Isn't it nice when the school takes Extra-curricular activities seriously?

[KatyMac]

The school said DD could go to a festival last year but she wouldn't be allowed this year as it's a GCSE year (Yr9)

So I asked anyway as she was going anyway & they said yes & that it was vocational

Yipee

Its great.

Two girls at the highly academic selective school attached to dd's junior school spent two months in December/January in panto during their A2 year. There was no problem at all them getting the time off. One of them was trying for med school (I think she may have got in). They just had to arrange cover with the other team of dancers so they didn't miss any actual exams.

How amazing for them!

I worry about the future tho' what happens post GCSEs; I wonder if A levels are an option? DD seems to think not

Oddly enough dh and I are just talking about it at the moment. Dd asked us to book her onto a taster day for a specialiost school next week. Their GCSE provision is good, but they don't offer much in terms of a levels but mostly offer the professional diploma. Dd hasn't been doing her homework but she gets excellent results with little effort. She says she wants to study politics at a top university.

The school we have always planned her has great academic results alongside valuing extra curricular. If dd was dead set on a career in performing as your dd is we wouldn't hesitate. She would also have to give up her dance as they don't do dance on the specialist drama course.

Have you been looking at post 16 courses Katymac?

Kind of; but to be honest we don't know what we are looking for

She is doing her Grade 5 Ballet (ISTD - started Ballet in September), her grade 3 tap later in the year (started in January) she is doing her Btec Dance (what level?) and her Arts Award Silver

But we still have 2 yrs to go

What can she do post 16?

Turn up at Tring, I suspect.

Dd1 has had a few days off recently for competitions. It is completely the norm here - a lot of the kids are athletes and so the schools are used to them disappearing and travelling etc.

Dance comps all finished now for this year, just the end of year show to go. q. I have to say that I am not displeased. Just knackered!

A lot of the senior dancers here go off to performing arts colleges. We are losing a few dancers this year to Vancouver I think, the uni has a good arts programme.

Tring (& Hammond) cost a fortune

The local college does a PA course - doing Btec (which I am assuming is a different level to the one she is doing now)

Yes we are having to bear this in mind when selecting secondary schools (or applying for them) as ds2 has had a bit of professional theatre work (encouraged by school) and now wants more. We're too far away from anything specialist (and he's not boarding) so we've just had to make sure potential (state) secondary schools would be sympathetic to time off for auditions/performances.

Tring is expensive (understatement) but has bursaries/scholarships at 6th form I think ??

The Btec dance will probably be the BTec first diploma which is equivalent to 4 GCSEs or the Btec First Certificate which is equivalent to 2 GCSE's. It is a level 2 qualification.

There is a Level 3 Btec National Diploma which is designed to be a level equivalent and prepare for entry to degree level courses whether they be uni performing arts courses or drama/dance school. Also a Level 5 Higher National diploma which is designed to be the equivalent of first year degree level.

For dancers there is also the Trinity Guildhall Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre which is the course dh teaches on. They are a level 6 1st year of degree level qualification but many places allow dancers to audition at age 16 as they have more limited careers and they are meant to prepare for a performance career. You have to audition to get into a college then audition again for funding (the infamous Dada) which are a bit up in the air.

Confused - yup and I have a dh teaching these courses!!!

Yes Katy very expensive. The main reason we are able to consider such a school is the generous staff discount.

There is some funding available though though the futire of Dadas are unknown at the moment.

She is doing 11 hours a fortnight for 1 year - there are I think 3 sections (Contemporary, performing & ???) each have 3 sections depending upon your marks in each section you get an overall grade

My Mum has decided the money we were putting to one side for uni should maybe used for post 16; but we can't work out what happens post 18

If you do a vocational course at post 16 at post 18 you join the audition trail!!

That's what I said to my mum

Does that Btec sound like the 2 GCSE one? I wondered if it was a level 1 qualification?

If it has 3 units it sounds like it might be a Btech First Certificate equivalent to 2 GCSE's. The First Diploma has 6 units.

The Btec Introductory certificate/diploma are meant for those who are not capable of getting A-C in GCSE.

www.edexcel.com/quals/introd/Documents/BTEC_Parents_Guide.pdf

Ok - so vaguely 2 GCSEs.......blimey how many do they want her to take?

So she will carry on with Btec post 16 (Possibly BTEC National Diploma or maybe BTEC Higher National Certificate?)

Sorry I meant to say thanks, I'm really getting an idea about stuff now

What's an infamous Dada?

Dada is the Dance and Drama Award (talked about a lot on NAPM). They are the gvernments current way of funding vocational dance education post 16 (MDS or Music & Dance Scheme( being the way of funding it pre 16).

Many leading dance colleges are allocated a number of these awards available for students studying on the Level 6 Trinity Guidhall Diploma. Problem being there are not enough to go around and last year the government announced they were getting rid of them.

Thanks

It's so confusing