Not strictly " extra-curricular" but a few mumsnet vibes appreciated

Russians It sounds very similar then. I guess it's possible teachers give their own opinions on the grade before it is final.

I was told at one of the 6th forms we visited that for A level, OCR externally assess the performances but not the composition, and with Edexcel its vice-versa.

Circular With OCR, the performances are marked by the school but then externally moderated also, BUT, at DD1's school anyway, the school marking is internally moderated (ie more than one member of music staff marks it) and the process takes more than a couple of days, because of this. Hence my surprise. Perhaps they are just really slow at DD1's school. It is definitely the case that the composition creative task is only externally marked and done under exam conditions though.

Russians Edexcel GCSE performance is marked by the teachers and I believe then sent off for moderation. Not sure about the compositions, but DD has been given marks for both of hers, but thought they did get externally marked.

I think it's marked by the teacher

The thing she did the other day? How can she possibly know already?

DD got an A for that bit of her GCSE

Kit kat there was at least one 14 year old in that group. And some older than 18 too. Many of the advanced group have been going to NYRO playing days in the SW for years.

Circular - on Sunday there seemed to be 2 camps -a decent number of younger children (maybe 7 to 10 yrs) and a bunch of 15 to 18s. I suspect this may be becasue the older ones were using the day to auditon for the summer course but I don't know. There were enough older ones for them to do an advanced ensemble group.

3 years. They do 6 or 7 A levels (inc CT and GS) and the AQA Bacc extended project.

So what do they do in yr11 - is it 3 yr A level courses, or do they finish 6th form a year early?

No she's year 10. Still 14. Although she will be 15 in the summer. They do their GCSEs a year early at her school.

Anyway as I said, there have in the past been plenty of people older than your DD at nyro playing days we've been to. And certainly on the summer course. She wouldn't be out of place. :)

DD1's school for OCR for GCSE and A level. I think she has quite enjoyed the GCSE syllabus.

Thanks for the info Thea, just asked as we recently did the 6th form rounds and only came across one school doing OCR and were quite surprised how different it was to Edexcel. how is your DS finding the course in general?

Russians DD is 15, August born. Assumed your Dd was also yr11 as you were on the GCSE thread.

Circular - at playing days it can vary. Over the years DD1 has always been one of the younger ones but this year there were plenty younger than her, but again, several older. Your DD (probably a year and a bit older) would not have been out of place at any of the playing days DD1 has ever attended, age wise. DD1 has never been to the Easter course because Rugby is a ridiculous place to get to from here and because it's not auditioned, it isn't much cheaper yada yada yada. At the summer course, most of the kids have been over 14 (I might say well over) in the last two years. DD1 was among the youngest last year and the year before. I wouldn't have dreamed letting her go any younger than 12/13 although there was one child younger than that the first year that she went (but he had either a close family friend or an actual sibling also attending).

sounds as though it went well Thea. Out of interest, is it OCR being external performance assessment?

Kitkat Do you get many over 14's at the NYRO days?

Wafflenose - the Easter course is billed as for ages 10- 21 so your DD is unlikely to find others her age so I'm not sure what the social side of it would be like for her. This year one year girl was 9 but there were lots of children aged 11,12,13 and they had a fantastic time.

Sounds positive

waves at kitkat

I probably saw you too if that's the case! DD plays the descant mainly, but also sopranino and treble. She's currently too small for a tenor, but quite big for her age, so maybe it won't be too long! She wants to do the Easter course, but we'll see how she is maturity-wise (she would only be 8 by then, so we might wait a couple of years) and whether we can afford it. She also plays the flute in her school orchestra.

Theas -so glad it went well for you ds! It sounds like he has done really well.

I saw you at NYRO Wafflenose - well I suspected it was you and mini waffle.
My DD was there and she also went to the Easter course (first time) but she is 12 now.
Recorder is not her 'main' instrument but she is totally hooked at the moment and is currently playing descant, treble & tenor (purchased at Easter course!!) - she wants a bass next as they let her play the Great Bass at NYRO.

Bit late to the thread but good luck to Theas DS.

DD1 yr11 a recorder player too, and came up against much prejudice when she insisted on doing both solo and ensemble GCSE performances on recorder.

Telemann Sonatas a great favourite in our house currently. Not come across the others.

Good luck to your DS - I was the accompanist (on the piano) to my friend, who played recorder (treble/alto recorder) as part of her school-leaving exams (this was not in the UK).

It was so nerve-racking for her, and she was really worried about the examiners not taking the recorder seriously, but she did very well, and went on to study music.

She played some Teleman too, I still have the music somewhere!

Double Good luck to Theas DS

DD is only in Y10 doing GCSE and that makes me nervous.
And
My DSIL played beautiful Hebridean folk songs on the recorder at our wedding. She also did a lot of early music. All on various sizes of recorder

If anyone is interested in seeing some virtuoso recorder playing they should look on youtube for the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet, or The Royal Wind Music. I won't name my orchestra because modesty forbids.

Sorry, Katy, if that worried you but as theas DS is the recorder player, and her DD is at college, I know this couldn't be the case. Clumsy of me perhaps but I knew it was not possible as I was typing and thinking out loud. I wouldn't have said it if I thought it could be true ( which highlights how pointless my post was! Just thinking out loud at the time)

My original point remains! The recorder is a great instrument and there are clips on BBC I player which prove it to be so!