secondary school with performing arts (independent)

[duckedoff]

looking for a secondary school commutable from North London for ds.
Loves singin, Music, conducting and composing. Loves to perform, has performed on West end as well as in a few movies. He is very Quirky and thinks outside the box.He is very academic but not at all sporty. Woukd prefer a normal school and not a Sylvia Young! can anyone recomend anything?

Can you get him to Tring Park? Does all the academics as well as lots of creative subjects,s o it's not like Sylvia's. Plus they do no PE as their exercise is obtained in dance lessons!

Lol I am aware, I literally said it's a name. I never said it's a proper conservatoire.

If he’s already getting work what do you think a specialist school would add? I’d concentrate on finding a supportive school (in respect if inevitable absences) at the correct academic level for him, which does not involve a massive commute so that any extra curricular activities are accessible. Then consider Hurtwood House for 6th form

If he’s already getting work what do you think a specialist school would add?

Because soon he will hit the height/broken voice limit for kids work. And Hurtwood House is one of the, if not the most expensive performing arts 6th forms in the country. Most child performers do go on to train at drama school etc.

I agree many do go on to drama school post 18, but competition is brutal. Even Hurtwood with all its specialist training and support and limitless budget and industry connections only get a small handful into drama schools each year. Personally I feel you should pursue the education side as a priority, participate in extra curricular drama/MT/dance etc then see how the land lies at 16 when there are more options open eg Italia Conti, Laines, Arts Ed etc

Not sure it’s commutable each day from
London

To be frank, Hurtwood is for those with money. It’s not what I would class as one of the leading 6th forms good as it may be.

There are very many kids at HH on reduced fees comefromaway We thought it gave the best mix of good academics and performance training, more so than Tring which was the other choice for us. It’s a magic school, but agree it’s v expensive IF you are paying full fees

My Dd hated Tring on a summer a
School. She originally wanted Arts Ed but there was no way we could afford it. But ultimately we think she made the right choice on a DaDa at the school she’s at.

Isn't HH boarding only? Maybe look at Brit school at year 10 or year 12 entry and do an academic school until then.

LIZS no, increasing numbers of day pupils, some travel from ridiculously far away! Around 30 in my child’s year, out of about 160

I think comparing Tring Park and Hurtwood is like comparing apples and oranges, that’s very clear from the admissions process.
Tring does not look at academic performance, it’s a performing arts school.
However the academic teaching is first rate. My DD joined in sixth form and achieved 3 top A levels. Plus had 20 hours each week of wide ranging and comprehensive performing arts training.

errorofjudgment there’s no academic entry requirement for Hurtwood. They choose more on “fit” and interests (whilst obviously having some minimum GCSE requirements for some A level subjects). But there was no requirement eg so many A grades at GCSE which was the norm for most other sixth firms in the area

@vancleefarpels reading the admissions criteria for Hurtwood they stress that academic achievement is important and is part of the selection criteria.

Obviously, your academic record is important and we have high academic standards to maintain, but this is certainly not the only criterion for selection

By contrast, Tring Park do not make your academic record any part of the admissions criteria.

However all MT, Acting, and commercial music students take 3 A levels unlike some of the other performing arts schools. And there is s wide range of A levels to choose from.

On a separate point, how many hours vocational study is timetabled at Hurtwood? I was a little confused by the PA programme there as the last time I “spoke” to a Hurtwood mum her DD seemed to choose what she wanted to study in PA rather than following a course that built on prior work.

Has this changed or do students still choose from a mix?

It’s a mix - there are “serious” programmes for dance, drama (acting), film (tech) and music Which are selective or there are myriad related other activities For more “casual” participants and non performance activities plus individual tuition. Show rehearsals take up a lot of activity time too for those that participate- west end standard musicals

However all MT, Acting, and commercial music students take 3 A levels unlike some of the other performing arts schools. And there is s wide range of A levels to choose from.

Are there options for those not academically inclined. At dd’s school acting students take the equivalent of 3 a levels but they can take Btec drama either as well as or instead of A level Theatre Studies & Btec Music is available.

Dancers only take 2 A levels (or 1 plus Btec) plus the Level 6 Diploma. For the non academically inclined they can take other qualifications instead of A levels.

My kids are now 21 and 23, educated at academic London schools. They knew an impressive number of peers who were really talented: in sport, music, drama or art.

It is already become obvious that only a very few will make it to the top of these competitive industries, and those that kept up academics seem to be doing as well (Cambridge footlights, BBC Young Musician finals etc) as those who did not. The bigger decision seems to be whether then to go onto art/drama/music school or University after A levels. By this time it matters less as University can wait.

Really look at the old boys/girls lists at places like Latymer Upper or Highgate. Far better to keep your options open.

Where is WHS?

Ah, Wimbledon ...

@AtomicRabbit yes, these schools also have to have a sense of certainty that this child will in fact be able to add to their schools offering. Being a grade 8 in a instrument and county netball player at 11 is exceptional and the school needs to know that that child will add to school life, not to their clubs life. Schools are not stupid and they know what kind of child they can cater for, I'm not surprised she didn't get the scholarship. How much time could she really give to the schools music and sports department.
If it is true that these 10 years old have grade 8s, it saddens me. I doubt if any have a true love for music in all that rush to get these grades and many will no doubt have been forced to practise for hours to get to that standard at such a young age. I hate this London race for the highest grade the earliest or county standard the earliest. So many talented musicians drop playing as teens exactly because of this parental pressure.

At least in dance the exam boards don’t let you take Grade 6/Inter F until you are at least 11 years old.

Rightly so imo. Just as a child is not ready to push their body above grade 6 I don't think they are ready to understand and appreciate the complexities of a grade 8 in music. Aside from the obvious stress holding an instrument for that long will have on their small bodies they're just not ready mentally. There's obv those extreme examples but I don't think that's the average and I don't think that the level that should be expected in a state grammar. Ridiculous. London has gone mad.