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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Stage Coach (extra curriclar activity)

18 replies

sereka · 06/08/2010 13:07

Hi guys,

My dd is 4 years old(reception in september) and i am in the process of getting her a place in stage coach for september.

Does anyone have any views or insite about such activities. Anything to add.

Just need to know of any experiences etc.

Thanks

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shellye · 06/08/2010 14:24

My DD is 6. We have done stage coach for a year now and she really enjoys it. 3 hours on a Saturday morning really keeps a vey lively child happy. She loves it. It is quite expensive though.

FoghornLeghorn · 06/08/2010 14:30

My DD1 (now 6) at the beginning of this year - Having been a child who is always dancing around, singing etc I paid for the term and she went for her first session ... she absolutely hated it !

She came out afterwards asking not to go back. She is a very outgoing and confident girl so shyness wasn't an issue - it just wasn't her thing. And to be honest, the people running the one we went to came across as very pretentious.

I hope your DD enjoys it though

Original poster

sereka · 06/08/2010 16:23

thanks for your input.

oh Foghorn.. sorry to hear your DD didnt enjoy it... I guess it really depends on the people running it. These ones seem ok to me but we will see.

@ Shellye.. thanks for posting..good to hear she enjoys it...I dont think its that expensive with the price for the term but then again maybe different area or schools charge different prices. :)

Any other responese appreciated!!!

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dilemma456 · 06/08/2010 21:34

DD did it for a term earlier this year but although she enjoyed it asked not to go back. She is the same age.

She would come out exhausted at the end of it and I think she just found it too much. Also (and worth bearing in mind at reception age) it kept clashing with birthday parties.

If I had my time again I'd have left it for a bit until she was a bit more able to cope with it all and the parties had calmed down.

DancingHippoOnAcid · 06/08/2010 21:37

Stagecoach can indeed be very variable according to the person running the particular group. It is also VERY expensive and i feel it is poor value for money.

My DD was badly bullied at her group and the standard of performance at their end of term show was shocking.The principal couldn't care less about the bullying and refused to do anything about it.

She is now a member of the youth section of a local musical theatre group and absoltely loves it. They put on a really professional show every year and have recently won a national drama festival. Total costs for the whole year including show fees and costume costs are less than £100.

Much better value than Stagecoach.

emy72 · 07/08/2010 08:54

Hi there,
two considerations; if your DD is starting reception, it might be worth holding on for the first term.

My DD1 started ballet at 2 and a half and has always loved it; when she started reception though, she really didn't want to get going on a Sat morning and started saying she hated going. This is because she was so tired! We only kept her going as we felt it would have been a shame to drop it after so long....but if I had to start durin g a reception year, I would start her in Jan if it was me. Gives her time to settle in her new school and get used to the long days!

Stagecoach wise, like others' said, do you know anyone who sends them? They are a franchise and it depends very much on who runs it. If she likes dancing/musical theatre a good dance school should be better value for money.

Hope this helps!

Wandaaa · 07/08/2010 10:31

DD started aged 4 at the beginning of reception and 2 years later still loves it and most of the children that have started since still attend. It is quite expensive, but you can pay monthly which spreads out the cost. I have to admit though that DD isn't a child who gets tired.

BenandNiamhsMum · 21/08/2010 22:19

I'm interested to read this as I have been thinking about it for my DD who is always singing and dancing. She has been doing ballet for the last couple of years and has now asked to start tap so I think I'll leave it at that as she also does swimming and judo. I am worried about the kids doing so much so young. (She's only 5)
Our local stagecoach is run by a friend of a friend and my friends daughter went there so the quality does not bother me. But it is on a Sunday which is the only day that the kids have where they do absolutly nothing. I think this day off is required to recharge the batteries for the week ahead.
This - along with the price -has put me off for now. I may reconsider in the future.

Jodyray · 21/08/2010 22:29

Hi, my DD aged 7 has been going for 2 years and loves it. She moves from Early stages to main school in Sept and the costs have doubled as its now 3 hours on a Sunday morning. She is very nervous about moving up, that said if she continues to enjoy it thats fine. I went to watch a show in London earlier this year that had performances from different stagecoach schools in the country. There was a huge difference in the style of show by each school but overall they all worked really hard. The school DD attends let me have 2 free tasters before she committed to a term, maybe your local school will do something similar.

Original poster

sereka · 22/08/2010 21:15

thanks guys,

well i have signed up and wil be posting soon with some feedback.

the only thing now in need to get her black leggings which fit properly as she is quite tiny. the stage coach uniform is quite expensive but thankfully its not compulsory.

OP posts:

MollieO · 22/08/2010 21:33

Ds started in the summer term on the recommendation of his form teacher (he was in year 1). Apparently he has an exceptional singing voice so she thought he might enjoy SC.

He did a term in the 4 to 6 yr age group (1.5 hrs) and I had planned to keep him in the same group next term - he was 6 at the end of June so he would be one of the younger ones if he moved up. However the SC head and his SC class teachers have said that he needs to go up to the 3 hr class to maintain his interest. He did an end of term performance complete with learning lines and I was amazed at how much he loved it.

He did a week at SC this summer (10am to 4pm) and loved that so I have no worries about moving him up to the older age group and 3 hour class.

I think it depends on the franchise as to how good the classes are. Luckily our franchise has a fab reputation which I only discovered once ds started. It was amazing to find out how many people I know whose children have done SC and enjoyed it. It wasn't on my radar at all so I never thought to ask. I only got ds to go for a taster to keep his teacher quiet.

As for uniform ds doesn't have to wear anything special but I did buy him the tshirt which wasn't that expensive.

Original poster

sereka · 24/08/2010 11:01

Hi MollieO...

thanks for that..goood that you DS is enjoying stage coach. fingers crossed my DD will enjoy it also.

OP posts:

ti62 · 25/08/2010 12:37

Agree totally with it depending on who runs it! My DD did it for 18 months and although enjoyed it- it was badly run and not good value for money.

minipops1974 · 25/08/2010 16:46

Hi there

My DD is starting in September too - She loved her two sessions and cannot wait to start!!! Black leggings (Peacocks of all places) couldnt find them anywhere.

Please post back any feedback once we have all started!!!

fsmail · 26/08/2010 16:29

My DD has been going for two years and is doing the summer school this week which she is enjoying.

People say it is poor value for money but when you compare other dance classes when you have to pay for the shows, extra rehearsals and very expensive uniforms, dance costumes which are compolsory, I have actually found it to be reasonably value. Stagecoach is all in with the price and no charge for shows.

Also most of the kids get to do professional work as well from my DD's group at some point, my DD did some modelling in the Easter holidays just by going to the Saturday lessons and all the shows that come to our area approach the Principal to see if the kids would be interested in taking part. It is great experience for them.

Original poster

sereka · 27/08/2010 10:28

Fsmail,

I have heard our local one has a good reputation so fingers crossed and indeed it is a great experience for them.

minipops1974- yes we should definately post feedback once our DD's have got into the swing of things.

OP posts:

fsmail · 27/08/2010 10:38

Good luck Sereka.

My daughter will not wear the uniform so just wears black and yellow. The only thing you will need to buy is the jazz shoes and they were cheaper at Stagecoach than the dance shops nearby unless you can get some off ebay. They need to be one size bigger than normal shoe size as so tiny. Off to see DD's show at 12.

Original poster

sereka · 27/08/2010 14:04

Thanks Fsmail...

Hope you enjoy the show. Planning to send off the order form for the items this weekend.

Will also order the sweat pants as DD is quite tiny and I am struggling to find tights that fit her properly. Then i will just get a plain yellow t-shirt/polo shirt.

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