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Tring PA 6th form
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 11:41 am
by noggin
Sorry if I appear a little dense but am having some problems getting my head around all these new ideas
My DD has just started out on the whole performing arts journey and has decided she would like to apply for a 6th form that covers both arts/dance and A levels. Tring is commutable and they offer Dada for 6th form but the info on their website is very sketchy as to how much the course costs, whether A levels are included in the cost and if so does the Dada cover the costs?
If anyone knows of any other reputable colleges/6th forms that offer both in the Greater London/surrounding area I would be really interested.
Mamny many thanks for helping out - I feel like a fish out of water at the moment

Re: Tring PA 6th form
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 1:07 pm
by 2dancersmum
I know what your mean about their website - not that clear. Fees for 6th form are roughly £10.5k per term for boarders and £7k approx. for day pupils. This covers all vocational and academic tuition. So yes A levels are included.
Those figures are assuming no DADA is awarded ie full fees payable.
A DADA is assessed on your household income and is divided into a contribution towards fees and a contribution towards housing costs. You can see from the figures above that boarding in 6th form boarding houses is approx. £3k per term.
Not everyone gets a DADA - these are decided at audition and awarded on merit. If you look at the government website with guidance for DADAs you will see what your contribution to the fees would be, if your DC got both a place offered and a DADA.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... ome-scales
As for schools offering dance and A levels at the level 6 diploma level like Tring - the ones I know are Elmhurst (Birmingham), Royal Ballet School (London), Hammond (Chester), Central School of Ballet (London - A levels + BA Honours degree). I think there is Legats too and I am sure there are others. Otherwise you are looking at colleges offering the level 3 qualification (equivalent to 3 A levels) where sometimes A levels can be studied alongside. I know this is the case at BOA (Birmingham) but not an area I know anything about.
Re: Tring PA 6th form
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 1:23 pm
by Katymac
Arts Ed do a sixth form with a level 3 & A levels as do, I think, Italia Conti in Guildford
Re: Tring PA 6th form
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 1:49 pm
by paulears
They've got a pretty decent staff list - a mix of educationalists and industry people, the place appears well equipped, and being private, is no doubt a nice place to go. All that concerns me is using up whatever awards, grants and subsidies are available BEFORE you go somewhere else for your HE/Specialist study. I'm not quite sure how it works now, but as the qualifications are quite standard ones, BTECs, A Levels and the Trinity stuff, I wonder if it's good value for money? If it's commutable and you have the cash in the bank, then decent quality FE is a good idea, but if going there then prevents you from going to HE level study, or the 'name' places - I'm not so sure?
It used to be the case that using up your funding 16-19 was a bad move, has it changed?
Re: Tring PA 6th form
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 1:54 pm
by noggin
Thanks for the replies - I know getting a Dada is difficult for any establishment and limiting choices to 6th forms with A levels is going to make it even harder, but a career as a performer in the arts industry is finite and losing entitlement to student finance at a later date could make a career change difficult. DD hopes to do radiography as a back up which at present is an NHS funded degree but she would need 3 A levels including biology to apply. The concern is waiting till 18 to do dance/mt degree after normal 6th form and hoping NHS are still funding radiography degrees when she is >21.
There is just so much to consider
My train of thought is to do local 6th form, get the A levels under her belt and make a choice about dance as a career when she is a little older. "Cross that bridge when we come to it" sort of thing.
Re: Tring PA 6th form
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 2:22 pm
by Caroline A-C
I have a ds who did an MT degree without going to a performing arts school and a dd who is currently at Tring. I think it is a totally personal decision. It works for my dd and she couldn't see herself going down any other route. She is academically doing very well and on target to get high grades in her GCSE's. She will continue in the 6th form doing the A level option to keep her options open. The days at Tring are long and they do work very hard. Don't know a lot about the 6th form though as dd currently in Year 10.
Re: Tring PA 6th form
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 4:18 pm
by puck
Not sure if things have changed recently but dadas at Tring were only for dance not MT although they did have some scholarships