aiming Hurtwood : advice on schools before sixt form!

[shs69]

Hi,
Thank you all for your advice in a previous post. I read a lot.
We aim now to join Hurtwood for sixt form for our daughter, currently y 8; she is

• top set academics
  

-scholarship dance, drama, art
-she likes to create fashion and textiles, we aim to study languages for native speakers as she is tri lingual.

• she is a fencer and a swimmer, she likes karate.
  
• all rounded exceptional education needed but environment, avoiding schools with reputation for bullying, patronizing, hard pushing.
  
• she is enjoying learning "for his own sake" and she does it because it is in her nature and we want a school that cares for her with exceptional pastoral and can support her in her strong talents, no matter how many they are. We don't want a school that only focus on computer and photocopies, we want a school where 12 year old learn to love books and use books to learn (revise on nice history, geography etc books not only photocopies or internet pages!!) and gradually learn to introduce computers.
  

No computers or ipads under her eyes all day.

question: before Hurtwood will be better for her Bedes, Millfield, CLC, Brighton College or WA?
Please can I hope in some advice before the 20th of March?
We are visiting the schols in the next 3 weeks.
Many many thanks!

[MissAnneElliot]

Queenswood Queenswood Queenswood.

Fabulous school. Most girls take 2 mfl GCSEs. Mine also did one that we spoke at home. She sat it at Q. Straight As at both gcse & a level.

Drama very very strong. Dance is also good. Go & see it.

[Clavinova]

Perhaps Brighton College then? Very academic, fantastic art department and they appear to produce some talented dancers:

www.brightoncollege.org.uk/college/college-news/item/6718
www.brightoncollege.org.uk/college/college-news/item/8678
www.brightoncollege.org.uk/news/2014/11/dance-proms/

I agree with other posters - why does your dd need to take GCSE Dance? As a comparison, I know some very talented musicians with Grade 8 in 2 or 3 instruments who haven't taken GCSE Music - GCSE is a very basic measure of ability.

[Tralalee]

We also need an open minded school that do not oblige her to do games (she is not in A teams) waisting time and preventing her to do what she is talented in

Good luck!!!

Seriously though have you spoken to millfield? Once she is at the senior school she will be allowed to specialise much more.

[Tralalee]

I would definitely stay at Millfield, particularly if she loves it there. It has a fantastic dance programme

[Zodlebud]

The reason I recommended Queenswood was that it does everything you have asked for.

It isn’t a particularly selective school but if you bear that in mind when looking at GCSE and A-level results then you’ll see their results are pretty amazing. The school is in an area where the brightest girls will be heading to St Albans Girls High, North London Collegiate and Habs. Queenswood is the backup choice for these schools. What that means is they get the results without the pressure.

Languages offered are French, Spanish, Japanese and Italian with two thirds of girls taking two languages at GCSE. Girls are also encouraged to take exams in their native language where applicable.

Drama and dance are superb. ISTD Cecchetti ballet lessons as an extra activity and numerous dance clubs. Shows on a regular basis. Drama and dance scholars get additional opportunities - drama scholars are from Y9 only and mostly are internal applicants. LAMDA and wide extra curricular program to support these.

Art rooms were the most amazing rooms I have ever seen (and I’ve seen a lot). I have seen a few comments on here about art not being as strong, although that was a few years ago. From what I have seen I think they must have improved significantly as I thought it was the best out of all the schools I have visited.

Queenswood also has an excellent sports program but it’s highly inclusive. They have national level players in several sports, an amazing tennis scholars programme and the school wins frequently. But if you just want to play for leisure then that’s fine too (and actively encouraged).

The school has long days but they fit so much in. There is an enormous list of activities running every lunchtime and after school and they expect girls to get involved.

The girls appear happy, well balanced, intelligent and engaging. It’s not a “big name” school but increasingly it’s becoming a first choice school as opposed to a backup and has a waiting list (which it never used to).

A school that values everything a child can do, not just the academics. Rather refreshing!!!!!

[sendsummer]

shs why not try Queenswood as others have suggested.
You need to decide whether a scholarship at Millfield is worth a non-scholarship place at other schools that give different academic advantages and opportunities.

[LIZS]

You really need to check what any school's dance programme consists of. Dd school offers dance from year 10 upwards in lieu of games, but it is more for fitness than technique. There are also festival dance groups, tap and other dance forms extra curricular but none of which are going to create individual dancers. Those wanting to take it seriously also do classes out of school and join musical theatre and performance groups. If she is strong on ballet maybe look at English Youth Ballet or see if there are holiday or weekend youth theatre classes at vocational schools or colleges.

[shs69]

LIZS, she has been selected for one of the more prestigious dance schools in France in 2015, second and first at Bath Festival for Drama performances and good at school plays, Scholar in Art.
We don't want to drop all this, it is understood that she can't Dance 10 hours per week but maybe 5 yes and then concentrate on Drama and Art plus Academic.
We also need an open minded school that do not oblige her to do games (she is not in A teams) waisting time and preventing her to do what she is talented in ; we were not happy about that at Millfield prep. We would like a school that cares about her talents and do not follow only the "program" for gcse but instill a proper culture on pupils...

[shs69]

Thank you all, yes, we are trying for the next 2 years to leave all the doors open, difficult age as well, all could change suddenly also..
Still learning about UK system but I really like the schools that offer good Academics and do not limit the teqching to the exam program. She has been brought up with the value of "learning for its own sake", the love of languages and culture, I am not sure Millfield will fulfill this aspect compared to schools as CLC, Kings etc, but maybe there her dance will suffer... and certainly Millfield has a Dance department that allows to drop games for 2 terms, but still not enough to what she could aim (selected by a former etoile for special dance program in France ...). So difficult, so few time to decide for her future....
Has anyone direct experience of Drama and Art at Millfield? How are Academics at the Senior? Can an academic child still be motivated surrounded by lot of pupils focused more on their sports than maybe on their studies? Not sure...

[BubblesBuddy]

I would also suggest Queenswood at Brookmans Park as was mentioned earlier. Very strong drama (good schools guide recommends) and lots do dance. Much smaller than Millfield. Lots of opportunities to get involved.

[LIZS]

It would be very hard to sustain all those subjects to gcse level, would limit other choices and so many schools do not offer all of them that few subsequent courses require them. Scholarships can be a double edged sword with different departments making competing demands on time. Has she performed outside school in either drama or dance, it might give you a better feel for how talented she may be and whether she has ambition or just enjoys it. Those I know who received awards to Hurtwood for performing arts were already West End performers and were multifaceted. I would focus on academics for now and look for out of school opportunities to develop and add to a cv if she decides to go down the vocational path. Brighton College might give you a balance of academics and arts but not sure any more so than Millfield. Bedes did not used to be thought of as academic but this may have changed recently.

[BubblesBuddy]

I do not understand the obsession with Hurtwood. It’s ferodiously expensive and other schools do prepare for theatre careers.

You have to decide which route you want. Theatre/stage school or academics. The choice can be made after gcse. Lots choose earlier of course and schools like Tring keep options open. Hurtwood too. A lot of people have to compromise. Also, she might not want to move for 6th form if she’s happy with friends.

Before 6th form, she will have to choose her post 18 route. You don’t seem to have plied for Tring so it’s duffucult to know how talented she is. GCSE Dance doesn’t mean much. Drama and Art are doable at GCSE but experience in acting is way more important and going to a school that knows the time of day with drama is important. However she has to decide on her ultimate aim: theatre or academics.

[MrsSnitch]

THere is absolutely no need (or actually capacity in the curriculum) to do dance, drama and art at GCSE. Doing this combination at 6th form, at a Hurtwood or anywhere else, guarantees she will not be able to access the top universities you appear to believe your daughter might be capable of entering.

I would be extremely wary of putting all your focus on the arts side of things. Allow her to enjoy her interests but not to the exclusion of all else at this stage. She might not want to continue dancing etc in her later teen years and it sounds like she is not really at the stage you might expect at her age if professional dancing might be an option. It’s always best in my view to keep the academic doors open as she is far more likely to be able to make a living that way

[Sunshine5050]

OP, your dd is happy, she has an all rounder scholarship to a top UK school where she can board or live at home, it's a school full of exceptionally sporty children with parents who have strong opinions. It has a whole program geared towards dance in the senior school. Im sure if you share your concerns with Millfield they will help. There isn't a school that will meet all your aspirations for your dd but her happiness has to be central to your search. (Also at my dd's school they have stopped all mfl speakers taking GCSE's early in the language spoke at home, i think it's something to do with university applications but I'm not sure).

[sendsummer]

shs69 congratulations to your DD, and all rounder scholarship is fitting from her many talents. I also find it very impressive that despite all the extra activities she has the time to follow the CNED programme, basically two lots of schoolwork. You will not get a non French school that offers language teaching to CNED standard.
Did King's Canterbury not offer her a scholarship?
Maybe auditioning for Legat will help clarify what she wants. You obviously know that dance is a precarious career even for the most talented.

[shs69]

How extraordinary! I am writing from my tel. And this machine has changed many words after I read them! Dd likes Millfield. She Does not réalise that it is not the right place for all her talents. But coming from a non UK school we discovered them thanks to Millfield so she is grateful but not experienced about the system.
I have a friend from Royal Ballet. She did a brilliant career but then married abroad and left all. Divorced and now translator have g hard life with 2 kids.... We would like to take 2 more years to understandwhere she would like to go... We also have an offer from Kings Canterbury.... But I don' t think there is a school of dance there....

[shs69]

Hello. Thanks again for your precious advice. 3 days ago she got an all-rounder scholarship and they would like to talk to us. In the letter they say she did very well also in Drama, Art and Dance. I suspect they can' t allow her to be a scholar in all 3... I mean to do you work on all 3. She is not very interested on games but it is Millfield and she will just be allowed to drop 2 terms of them in favour of the dance. Today we went to an open day at Bedes and saw Legat.
Anyone knows if we can do the 3 subects at gcse and then At A levels? Yes she is perfectly trilingual. Born in France and there on a bilingual school till 3 years ago. Mother and father of 2 other different nationalities. I am a teacher and she follows the French program at home. She writes and reads lot of books in all 3 languages.
Is Bedes the best option? And is Hurtwood a nice choice? They seems to do from dance to textiles to drama to academics at the top....
We plan to take2 language Igcse in y10.
She really wants to do it all and I am not sure I'd Millfield is the right place.. shelves Millfield and this is the problem.
Not surely drama and Arcade at the top there.....
Only few days to decide if going to Needs. The testing/tasting day is the 20th...
Is this school very high academic and top Art and drama??? Help!!!

[Sunshine5050]

I think if you read a previous post from OP her dd is at the prep part of Millfield, the top sports school in the UK. OP do keep us posted re the scholarships you are hoping to receive as your dd is obviously very talented but as the other posters have said the top academic boarding schools can't offer a serious career in dance for the teenage years.

[Zodlebud]

It now seems as if dance is the main focus of your search? If she is in Y8 and only doing two hours a week due to a lack of dance provision in your area then she is behind many other children her age (4-6 hours a week is not unusual and at a vocational school it would be more like 12-15 hours). If she has natural talent then this won’t go against her but it will make things a lot harder.

IMO (I work with children in performing arts), if dance is your thing and you truly want to commit to it then there are very few schools in the U.K. that can provide dance to the level required to be a professional. If you also want top academics then the list is even smaller. Tring Park is probably the only school I feel delivers both great academics and vocational training. None of the schools you have listed would be anywhere close to delivering what you seem to be after.

You should also remember that in the world of performing arts that it is your talent and look that get you places. Audition experience, technique and training can get you part the way there. It is perfectly possible to go to “normal” schools and still go to drama and dance school at 18+.

The dance provision in your area does appear poor but boarding school is not going meet all your needs.

[sendsummer]

shs sounds as though she would fit well into a career of theatre design.
Hard fact is that multitalented pupils can never keep all options you mention to a high standard together with high level academics especially if you also worried about the language teaching. (When you say she is trilingual, I guess it is no longer the case for her written work?)
She cannot train in musical theatre or dance with an eye on a career in either plus do art / textiles to a high level plus have a very academic school. She can of course have fun in all of them but make academics and art her priority or choose to go to a specialist school for dance and musical theatre whilst compromising her academics. Or go to a state school with short days and fill the rest of the time with the extras at high intensity.
Be realistic to help her.

[AlexanderHamilton]

We found that academic independent school & high level dance didn’t mix very well.

[MrsSnitch]

Italia Conti or Laine might be worth a look for extra curricular dance. However unless your daughter aims to make a career out of dance I’m not sure you need to do more than a couple of hours a week on top of demanding school schedules

[shs69]

Thank you to you all, I will visit Bedes and then decide; we are in a well known prep school at the moment in Somerset but her dance is suffering because the local dance school can just offer one hour/week of ballet and one hour modern no private lessons....
Mrs Snitch, I agree, this is why I am looking now for a great Independent school she will continue to be in if she is not taken at Hurtwood...
Here in Somerset very hard to find a nice dance school after classes, offering lot of hours of dance, most schools are isolated and care for a large number of students, so they offer a lot of classes from ballet to musical theater and singing but not lot of lessons available for each grade and subject.... and DD is very busy at her independent school, Saturdays included most of the times.
This is why I was thinking to relocate anyway next to London, at max one hour, and yes she is waiting for many scholarship results... maybe next week we will know.
if I relocate around London where is the best dance and theatre school in the area for lessons after school?
many thanks

[shs69]

how's Art at Tring Park?

[Mary21]

Family member recently left Bedes . They were very impressed with the pastoral care. Known for its Dance.