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Original poster

Boarding School with strong drama

85 replies

HKMum2 · 19/02/2017 00:36

We live in Hong Kong and my DD is asking to go to the UK and board, she wants to 'further her drama'. She's regularly on stage in Hong Kong having performed as Brigitta in Andrew Lloyd Webber's touring production of Sound of Music, has played many leads such as Little Red, Jemima in Chitty Chitty and is about to play Eliza Dolittle.
Sylvia Young and Italia Conti don't do boarding if i understand correctly so am looking for an academic school with very strong drama facilities and contacts. Google can only provide so much so would love to hear from other Mummy's, thank you!

OP posts:
ninenicknames · 19/02/2017 00:38

Arts Educational in Tring?

Hurst Lodge in Ascot?

dodobookends · 19/02/2017 00:47

Tring Park School (it used to be called Arts Educational but changed a few years ago). It is a performing arts school with a good academic record as well. Not cheap, although they do sometimes give scholarships.

There is also the Hammond School in Chester, another vocational performing arts school with a drama department.

AlexanderHamilton · 19/02/2017 00:50

How old is she?

Dancingdreamer · 19/02/2017 09:50

I may be wrong but there was a documentary series about the Italia Conti a couple of years back on children's tv. I am sure they showed a small group of children boarding in what looked like a normal domestic house run by the school. May be worth calling the school to find out more.

PaperdollCartoon · 19/02/2017 09:53

How old is she? Hurtwood House is a boarding school for just age 16-18 and has very strong arts/performing credentials

Wolpertinger · 19/02/2017 09:56

Does she want a performing arts school or a boarding school with a good drama department?

A relative of mine is a drama teacher and just started work at a boarding school and is revelling in how big his budget is, how many school trips there are to the theatre, emphasis on performance is spare time at the school and so on. I got the impression that a lot of boarding schools are doing this to up the interest from prosepctive parents who have seen how many actors come from Eton outside of academic success.

LarrytheCucumber · 19/02/2017 09:58

Oundle

Michaelahpurple · 19/02/2017 12:20

But I doubt that Amy boarding school, other than a specialist drama school, would particularly lend itself to continuing her public performance experience e.g. In the west end

LottieDoubtie · 19/02/2017 12:23

True but some academic boarding schools that are commutable to London would probably allow you to work in conjunction with a UK agent that was facilating auditions and performances.

Faez · 19/02/2017 12:26

I was going to say Hurtwood House too, had some friends who went on there after GCSEs and turned out fairly successful.

AlexanderHamilton · 19/02/2017 12:34

The serious performing arts schools often don't allow their students to take part in outside performances as it disrupts their training & education too much.

SundaysFundays · 19/02/2017 16:34

The Brit school? Don't know if they board though.

Archfarchnad · 19/02/2017 16:42

I genuinely misunderstood the OP title for a minute and thought you were looking for a school where your DD could have spiffing adventures, where the Lower Fourth have a midnight snack and get caught by Mamzelle, then Joey goes off on a harebrained scheme and ends up being falling into an Alpine torrent and has to recover in the San. That kind of thing.

AlexanderHamilton · 19/02/2017 18:00

The Brit School is a state school so although they select by audition they don't have boarding & only take a small percentage out of the area.

BizzyFizzy · 19/02/2017 18:03

Frensham Heights

Want2bSupermum · 19/02/2017 18:10

The Hammond in Chester is not very academic IMO. It has a huge emphasis on music, not so much on the other areas of performing arts. Friends who sent their kids there as day pupils were left underwhelmed and moved them to the local state school, signing them up with the local theatre for drama on weekends.

Zodlebud · 19/02/2017 18:43

Tring Park would be the obvious choice but be aware that unless you are British or EU citizens, then she would not be able to work in the U.K. without a visa that permits employment.

There are also issues around child performance licensing in the U.K. Your daughter will only be temporarily resident and the licence is granted by the local education authority where your child lives permanently. A child needs a licence to perform up until they are 16.

A further hurdle is that a child under 16 has to be chaperoned at all times by either a parent, teacher or licenced chaperone. No school, other than Sylvia Youngs provides staff to do this.

In summary, she would be able to come and study in the U.K. but she certainly wouldn't be able to perform, other than in school productions.

You don't say how old she is. It might be worth waiting until she's a bit older and then going to University over here. Mountview, Central School of Speech & Drama, RADA etc. However, all colleges stipulate that you are not allowed to participate in paid performance work whilst in training. At the end of the course agents attend showcases and make offers to those students they are interested in representing. Again, she would have the visa issue though.

Sorry to put the damper on things......

bevelino · 19/02/2017 18:52

OP Hurtwood House is a very good performing arts school and the school is used to pupils joining from Hong Kong. Very expensive though at over 13k a term.

BeachysSnowyWellieBoots · 19/02/2017 18:53

Bedales in Hampshire.... specialises in Arts?

AlexanderHamilton · 19/02/2017 19:29

Really supermum?

I would agree that it is not so academic at 6th form as students do a diploma with optional A levels but dd moved from a high performing, selective private school & is thriving.

And out of the three disciplines Dance students are in the majority, with less drama students & just a few music students.

AlexanderHamilton · 19/02/2017 19:42

Assuming she is under 16 years I would look at

Hammond
Tring Park
Abbots Bromley
Arts Ed

Want2bSupermum · 19/02/2017 23:19

Hamilton The OP is asking about schools that are academic. The Hammond is not academically strong.

AlexanderHamilton · 20/02/2017 00:04

I guess that's a matter of opinion.

In the OP she mentioned Sylvia Young & Italia Conti. Neither of those are academically selective schools.

ScarletSienna · 20/02/2017 00:06

Bedales School in Hampshire or Frensham Heights would be worth looking at.

Original poster
HKMum2 · 20/02/2017 01:24

Many thanks thus far. DD is 14 years old and is a British citizen and whilst she would love to go to a Performing Arts school, we would prefer an academic one which allows her to continue on with her drama and singing.

OP posts: