Cheltenham... Dance courses post 16?

[Leafy2018]

We're still looking for a potential move somewhere else this year. Cheltenham is still our favourite place out of the many places we have looked at.

Our dd15 has done Dance GCSE and is keen to do Dance A Level or a BTEC level 3 in Dance as one of her sun=bjects after GCSEs. I'm really surprised there isn't an option for this within Cheltenham itself as it seems a creative place. Am i missing something?

The only thing I can see that may be a possibility is South Gloucestershire and Stroud College but it's actually near Bristol and is 40 minutes away by train. And even then it's a course equivalant to 3 A Levels and that wouldn't leave room to pick another subject surely?

Can anyone shed any light on other options in the area please? Thank you.

Have you tried contacting AQA exam board to find out about where the nearest centre offering the A level Dance course would be?
A level Dance is available at Worcester sixth form college which is commutable from Cheltenham.

Most serious dancers will either do A levels and continue their dance education privately at a local dance school, OR if they are not academic or simply just want to specialise they will do the 3 A level equivalent Btec/UAL diploma in Performing Arts (Dance). These are often available at larger FE colleges rather than schools

Thank you, both. I will contact AQA - although last time I tried contacting them about something else I never heard back from them.

If you do the BTEC, does that mean that is all you study? 3 A levels worth or is it nomal to study another course alongside it? This is all new to me and has all changed sinmce I was a school.

Yes, if you do the Btec Extended Diploma it is all you study. Some schools and colleges do offer a smaller sized Btec that you can study alongside A levels, but not as many as the Extended one in my experience.

Ribston Hall grammar school do a dance A level, I know someone there thinking of taking it.
That's in Gloucester and there's a private and public bus there from Cheltenham.

Hello @Leafy2018

I believe there is only 1 course for A LEVEL DANCE in the Gloucestershire area and that is a Ribston Hall High School for Girls which is in Gloucester.