Do state school children ever join independent school clubs (after school)?

[thedolly]

I'm thinking particularly about orchestra. The local state primary doesn't have one but the prep school does.

Does anyone have an experience of this happening?

Message withdrawn

Quite agree.

his decision is made purely from a financial perspective though thedolly. you are taking this as a personal affront. it is not.

when you paid your money, you could have gone to as money after school activities as you wanted. that is the deal.

now you are no longer a customer you do not have any rights.

it's not a small favour at all IMO.

as dilemma says, you've cancelled your gym membership so why are you now surprised they won't let you go the aerobics class?

v odd

Ah well, it's their loss (as my mother used to say ).

Thanks for the replies. You are right gladders I am taking it personally. Still, I am not about to cause a fuss or anything. DD still has 3 more performances to go and then we shall leave on a high note .

I can understand why you are upset, but not why you are surprised - the Head is running a business, and you will no longer be a customer from the end of term.

If he started opening up the facilities like this to non-customers in general (and remember that doing anything once sets a precedent) then his customers would quite rightly start to question whether they needed to buy the package, or could get the parts they wanted without having to pay the fees.

I don't mean that they don't "care" about the children, but that they can't afford to care equally for children who are pupils at the school and children who aren't.

At the end of the day a private school is a business. It is not an altruistic place in which those who withdraw their funds are still allowed to use the facilities.

You are being very pfb, and obviously think private schools are there to benefit its the community - they are not, they are there to make a profit. End of.

The Dolly - have you looked into provision by Suffolk Youth Music? They run various groups including one called "Suffolk Young Strings", but I can't find much info online apart from this

I think tbh, many private schools might make an exception for an outstanding young musician who was from a deprived background and not likely to be able to have that sort of chance elsewhere, but are much less likely to do so for a pupil who previously attended their school but doesn't any more.

Bramshott - yes, though it would likely be in the form of a scholarship or bursary, so the child would still be a full member of the school.

We have the other side with dd.

Our county has an excellent performing arts service with choirs, training choirs, orchestras etc. As dd is at an independent school she is not entitled to join any of them.

The school orchestra is a perk of the school. Presumably some parents will choose the school on the strnegth of that.

I work for a privately run performing arts organisation. The children who pay to attend classes are entitled to audition for our dance troupe and/or choir. if they leave the normal classes they have to leave these "free" activiites also.

I would also assume that the school insurance etc only covers children actually enrolled at the school.

How far fro Colchester are you?

The Colne Valley Youth Orchestra has a training orchestra which is for ages 8+ grades 2-5.

snorkie thank you so much for the link - it looks promising

Bramshott - I am finding it hard to get to the bottom of what Suffolk County Music Services have to offer. It all seems to be passed on by word of mouth. So much so that I found myself wondering aimless around the performing arts centre at County Upper School this evening as I had been told there 'might' be an orchestra practising .

islandofsodor - you would think that there would be room for all in the county music offerings and that no one would be excluded. It makes me .

They are certainly doing a very good job at keeping it a secret online!

If you phone someone, either at Aldeburgh (01728 687100) or at Suffolk County Council Arts Office on 01728 724793, I would have thought they would be able to put you in touch with whoever co-ordinates the county groups.

IoS-that's terrible. DD goes to an independent school but still does music centre activities. In our area the centres are subsidised by the council but open to all children regardless of where they go to school, it is mean-tested though (so kids from low income families don't pay anything), which seems fair enough to me.

Thanks Bramshott - I was of course 'wandering aimlessly' (just reread my last post). I will give them a ring.

marialuisa that's sounds like a much more decent set up

IoS that is really bad. Here in Berkshire all children have access to music school irrespective of where they go to school. The only thing that independent school children don't get is the music service visits. Unlike the rest of the LEA services (eg ed psych, SALT etc) which are completely inaccessible unless your dc is at state school.

I'm a bit surprised you asked tbh, but I suppose if you don't ask, you don't get.

Not at all surprised that the Head refused it. This is a fee-paying school. Non-pupils will not be allowed to participate in the music/drama/sporting activities. And that's as it should be tbh - the music thing is part of the whole school experience.

More constructively, are there any violin groups or orchestras that you could take her to further afield?