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Original poster

Specialist School Thread

82 replies

happylilac · 14/11/2018 23:59

Not very sure if it's a good idea to start such a thread. Specialist school can cause controversy, like boarding school or home education...

Well, mine has just started his this term, coming from a very ordinary primary school and a very ordinary family background. We didn't plan this, but it happened and here we are, supporting his specialist training at the tender age of 11.

Just thought it might be fun to exchange some posts with those who are in, have left, are thinking of applying or simply interested. I know very little of specialist schools in dance and music, and absolutely zero idea in other fields. I once heard of tennis specialist school. Does it really exist? What would it be like??

Just curious really.

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Original poster
happylilac · 16/11/2018 11:05

Wicked itself left me feeling a bit meh
I love the magic of theatre performance - the stage arts, costumes, characters, music... They take us into a totally different world and we are allowed to have a dream for a couple of hours, away away from our real world. Often story lines don't matter much to get the effect for me. But I must say it wasn't one of the best musicals. Everybody said it's great so I had huge expectation that may also played a part for how I felt about it. I am planning to take DS to Matilda as again it's been recommended by quite a few people. I should control my expectation this time around so it won't cause any unfair judgement in me.

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Original poster
happylilac · 16/11/2018 10:54

errorofjudgement
I did say 'I was curious to know drama', didn't I? The comment can be confusing, sorry. I was simply curious how it works and why specialist school would be needed when it didn't look like early training was as crucial as other professions. DS loves watching drama/panto/musicals but no he isn't thinking of doing it. If music doesn't work out I think he will go for Maths/Science fields.

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AlexanderHamilton · 16/11/2018 09:16

I think it might have been me talking about post 16 drama training but I think Ds is veering more towards music/music tech/MT (though he isn’t a dancer)

Crazygirlmama · 16/11/2018 08:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Alsoplayspiccolo · 16/11/2018 07:21

happylilac, I can think of loads of operas that are suitable for children of your son's age!
My children have been taken to operas since they were really quite young. They've seen Madama Butterfly, La Boheme, The Barber of Seville, The Cunning Little Vixen, Rosenkavalier, Cav and Pag, Tosca, La Cenerentola, to make a few, as well as some contemporary operas.
As long as there's subtitles, they're fine. They enjoy watching the orchestra as much as watching the action on stage.

errorofjudgement · 16/11/2018 07:07

@happylilac - because you said earlier you were particularly interested in Drama training post-16 I took that to mean your DS had an interest in drama as well as music. Hence my question!
Love a bit of “popular” though Wicked itself left me feeling a bit meh, not sure why though.

Original poster
happylilac · 16/11/2018 00:25

You mean, to watch? I think he hasn't been exposed enough to have favourite style yet. But he seems to like ballets and musicals, partly because of the music I think. He's a musician... I often take him to a show of which he played the music. For instance, he played 'Popular' in his orchestra so I took him to see Wicked during last half term.

DH loves Shakespeare and he is a massive opera fan, so he wants to take DS to them. I think Shakespeare can be fun for a 11 years old as some of them are really funny and comical. Not sure about opera - can't think of any suitable one for a child. The recent drama DH and I saw was The Lehman Trilogy. Absolutely brilliant.

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errorofjudgement · 15/11/2018 23:27

What drama style does your DS enjoy?

errorofjudgement · 15/11/2018 23:26

Yes, dance class every day and singing at least twice a week.
Many are talented dancers and singers, but want to focus on drama.

Original poster
happylilac · 15/11/2018 23:12

Oh! I thought, wow those girls dance like a dance student. Ha ha. But I assume dance and singing are part of the curriculum for drama students anyway?

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errorofjudgement · 15/11/2018 23:01

Actually to be fair, it does say drama , but genuinely those are dance students.
Sorry if I came over as flippant!

errorofjudgement · 15/11/2018 22:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
happylilac · 15/11/2018 22:55

Had a peep. Amazing. Are those ballet dancers also drama students?? I'd been totally ignorant. So many skills to cover that would need years of training... I understand why some drama students choose to go to a specialist school. Thanks for the sharing. Really enjoyed watching.

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errorofjudgement · 15/11/2018 22:26

Thankyou - must be honest, feeling very proud of what they’ve done this week. I’ve posted a link on my profile page which I’ll take down in a couple of days, but I think it shows very well the quality of work at a specialist school. So if you want a peek, feel free

Original poster
happylilac · 15/11/2018 22:03

Having just watched her perform tonight it’s very clear where her heart lies
Ah that's really lovely.

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errorofjudgement · 15/11/2018 21:54

@happylilac - plan is for drama school, but good to have options. DD is anticipating a gap year and getting more experience.
Having just watched her perform tonight it’s very clear where her heart lies

hertsandessex · 15/11/2018 21:25

Yes issue is getting a scholarship and getting into to one of the top places for their instrument/style. At ms DS’s must be at least 90% who get in somewhere. Saying that some not at required standard will have left already or decided to study something else at university and some will have just decided to pursue other options.

Original poster
happylilac · 15/11/2018 21:00

That's promising. Actually a parent told me the main concern for many at the school would be more of what kind of scholarship they would get rather than if they could get in. But then it was a word from a parent of a child who played Paganini's Caprice 24 at one digit age so probably not a good example to listen to...

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hertsandessex · 15/11/2018 20:25

Overall about 1 in 4 of applicants to the music conservatoires get a place although more like 1 in 7 or 8 for RCM/RAM. Most of the children at specialist music schools will get in somewhere and often at the best ones with scholarships.

Original poster
happylilac · 15/11/2018 17:56

That's a very good plan B. But does it mean she would go to a different profession if she couldn't get into a conservatoire? Or she'll study for a degree as a back-up, but continues to pursue the dream?

I don't know the success rate for a music conservatoire but I can guess it'll also be very low. Though I am not sure if that's the direction DS will choose. He doesn't know even what's coming after the end of Y7.

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errorofjudgement · 15/11/2018 15:34

DD is taking 3 A levels alongside her vocational training. Her day is split, 4.5 hours academic studies in the morning, then 4.5 hours vocational each afternoon.

The success rate for getting into a drama conservatoire is around 2% (1800 applicants for 30 places) so a good back up is very necessary. And I’m pleased her school is very honest about this.

DD is very able academically, so we are pleased she’s able to focus equally on both, it seems quite bizarre that her plan B is a top uni such as Durham or Bristol.

Original poster
happylilac · 15/11/2018 15:16

Hello, errorofjudgement. Smile

We are very fortunate with local provision of music - close to JD, fantastic council-run music hub, quality youth orchestras, concert halls, and also, as DS was supposed to start as a music scholar at a local school with a strong music dept, he would have got plenty of musical opportunities without going to the specialist school. So yes, if our local provision was very poor, our decision to send him to the specialist school may have been a lot easier, and I can see why others consider specialist school in that situation.

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AlexanderHamilton · 15/11/2018 14:44

Dd is a dancer/MT performer.

When she auditined in Year 6 we decided that we would not accept a drama place for pretty much the reasons that have been stated, however we wuld consider it at 16 for her. It really does depend on so many variables.

However in year 8 we did investigate sending ds to dd's school as a drama student following an horrendous two years at an academically selective school whch ended in us being asked to remove him.

Ultimately we felt that for him he would not cope woth the distance/travel and we were very lucky to find an alternative school in a nearby area although they don't have a drama department there at all.

Many of the pre 16 drama students at dd's school were students who either had very poor local schools or who had problems (ds's old school had a problem with autistic children who displayed autistic traits). Post 16 though there is quite a mix. The drama students study towards a btec performing arts alongside 2 A levels which is pretty much what ds will probably do at our local 6th form college anyway.

errorofjudgement · 15/11/2018 14:23

Hi Lilac, I think it depends what is available locally compared to what a specialist school can offer.
DD started at vocational school for 6th form and is specialising in Drama. The quality of teaching and the breadth of study massively exceeds anything she could do locally.
Currently she is in a piece of Ancient Greek set in the modern day against the backdrop of the refugee crisis across the world. It’s very powerful and emotionally hard. There’s no way she could access that at home.
In fact locally, the youth productions are always musical theatre, a genre she enjoys but it’s not where her passion lies.

Original poster
happylilac · 15/11/2018 14:02

I meant, 'I would more likely to tell him to STAY AT MAINSTREAM EDUCATION to complete A level and a degree'. Without those capital letters, it sounded like you can't complete A level at specialist schools.. Of course they can!

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