Laine Foundation course at 16
Moderator: busybusybusy
Laine Foundation course at 16
Does anybody have any experience of the Foundation course at Laine and in particular whether a high proportion of students then go onto the diploma course ? My daughter has been offered this and as she loved the college and is only 16 it seems tempting . She has another offer of a place on a 3 year diploma course but at a smaller college . She also has a couple more auditions coming up at Bird and Performers . We are also unsure whether going at 16 or 18 is preferable . She was meant to be just testing the waters now but having gone to auditions she is all fired up to go in September . She has also been told that it is an advantage to train younger especially in terms of dance . However the other side of the coin is that she won't have A levels and she is academic. Any advice gratefully received . Thank you .
Re: Laine Foundation course at 16
Just a few things to consider:
Does she ultimately want to do a diploma or a degree?
If she wants to do the degree she will need UCAS points from either A levels or BTEC or similar
If she wants to do the diploma, then you need to think about funding
Basically if you do a degree its student loans route, if you do a diploma its DADA and/or self funding. However please consider that if your earnings are above a certain threshold then the DADA will not cover living costs. So really it all depends on finances as to whether its a good idea or not to do a foundation. A foundation will limit her to doing a diploma not a degree, which may or may not cause problems financially. Have you considered doing a BTEC at Italia Conti in Guildford? This course is funded by the Government. It would give your dd a qualification and open up more options. It also means she would still be getting full time training.
Does she ultimately want to do a diploma or a degree?
If she wants to do the degree she will need UCAS points from either A levels or BTEC or similar
If she wants to do the diploma, then you need to think about funding
Basically if you do a degree its student loans route, if you do a diploma its DADA and/or self funding. However please consider that if your earnings are above a certain threshold then the DADA will not cover living costs. So really it all depends on finances as to whether its a good idea or not to do a foundation. A foundation will limit her to doing a diploma not a degree, which may or may not cause problems financially. Have you considered doing a BTEC at Italia Conti in Guildford? This course is funded by the Government. It would give your dd a qualification and open up more options. It also means she would still be getting full time training.
Re: Laine Foundation course at 16
My son turned down a part scholarship at Urdang for the foundation at Laine as he loved the feel. He'd been injured so it also made sense to give himself a little longer. Absolutely no regrets - got a funded place on their diploma the following year. Finances are a crucial factor as has been indicated but your dd can still get a degree at Laine even if she goes after a foundation course (either during or after her third year). This is now available at many colleges - without A levels or the equivalent. Of course there is no guarantee of a three year place. The foundation course at Laine however is excellent. We do know of one girl offered a three year diploma elsewhere as well as Laine foundation and chose the former. She now regrets that decision due to maturity and the course content. Difficult decision - but I think more and more students are going older rather than younger as for musical theatre roles greater maturity is needed and it allows time for voices to mature too. Guess it depends on future plans - although those change! Ds went as a dancer and emerged as a singer/actor. Great to have some choices! Congratulations to your dd!