Foundation at Laine

A place to talk about full time schools and post 16 training.

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HollyMae
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Foundation at Laine

Post by HollyMae »

Has anybody got any experience of the Foundation course at Laine ? Laine is my DDs first choice - partly due to reputation but also just a gut feeling at the audition. She has actually had a three year offer somewhere else which she was going to accept as that seemed the sensible thing to do but we can just about afford the Foundation course at Laine and although there is a risk she won't get onto their 3 year course at the end of it she is feeling that she'll regret not having a go . It is a gamble and we are going round and round in circles. Everyone seems to have different opinions and advice. Some are very cynical about Foundation courses generally. Anyone's DC been through a year there and come out the other side ?! :D
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jasmine2
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Re: Foundation at Laine

Post by jasmine2 »

HollyMae wrote:Has anybody got any experience of the Foundation course at Laine ? Laine is my DDs first choice - partly due to reputation but also just a gut feeling at the audition. She has actually had a three year offer somewhere else which she was going to accept as that seemed the sensible thing to do but we can just about afford the Foundation course at Laine and although there is a risk she won't get onto their 3 year course at the end of it she is feeling that she'll regret not having a go . It is a gamble and we are going round and round in circles. Everyone seems to have different opinions and advice. Some are very cynical about Foundation courses generally. Anyone's DC been through a year there and come out the other side ?! :D
first of all huge congratulations for the offers.. can I ask where the 3 year offer was for? I would always go for a 3 yr offer over a foundation as there are no guarantees of a place at the end of the year. Having said that if she works hard and gets hetself noticrd then she has a really good chance...good luck with whatever you decide xx
I believe that children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way.......
Felicity
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Re: Foundation at Laine

Post by Felicity »

Congrats on the offers. No experience re Laine but my DD is in a similar position re Foundation vs 3 year course indecision. She has 2 degree offers but is very probably going to Arts Ed to do the Foundation in MT this September. There’s no guarantee of where she will end up after this year but she feels that at the moment Arts Ed is right for her. However, she is also on the Reserve for the MT degree at Trinity which she also felt passionate about when she auditioned, so if she is offered a place off the reserve, she will go to Trinity instead.

At the end of the day your DD should do what she feels is right for her, assuming funding is not an issue. Good luck!
lawn
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Re: Foundation at Laine

Post by lawn »

I share Jasmine's opinion. If your child has an offer of a place that others would snap your hand off for, I would take that offer rather than a foundation at anywhere else.

Not only is there no guarantee of a place anywhere the following year, there was a comment the other day (and something I'd noticed too) that not many go from foundation to 3 year offer at the same college. It was thought that was perhaps so it's not being seen as a feeder.

At the end of next year your child could end up with an offer to the same place that's offered this year and you've spent money on a foundation to be in no different a place

If the 3 year offer isn't at that great a place (and I know people have varying views as to what's a good place) and you can afford foundation costs (and living expenses) then yes, go for it.
lbm1e14
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Re: Foundation at Laine

Post by lbm1e14 »

A real tough one. I think you've got pretty much all the pros and cons above. Perhaps another thing to consider re funding. Even if DD gets a place next year, it may not be funded (i.e not BA, no DaDa, no scholarship). In which case the money you spend this year may have come in useful.

That said, if DD is aware of all the factors mentioned in this thread, then it should really be her choice. We've always felt that our children should make their own choices and then with our support, deal with the consequences whatever they may be.
amo185
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Re: Foundation at Laine

Post by amo185 »

I think if your dd is hesitant about accepting the 3 year offer then something in her mind is telling her it's "second best".
The place a young person trains is very important as is their future agent. It may be the 3 year course is not at such a high standard (maybe it was easier to get an offer there) and she feels Laine is better. She may or may not be right; many students get different offers at different colleges and no-one can fathom why!
DS did foundation at Laine and improved tremendously - it is an extremely intensive year and he loved it. It was the best choice for him - even though he also had three year offers at other reputable colleges. He felt Laine was right. It's not cheap - but we agreed to fund and to continue to fund if he got a dada afterwards which he did.
Nowhere is perfect and everyone will have their own take on which college is the best out of the top tier, but Laine's reputation is outstanding and a good proportion of foundation students audition successfully for their diploma and 100% get a three year offer somewhere upon completing their course (you could ask them to confirm their data to see if this was also true last year).
Sherbert
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Re: Foundation at Laine

Post by Sherbert »

Hiya xx
It is a difficult one...a few of my DS’ friends have gone home after a foundation year at Mountview with no offers - devastating - I would feel really cheated if it were me but I agree with the comments above - if your DD feels the 3 year offer is not from a place she feels is as well regarded as Laine then, funding permitted, she’s got to go with her gut feeling and take the chance for a degree offer next year x no matter what we as parents think about all the colleges, our DC’s have done their own research too and want to go to the places with the big reputations xx good luck to her and well done on her offers xx
Live_thedream
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Re: Foundation at Laine

Post by Live_thedream »

It is a tricky one. If you look at long term prospects you want your DD to go where she has best chances. The foundation college that my DS attends all have received offers (bar my poor DS :cry: ) - one was offered places everywhere he applied! The foundation year really did add a dimension where last year they didn't have much success. Who knows what will happen within a year but if your DD is not feeling this other place you don't want to risk her dropping out either.

The argument I have with my DS is apply for more places to increase chances but he doesn't want to waste his time as he's aiming for the top places. I have resigned to the fact time will help because of he's in the same situation in 5 years his attitude will change!

The question is are you willing to invest and risk that extra money to help her get to where she wants to be?
Marissa
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Re: Foundation at Laine

Post by Marissa »

Mm we are in this situation too so it's great to hear thoughts x Degree at The Hammond or hope for a foundation place with Trinity x Trinity has always been her dream x What shall she choose if a place becomes free x how long do we wait? I can't book accommodation anywhere till she's sure x it's a nightmare x Right now we are going to take DD to Chester to look properly and see the showcase hopefully but will that help her decide x obviously for us Chester is better financially but it has to be her choice and we will support her whatever she chooses x I have said that her main thought has to be does she want to audition next year all over again? She also has decided to broaden her career choice and would like to add in trying for Disney cruises so she can travel as well as Westend work so maybe The Hammonds better for this?
2dancersmum
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Re: Foundation at Laine

Post by 2dancersmum »

I think my view on this depends on the type of offer more so than the actual college as at the end of the day. . At the end of the day a student needs to get good training, they need the opportunities to flourish and to be seen at showcases. Getting into an audition is dependent on a good agent as much as anything else .
I say type of offer- as if it is foundation or an unfunded diploma offer, I would say nothing to lose, everything to gain by doing a foundation course. But if you have a foundation course offer from one place and a funded offer elsewhere, I think it is a lot more difficult. Funding is difficult to obtain - you could well do a foundation course and end up with unfunded offers the following year. I do know of several people this has happened to - none of them ended up performing except as a hobby.
I think you always have to bear in mind possible reasons for a foundation offer - not quite up to the level required or possibly not quite right fit for that particular college. I was told that its not just you that chooses the college but also the college that chooses you. They are all looking for slightly different things and none of them are easy to get places at. Bottom line is that your child has to be happy to get the most out of their course but it is only a stepping stone onto a career
Robin64
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Re: Foundation at Laine

Post by Robin64 »

Cards on the table - where is her 3 year offer for? That would not be putting any place down but we all know there is a bit of a pecking order albeit that several birds are pecking around the same level or not far off. If you don't want to say, I totally respect that, so in general I would say from my point of view - if the 3 year offer is from one of say 10 places pecking pretty high then I would go for it otherwise I would probably go for the foundation that is her top choice. I do agree that it is no feeder but all foundation students take that chance. Laine seems to have a very distinct style and type of training so if she wants that and it is affordable then it certainly has a reputation for being a high standard.

It is a tricky one and tbh it is hard to know without a magic crystal ball what the best thing to do is. Well done for your DD on having the choice though and good luck with the decision. x
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Re: Foundation at Laine

Post by Sallybarter »

I’m in exactly the same position! My DD has offers for 3 other colleges and a foundation offer for Performers. She is auditioning for Laines foundation in a couple of weeks at their suggestion after an unsuccessful audition for the diploma. She is not 16 until August so is really young. We decided a while ago a’levels would not be beneficial to her and she is more than ready to take on full time training. While she is pleased with her other offers and I am sure she would do well, as she is primarily a dancer her gut tells her that she should go to Performers (or Laines if she were lucky enough to get a foundation offer from there). Given her age we are 99% sure she will go for a foundation course.
Dancersinger
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Re: Foundation at Laine

Post by Dancersinger »

I think this depends on many variables.

We know several people who have managed to fund a Foundation year then gone on to do very well with 3 year offers including a couple who had 3 year offers at other colleges, albeit less renowned ones. When dd auditioned this year the principal of one college explained that Foundation years were designed for those who they felt had potential but for whatever reason were not ready yet for professional training. Maybe because they had less experience or had been late starters for dance etc, or perhaps they just needed to be a little bit older.

I think that personally I would be very wary of turning down a funded 3 year offer from a reputable college in favour of a foundation at a dream college. I know so many people whose dream colleges turned out not to be the right one after all.

Where is your dd's other offer?
MTlover123
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Re: Foundation at Laine

Post by MTlover123 »

Hi there my dd was faced with a similar decision as she received a foundation offer from Laine her dream college and three year offers from other celebrated colleges although the foundation seemed a risk DD knew that her heart was in Laine and is determined to work hard and gain a place on the three year course the following year. If it were easy everyone would do it. Hope this gives another insight.
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bro1234
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Re: Foundation at Laine

Post by bro1234 »

HI

I think it has to be down to where your DD would prefer to go. My DD auditioned for various colleges diplomas and foundations but there is only one college she would leave her own 6th form for. I have told her to take the costs out of the equation and think hard where she wants to spend the next year/3 years of her life. Its about where she feels she would be happier wether its for 1 year foundation, or 3 year diploma. After all your only young once so may as well spending it where they feel happier.
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