Tring or Hammond?

[feelinhopeful]

DD14 currently Year 10. She's very keen to explore a career in musical theatre. Have been told by many teachers she "has what it takes" to achieve this. She's exploring options for 6th form.

We have a performing arts 6th form college locally but most students seem to spend their days making tik toks. She will get really frustrated with this as she is a hard worker and wants to push herself.

She is strong dancer, placing v highly in DWC finals and has v strong acting skills, her singing is of a good standard but not as high. She works hard on it but probably isn't quite considered a "triple threat" (if that's even a thing any more!)

She's keen to audition for Tring or the Hammond. How likely is she to get in as an unknown? Do they tend to take students who have been with them for years?

Does anyone have any experience they can share with these schools in particular. I'm new to all of this and have no idea!

Her only real experience of auditions at this stage is BYMT/NYMT where she was offered a place on a production. Is there any audition preparation she should be doing? Would it be worth her going on workshops to get "known"

Thanks for any help!!

One thing to be aware of is that Tring don't have funding for Musical Theatre, only Dance apart from perhaps the odd school scholarship whereas Hammond have access to DaDa funding for both Dance & Musical Theatre. Those who get the dance funding at Tring tend to be very classical.

The Tring Musical Theatre course is a two year course. It is not an actual qualification, just vocational training studied alongside 3 A levels. The Tring Dance course is the 3 year Level 6 Trinity diploma, A levels are optional.

At Hammond both the Dance Course and the Musical Theatre course are the 3 year Level 6 Trinity Diploma. Up to 2 A levels or Btec can be studied alongside it.

I know at Hammond many students who have not been through Lower School gain entry into Upper School. My personal opinion is that because Lower School funding is only for classical dancers (Hammond don't offer Lower School Musical Theatre) and Hammond's Upper School course is more all round MT/general dance that many of the very classical lower school dancers leave and go elsewhere for 6th form. Those who are more all round often tend to stay but have to re-audition with everyone else.

I'd maybe advise doing a summer school to get a feel for the places. My daughter did this. She loved one and hated the other but we know people who were the opposite way around.