How The Royal Ballet School Offers Dancers Leading Academic Support and Pastoral Care

By- Tejas Maheta

The Royal Ballet School is famous for offering the highest quality classical ballet training to aspiring young dancers. The School’s specialist education prepares these students for successful careers with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and other leading national and international dance companies. What’s more, its extensive academic and pastoral programme is equally as impressive as its carefully structured dance course.

Through a broad-spectrum curriculum, exciting extra-curricular opportunities, and a supportive network of teachers and pastoral staff, the School helps students thrive on their educational journeys. This is how The Royal Ballet School helps pupils enhance their understanding of themselves, ready for fulfilling lives in the world of dance and beyond.

A Broad and Balanced Academic Curriculum

Alongside the dance programme, which includes classical ballet, folk, character, and other styles, students engage with an academic curriculum that is broad, accessible, and challenging yet rewarding. For White Lodge students in Years 7 to 11, from Monday to Friday, the school day involves 9 blocks of 40 minutes each, from 8.30 a.m. until 4.00 p.m. Six of these lessons involve the study of academic subjects, with artistic classes making up the remaining time.

The goal is to give students a holistic and creative education that includes linguistics, mathematics, science, and human and social studies. Students build a strong work ethic and maintain excellent academic results in relation to their individual abilities. The academic and artistic staff know their students well and operate as a team.

All students in Years 7 and 8 also follow a co-curricular Healthy Performer Programme, which includes physical education, nutrition, and cooking. Meanwhile, all students can take instrumental or voice lessons leading towards qualifications with ABRSM, the exam board of the Royal Schools of Music, and preparation for Grade 5 Theory is also provided. Plus, all students sing in the School choir during the autumn term in the lead-up to a performance at the Carol Service. And towards the end of the academic year, all year groups have a chance to demonstrate their musical and drama talents at the Summer Concert.

In addition to dance training, academic lessons, and co-curricular activities, all students take personal, social, and health education (PSHE) lessons.

Exam Results for 2021

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic impacting the academic years of 2020 and 2021, The Royal Ballet School saw impressive exam results from its GCSE students over both years. In 2021, there was a 100% pass rate for all 233 pupils, with 89% achieving grades 9 to 6. According to the Value Added measure, a figure produced by The Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring, in the same year, overall, students achieved 1.03 grades higher in each subject than others of a similar ability nationally.

BA Classical Ballet and Dance Performance

In addition to their artistic dance curriculum, Upper School students in Years 12 to 14 study a core degree programme and a non-degree programme, though the latter is only compulsory for 1st and 2nd Year students.

The degree programme is a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Classical Ballet and Dance Performance, validated by the University of Roehampton, and is approximately 30% theoretical and 70% vocational study. In 2021, the degree saw a total of 20 entries, of which 18 candidates achieved 1st Class Honours. The foundation degree, completed by Year 13 students, saw 100% of the 20 candidates achieve a “Distinction”. These qualifications are internationally recognised and will provide students with access to further study at universities in the UK and abroad.

The non-degree programme offers a variety of opportunities to explore ideas outside the ballet world. Students consult either the Learning Manager or their assistant to decide which of the following options to take:

●        EAL qualification

●        Learning Support

●        The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)

●        A national diploma from their country of origin

●        An online self-study option from Open Study College, including a range of GCSE and A level options and vocational QLS Level 3 courses.

In 2021, several Upper School students chose to take one additional A level alongside their degree programme, achieving a pass rate of 100%, a repeat success also seen in the last five years. All students also achieved between an A* to B grade.

Helping Students Feel at Home

The Royal Ballet School cultivates a strong sense of community, and students enjoy a positive and warm environment where they feel valued and respected. The pastoral care system involves all teaching staff, both academic and artistic, as they pursue their duty of care to students. Several other groups have additional responsibilities, such as the healthcare team and school nurse, as well as the boarding teams that create a nurturing home-from-home environment for their boarders, building strong relationships and trust. Through this system and sense of belonging, students feel supported and welcomed.

Every student joining the School undertakes a full induction programme. Inductions vary between boarding houses but involve everything a student needs to feel at home and part of the School. White Lodge pupils are even welcomed with a special Royal Ballet School welcome teddy bear on their beds. Prior to their arrival, all new Year 7 students partner with a Year 8 student through the “guide and guideline” system. After new starters have gained their place at the School, they can attend “New Parents Day”, where they visit White Lodge and meet their older guides, who give the younger children a small gift along with a decorated ballet shoe.

Students who are new to other years are also allocated a guide or buddy to help them settle in and a tutor to provide academic support. Meanwhile, Upper School students attend an orientation weekend to learn about their new home and surroundings ahead of the first academic term.

Extracurricular Activities

Outside of the studio and classroom, the School offers fun and varied extracurricular activities in the form of a comprehensive “weekend trips and activities” programme to ensure its younger White Lodge students make the most of their free time and bond with their peers. The programme includes visits to the London Eye and other local attractions and museums, as well as crafting workshops, cinema trips, and bowling trips. Each of the boarding houses offers a unique itinerary of events, which include activities like Sunday baking or movie nights at Aud Jebsen Hall in Pimlico.

Upper School students also have plenty to keep them entertained, as they can take full advantage of their central London location, enjoying access to the best sites and activities on their doorstep.

Additional Pastoral and Academic Support

Thanks to its dedicated professional team, The Royal Ballet School is well equipped to support students experiencing social or emotional difficulties. Both White Lodge and Upper School sites provide a counselling service that students can access through self-referral, though staff are also observant and suggest students take up support wherever they deem it necessary. The School’s Mental Health Lead is a clinical psychologist who works with all student-facing teams to ensure staff know the signs of distress and are alert to changes in behaviour. Many staff are also Mental Health First Aid trained.

Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) students requiring additional support with their learning have access to weekly one-to-one lessons with a specialist, and teaching staff remain updated on the best ways to support these students. Through regular review meetings, parents stay fully informed of their child’s progress.

Before arriving at the School, students for whom English is not their first language (EAL) must speak to a member of the EAL department to assess their needs and what level of support, if any, they require. Various options are available to younger and older EAL students, which may involve adjusting their timetabled classes or receiving additional tuition, based on their English language abilities.

Career and Future Guidance

Throughout the School years, staff encourage students to identify their strengths and weaknesses, which in turn helps staff provide bespoke support for their future education and careers.

White Lodge provides support for the transition phases in Years 9 to 10 and 11 to 12. This support includes bespoke planning meetings with the artistic manager, the academic and pastoral principal where appropriate, and the production of video and photographic audition materials. The School assigns students a dedicated member of administrative staff as a singular point of contact to help with any applications to other schools.

Upper School pupils secure extensive career advice through the Professional Practice Module, delivered in the final year of their degree programme. When these students begin to seek professional placement at dance companies, they receive personalised guidance on their applications from knowledgeable, experienced staff. The School’s artistic director also takes an active role in understanding the ambitions of each graduating student, even contacting appropriate artistic directors from major companies to ensure students get the exposure and connections required to obtain their ideal position.

About The Royal Ballet School

The Royal Ballet School inspires the future of classical ballet training by offering world-class dance education to its London-based students. The passion and love of dance that these young dancers bring create an unmatched level of focus and drive, with each child given the best support to help them achieve their goals.

The talent and potential of a prospective student are the only factors in admission to the School, which doesn’t take academic ability or personal circumstances into consideration. Currently, 84% of students receive financial support to attend.

Through its Training and Access programme, the School continually broadens access to its world-class ballet expertise and experience, by providing resources that allow primary school pupils, dance tutors, and the general public to access quality dance teaching and learning materials.

Learn more about The Royal Ballet School.