Our daughter is very keen on music specialist schools and would like to join one some day. My hubby is very keen, too. Well, she suggested to him a much later time than he had hoped, i.e., that she could go in school year 9 or 10. Yet she still wants to visit now.

I am not so keen due to the boarding aspects (concerning which I have some serious reservations; no other reason) but that's a story for another day. Anyway, to cut a long story short, my hubby will take her to Purcell's Open Day in Sept.

What kind of questions could/should he ask? The last time he took her to Menuhin's Open Day he did not ask much.

Thanks.

I've never attended one of those schools. Perhaps ask them about how they will handle the general welfare of students, meals, how often families can visit then ask about the curriculum. Specialist schools normally have a slightly different education system from the normal ones. See if your daughter can handle it. Above all, she must like the school! Good luck!

Academic class sizes, facilities and boarding are important issues. Worth finding out how much privacy there is because in younger year groups there is much less, as sometimes the dorms are huge and house up to 10 students! Not the kind of thing everyone wants to put up with. Probably best to ask current pupils if possible as teachers will always gloss over the worse bits...Also, you should definitely ask about music vs academic timetabling because I think it's Purcell who run on 2 different schedules so it gets very difficult to stay out of arguments between academic teachers who don't want you to miss their lessons, and music teachers who don't want you to miss THEIR lessons.

I stayed at the Purcell school for a weekend a couple of years back for a music course. Musically, it was well-equipped, but I found the building to be quite dark, and the bedrooms to be really small and not particularly nicely decorated. The food wasn't bad. But oh well, go and find out what you think! I wish your daughter the very best if she decides to apply.

Hey, thanks! These replies are so good! First, she loves Menuhin absolutely. Said it's very friendly and cosy and that she will never have to go to bed alone since they sleep two to a room. Hope one does not get an ogre for a roomate.

Secondly, thanks for alerting me to the clash, Bo. She's very academic so a clash would be disastrous psychologically - will leave her in a dilemma.

Thirdly, dark, did you say? How awful! Everyone tends to feel good in open or light places. Hm, they must watch out for this.

Thanks, all.

When I was younger we considered applying to a specialist music school. However, the big problem was that it seriously cuts down your academic choices - academic lessons seem to take very much of a back seat, especially at the Yehudi Menuhin school, from what I've heard. This is fine for children whose life is music and who are not particularly good academically, but I think it's a real problem for the bright ones. I was really worried that, despite my intelligence, I wouldn't have the qualifications to succeed in an academic job if I decided not to be a musician. If I were you, I would consider this carefully, and discuss it with your daughter. She needs to be certain that she wants music to be her life (and the probable poor pay and long, unsociable hours) before she 'signs away', as it were, her chance of getting good enough qualifications to get a good job in a completely different career area. Of course, to be a concert performer is wonderful - but the vast majority of people, even the very good ones at specialist music schools, end up playing in orchestras. The Purcell School did seem rather dark inside - but then, it was late October! Go along and have a look for yourself, but do be aware that these schools are focused on MUSIC and MUSIC and MORE MUSIC so your daughter would have to be prepared for that, and hours of practice required daily too. Good luck whatever you decide!

if you'rw concerned about academic standards ask if they publish a list of leaver destinations. If the academic standard is good then you should expect to see a reasonable number of pupils leave to attend good universities and should include non music subjects. Chets include a list in their prospectus and every year and always manage to get a good proportion into good universities and have a percentage studying non music subjects eg law, engineering etc.
Make sure you know what questions VN wants to ask and write all questions down so you can't forget to ask them.
Remember no school is perfect, you just have to find the one which is right for VN.

Thanks, piano. She really does want to be a musician and is always playing the violin or singing. I remember telling her from time to time in the past that if she misbehaves or won't take her shower or won't stop practising/playing the violin, we will not pay for her lessons and she'd burst into tears. Music is very much her life and practising is fine by her. Treats it as naturally as brushing her teeth twice a day although she would prefer to play all day rather than technically practise! She cannot at present see any point in doing anything else. She can't wait till RAMJA starts in Sept. She is very excited about her music and also has a full scholarship/bursary there. Her self-motivation and commitment is extraordinary - and that's putting it mildly. However, what does a child know about life or indeed the future?

After an ensemble performance at the Barbican, she told us that she can't imagine herself doing anything else other than performing. However, as she's only about to enter school yr 5 and is also very academic, I took her to City of London Girls' School's and plan to take her to another local school's Open Day next month. Fortunately she likes it at CLGS though not as much as Menuhin. I'm hoping that going to one or the other from yrs 7 to 9 will give her more time to REFLECT just in case she changes her mind. Lots of folks join Purcell in yr 10.

It was her school headmistress who took the initiative to speak to us that "She shd go to Menuhin or Chethams" but as I've indicated, I just want to keep her options open and I was subsequently advised that both Purcell and Chethams have very good academic results! In fact, Chets in particular, has a reputation (astonishingly) for academia. Personally, I'd prefer her to stay at home as RAMJA is very good and more importantly, she has a special needs brother who genuinely needs her at home. The reasons for her to leave home have to be pretty compelling before I see eye-to-eye with her and my hubby. Having said that I wouldn't be so closed-minded as to stop them from visiting music specialist schools especially since my hubby has recently compromised that she could go to one of those in yr 9 or 10 without boarding.

Tess

When it comes down to it, though, most people do not need the 9,10,11 or more GCSEs that they end up with these days.

I have a friend going to Oxford who has, I think, 5 GCSEs - he was homeschooled.

Some of the musical schools are strong academically - it's something to ask, but not something to assume that they will be weak at.

Wow, Sarah. That's pretty amazing to be home schooled and yet manage to get FIVE GCSEs! My friends are working very hard at home schooling, too, their many kids so they are not secondary-school-hunting like us.

How wonderful that your daughter enjoys music so much. It sounds like she is the sort of person who would enjoy it at a music school. She's still young, though - wait and see what happens. If she still enjoys it so much in a few years' time, then that strengthens the case for her to go. Possible Year 10 entry could be a good idea since she will be starting her GCSEs then and can make a definite choice either one way or the other. I've also heard that some music schools achieve excellent academic results; the piano finalist of the most recent Young Musician of the Year competition is going to Oxbridge.

Even though the Chets academic results are good..........you can't see from them that choices are restricted there eg you cannot take separate science subjects at GCSE, only the combined science.

Which would limit her chances of studying science subjects in University. The gap between combined science and pure science is quite abit. I know because my friend who took combined Physics/Chemistry and O levels had tremendous difficulty with Chemistry at A levels whilst I did pure.

That's often the case even at non-specialist schools it seems, I'm not sure why.

Thanks, everyone.

Piano, I agree with you that year 10 entry is a good idea as she'll be in a much better position to judge then. Prior to that I hope she could settle nicely a school with a good music department. Where we live there are 2 and unfortunately both are private. However, I tell myself to be positive and try visiting all four - 2 music schools and 2 general schools. Should soon be researching if only I have the time and energy... *sigh* on what exactly makes the two general schools I have chosen tick.

Thanks again. Really appreciate your replies!

Tess