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Should I let DD go to a specialist music school?

26 replies

cordobasarah · 03/02/2014 13:51

Hi,

My daughter is 13 and bright academically - potentially Oxbridge material I am told depending on how things went (and how she felt about this etc)

However, she is dead set on applying to the Purcell school as from September (Year 10). There is a good chance she would get in - the school have indicated interest in her - and obviously she is pretty good musically.

However I do worry that she is way too young to make a decision on what she wants to do in the future, now. She is adamant that she wants to be an orchestral musician - and the Purcell school would be a fabulous stepping stone for this, an amazing opportunity. But they very much prepare children for careers in performance and openly state that their focus is not on the academic.

On the one hand I don't want to deny her what she sees as the opportunity of a lifetime (if she gets in) and it is hugely flattering that they regard her as having the right potential.

On the other hand I don't want her to look back and regret that she didn't take the academic route when she could have done so.

Has anyone experience of this kind of thing (especially of this kind of school?) What did you do?

Thanks!

OP posts:
AMumInScotland · 03/02/2014 14:09

What sort of numbers and grades do they tend to get in their academic qualifications? They could mean 'our focus is on music but they do ok' or they could mean 'we really don't worry about academics' which is totally different.

If they tend to get enough to get into a range of universities and courses, and your dd doesn't have her heart set on being a doctor, then I'd let her follow her heart. TBH the number of people applying for each place means its very competitve anyway so it still might not happen.

I think it is unkind not to let teens at least try to do what they love, even if you worry about backup plans.

We went through similar with DS, but have always pointed out that it's a good idea to have a decent set of academic qualifications to give you more options in life.

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