of those schools never mind get in ;)

She is doing OK ith her ballet I think - the teacher is aiming for Grade 5 at Easter as long as DD keeps learning the lower stuff as well as the Grade 5 stuff

I don't know I am out of my depth with all this
2dancersmum
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Re: What do I do with DD?

Post by 2dancersmum »

I agree that pre-16 is essentially more about ballet. I don't know the way forward for a latin/ballroom dancer. I suspect older dancers/teachers at the venue where she trains might be the best to tell her what options are availalbe. In terms of general dance though, courses for 18 year olds seem to veer towards contemporary rather than classical ballet. Even at 16 for some auditions my DD has had to do sections of ballet/jazz/contemporary and a solo of any dance genre of choice. She chose ballet but said she was easily in the minority and on a recent taster day for Hammond 6th form they offered commercial jazz, contemporary, street, singing and musical theatre - no ballet in sight. Regardless, ballet always seems to be a basic foundation and even though it is new for your DD it sounds like she is on course to have the right foundation.
Katymac
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Re: What do I do with DD?

Post by Katymac »

2dancersmum - Thanks for that
She is doing Ballet, tap, contemporary, modern, Ballroom & Latin & African dancing atm; goodness knows how that will end up - she does choir & theatre too (I'm knackered - even if she isn't)
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