How do I choose between Trinity School or The BRIT School in Croydon?

[dearmother]

My DD has received an offer to study in the 6th Form Music Strand at the BRIT School in Croydon.

She has also received an offer to study in the 6th Form at The Trinity School in Croydon.

Putting the school fees aside, I wanted some advice / information / guidance on which School to go for.

BRIT school has a very impressive Alumni, but is it really that good?
Do kids get a lot of exposure to the Industry at the BRIT School?

And, does anyone know how Trinity School is? Especially in the 6th Form?

I will be grateful for any insight.

Thank you

They're very different schools so to advise we'd really need to know more about DD - what are her aspirations and abilities?

DD is musical- singer / song-writer-type.
She wants to have a career in the music industry.
But at the same time, a part of her wants a proper school experience.And I guess, a bit scared that she might be closing doors on other career choices.

We also want to understand whether The BRIT school truly provides its students with opportunities in the music industry- does the school make those connections for its students?

And finally, if anyone's child has studied in the Music Strand at BRIT school, did she / he benefit from it? Would their musical journey still have been the same elsewhere? Did BRIT give them an advantage?

She'd be foolish to turn down the Brit school if that is the career she wants.
However if she isn't 100% committed then she should go elsewhere and let someone else have the place. It's not just talent that will help her forge a career in that industry.

I don't have direct experience, but I do know reasonably well five young people who have gone to the Brit School (the oldest being 20 now). Too early to tell whether it will have given them the 'foot up' to make it big. All seem to have enjoyed/be enjoying their time there.

Those two schools are like chalk and cheese. Trinity is very good for music too though, so maybe if your DD is more likely to want to keep her options open, Trinity would be the way to go?

I image the schools would be difficult to compare .. as they are doing very different jobs ? It’s different experiences and education you are comparing really.
She must be v talented . Well done to her for securing place at the BRIT school. Do you think she may be having a little wobble in confidence? Ie “ am I good enough?” If so.. that’s pretty normal I think
I think it’s a bit harsh to say “ if you aren’t 100% committed then give up the place” . I would say she’s just showing normal caution.
Can you find out from Brit school itself how connections are made to industry? Surely that sort of info would be on website/ course description?

Thanks you @MollyButton.
I have heard as well that people give an arm and a leg for The BRIT ans especially the Music Strand.
But, is it just BRIT is selling dreams? or do they really provide practical support, internships, network / contacts etc in the industry?

it will be great if you have any idea around that?
Thank you very much.

Thank you @NewModelArmyMayhem18.
By Chalk and Cheese, please can you explain?
We were told that Trinity is very musical school as well.

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

What is your DD hoping to do after 6th form? Straight into the industry or university/college first

I know a good deal about the brit school. It is funded by the record companies who keep a close relationship with it. They get great masterclasses / guests and there’s a superb industry employment rate for alumni. It really does what it sets out to do and has exceptional facilities. If your child isn’t committed to a performance career, I beg you not to take the place away from another child; it’s a life changing opportunity for a kid that wants it

My DS is U6 at T, and my DD has just been offered a place for next year. We love the school.

The school is very good for music, especially singing. However, the choirs generally have a more classical repertoire. Some girls do sing jazz with the Big Band, but only 1 or two each year. The school usually puts on a musical each year (other productions are normally straight plays) - they have just finished Joseph this year. There is the option to pay for singing lessons. I don't know if this would suit your daughter?

The school is academic - your DD obviously got through the exams and interviews, so has met those standards. Did she go for a music scholarship?

They do expect a lot from the 6th form students - all start 4 A levels, they are all expected to do an EPQ/ written research project, they all do some form of community work. The school is very good at supporting them, and helping them through the UCAS process and/or degree apprenticeships etc. Is your DD thinking about uni?

You could try contacting the Director of Music and having a chat with him about what opportunities there may be for your DD.

She obviously wants it if she applied. Completely understandable to have wobbles. I would definitely contact the school and ask if your daughter could have a chat with someone before she accepts. Im sure she's not the only one that's had wobbles and the last thing they'd want (and you) is a child that's unhappy there.

What does she want to do?

Thanks everyone- really appreciate your comments and inputs.

@AveEldon & @Etinox, DD wants both. It is not easy to get signed by a record label and these things take time. And she wants to get a good degree as well.
But, since childhood, her dream has been to be a singer.

@AtillatheHun, thank you for the detailed information-just the kind of things we were looking for.

@Seeline, thanks you for the info on Trinity-we loved the school as well.

@Johnathonripples & @Dodgeitornot, we are thinking very hard about this. Thank you for making us feel that it's OK to have the wobbles :)

Did you know that amy winehouse and Adele we’re both signed by their excellent managers direct from school? Both managers’ uncles had been intimately involved with the running of the school, and the managers would drop in and listen to who was there / what was going on. It still happens (Tho’ not all of the managers have uncles running major labels!).

@AtillatheHun, we had no idea about Amy and Adele being signed up at the school.

The key differentiator for us are the Opportunities that BRIT can provide, especially to those children, who do not have existing contacts in the Record industry.
And the other equally important factor is, being in the company of more talented musicians; something, that will challenge DD's creativity.

Thank you for the insights-very helpful.

I don’t think you could get more different schools.

BRIT offers a vocational education, the UAL diploma which is a practical qualification similar to a Btec. The aim is to prepare students to enter the performing arts industry or for further vocational training.

Trinity is highly academic. They will be focused on academic A levels and preparing students for top (Russell Group etc) universities. Musicians may be aiming for classical Conservatoires.

If fees are not an issue a halfway house could be Tring Park. I know someone on their Commercial Music course. There is the optional n to combine Btec with more academic A levels. My own dd (a Musical theatre singer/dancer) didn’t feel Tring was for her but we know several children who have loved it and gone on to have successful careers.

Hi dearmother, well done to your daughter on being offered places at two great schools.I have a daughter who is currently in the 6th form music strand at Brit. She loves it and it's a very exciting school to go to but you must remember it is just a school - it's not an agency, they won't set your daughter's career up, she'll have to do that. It's true they do have random celebs dropping by and industry experts giving talks. Jessie J (alumni) allowed a handful of music strand students to attend her concert and brought them all up on stage. Nile Rodgers pops by quite often and is a huge supporter of the school. Students do get the opportunity to attend the Brit Awards too - so yes there are exciting events going on. But the rest of the time it's just like any other college. You have to get your course work and homework done. They do offer a few options for A levels that can be taken alongside the Extended Diploma. My daughter chose this option but it is quite tough as the music course and all her outside commitments take up a lot of time, so fitting in an additional A level has been difficult and I think given the choice again she wouldn't have done it.

If your daughter does accept her offer she needs to mentally prepare for the fact that she will be surrounded by very talented musicians - there will be people that are going to be better than her and this can be hard for her confidence. Stuart Worden, the head, gave a good talk about this when my daughter first started.

It's also tough on them if they don't get chosen for any of the opportunities that arise and it does feel like certain students get more opportunities than others - though this may just be a coincidence as opposed to 'favouritism'.

I think a big advantage to the Brit school is that she'll be surrounded by people who, for a large percentage of, will end up in relevant industries - so it becomes a great networking opportunity for the future. I also get the impression that students who have attended Brit are considered more Industry ready at the end of it.

All in all my daughter loves the Brit school and as well as the qualifications it's given her fabulous memories and a wonderful set of like minded friends. (She was worried before starting that the other students would be a bit 'up themselves' if you know what I mean - but they're not, they are really nice kids and there is a zero tolerance policy on bullying. I think one of their tag lines is 'A place to be you', and it's true, they're very accepting of everyone. The staff are also lovely, I've not heard my daughter complain about any of the teachers. You'll also get to enjoy several superb performance that they put on during their time. These can be quite spectacular events and will involve students from across the strands.

I'm not able to give any insight at all about Trinity but hope you find our experience of the Brit school useful :)

My daughter is in the year 12 musical theatre strand this year. This time last year we faced your dilemma - academic 6th form or brit. I was scared for her going to brit because of the unknown out of the ordinary element. Staying on at her school 6th form she would have tried for Cambridge but it became gradually obvious that Brit was the right choice for her. The only door closed to her is Oxbridge but because she is doing an A level alongside the diploma she will still be able to apply to regular good unis to do a degree if that's what she wants. Because she had a day off at Brit 4 days after she started she was able to go to what would have been her 6th form to see what her classes would be like there and she didn't like it. We aren't local to Croydon so she has quite a commute but she is up and ready every morning because she is doing what she loves. So far we believe brit is the right place for her, whether she ends up on stage or behind the scenes I believe she will have a career in theatre. She networks with theatre organisations outside of school too which I believe is really important given how difficult it is to get established in the arts industry. I wish you all the best with your daughter's decision

@Comefromaway, thank you for the info on Trinity and Tring.

Tring would be out of question now as we have missed the deadline. We did consider Hurtswood House, but felt that it was more Drama-centric, as opposed to Music.

wrt Trinity, it is becoming clearer that they focus more on the Classical Music and DD is more into Pop & Rock.

Thank you

@ILikeTrains, A Big thank you for the detailed insight. It has been very useful.
I totally agree that she will be surrounded by like minded and supremely talented people, which can be very encouraging whilst at the same time, confidence shattering. I feel that the earlier DD toughens up, the better it is, as the industry is a tough place.

I remember reading a recent a article by the school alumni saying that it was difficult for kids to perform friendships as the place is fiercely competitive, but your comments have lessened the worry.

Thank you once again for the info-much appreciated.

@Aer11, thank you for your comments- we have the same dilemma. DD wants to try for Cambridge but now knows that if she chooses Brit, that will be out of question. That's going to be one of the deciding factors for us.

Lots to think!

Thank you once again-much appreciated.

My daughter is in Y13 at BRIT (although a different strand). It is a truly unique school and has been life changing for us. My daughter is surrounded by like minded creatives, there’s opportunities for collaborations across strands and to learn from visitors and alumni who are working in the industry, which is highly motivating for the students. There are regular performances, exhibitions etc and the quality and range of the work is incredible when you remember that these are 16-18 year olds.

Students have to work hard, particularly if they are also studying an A’level or an additional pathway subject. The state-of-the-art facilities and the quality of the teaching are both very impressive at BRIT.

We have found the careers service very helpful this year and my daughter now has offers from two top universities to continue her studies at degree level.

Good luck with your decision.

Tring still have audition dates for the commercial music course in February, if it’s somewhere you think might suit then it’s worth a phone call to the school.
My DD went to Tring for sixth form, absolutely loved it there, and has come away with 3 excellent grades in her A levels that have kept open all her options for university.

Trinity is by far the more academic and traditional school. Where would she plan to go on to?

Thank you all for your helpful comments, much appreciated.
DD has opted for The BRIT School.