Level 3 Music Extended Diploma - which London 6th form?

[MrsJamin]

DS currently in Y10 and very keen to do UAL's Level 3 Extended Diploma in Music Performance & Production - there seem to be a bunch of options:

• The Rhythm Studio
• Access Creative College
• East London Arts and Music (ELAM)
• Brit School
• ACM Guildford

Are there any MNers who have children at these schools/colleges? DS would want a high standard of musicianship and for there to be a decent amount of people on the course to find some commonalities in music genre etc. ELAM and Brit school seem to have most notable alumni (but I don't think Brit school is commutable for him). Some videos I saw of students playing didn't blow me away - it won't be worth it for him if people aren't skilled in singing/their instruments. There was an old thread on these options but not many actual experiences of being there and what support & industry connections is really actually like.

We were in this position a couple of years ago. Partly depends what your child is like and what they want from it. Different colleges will be better for becoming a performer vs wider industry roles etc. For level of musicianship quite a few of these kids also study at the weekend classical conservatoires so keep all options open. Could be an option.

ACM large and probably not as competitive as the others - bums on seats.
Don’t know Access Creative - DC has friends there who seem happy
Britt - definitely have a type they look for, probably the most ‘stary’. Based on friends kids defo have favourites. Decided not for us.

And that leaves ELAM and RSL. We loved both and were impressed for different reasons with both.

RSL small and family vibe, nice kids, wider currciculum than the other colleges - more varied and no one specialises as a producer or a performer. They all do both and music business too. Despite being a bit fringy it is defo on the up and has excellent music industry networks. Seems to get kids into impressive onwards destinations. Downside it’s small so - may not suit everyone.

ELAM - larger and probably the most ‘professional’ for want of a better word. Fantastic facilities and great teaching. Love the addition of maths and English and the choices they have made about curriculum in those subjects is really clever for their cohort. Downsides - it’s the most full time hours of all the colleges so that’s a lot of early starts and full days. Also make sure you really understand the offer process and have somewhere else to go if you don’t make the cut on gcse results/ enrolment day. It’s a brutal process.

Don’t know about ACC but the other three - if you get an offer you will have a place - that’s not true at ELAM.

mostly I would recommend visiting. They feel very different from each other so suspect you/ your DC will have a preference at the end of it. It’s a tiring and rewarding process applying. All applications are different and they will have to submit audition videos, original songs and production examples as well as entry forms/ references dep on the college. Then auditions and interviews and written and theory tests dep on college.

Thanks so much @Thesoundofmusic23 - super helpful!🙌

Definitely go and visit all of them - do the research now on when open days are.

Places like BRIT only have the one open day - in September and after applications have opened.

Make a note of what each college wants for applications and when the deadlines are.

Also check how the courses are structured. Some are performance and production, lots you can only choose one pathway.

BRIT and ELAM are the most competitive of all the London ones. There are a lot of colleges offering the course that don't seem to even care if they play an instrument. As long as they have 4 GCSEs then they will take them.

Having done extensive searches on this pathway in London, I don't think you need to look at anywhere that isn't on the list in your opening post as they will not be what your DS is looking for. Those 5 are definitely the best of what is available - although ACM is not London (they have a new campus in Clapham, but it's 18+).

ETA: Different things appeal to different people as well. I loved ELAM on paper, there was a huge amount I liked when we saw it in person, (and a few things I really, really disliked). DD gave it a hard no, as did a few others I know who I expected would have loved it.