FAQs

Usually our audition days are open days, and our public productions are a fantastic way to see the results of our excellent training at first hand. Due to current social distancing regulations and restrictions on audience numbers, we have had to adapt our processes.

First round auditions will be via video self-tapes, however if you’re invited to a second round you will come to our building and that will be an opportunity to see our facilities.

We are currently exploring other ways for people to virtually see us and will advertise when plans are finalised.

No, entry is through direct application and audition.

March for entry in September of the same year.

Student transfer arrangements

The only entry point onto ArtsEd’s courses is at the start of each programme.  Therefore students cannot transfer credits achieved at another higher education institution to join ArtsEd’s programmes part way through.

Normally, degrees can only be awarded on successful completion of all years or parts of the programme.  However, students who have successfully completed either year 1 or year 2 of their undergraduate study, and who wish to transfer from ArtsEd to another institution, may, at the discretion of the Assessment Board, be granted an exit award.

Transfer between programmes at ArtsEd is also not permitted.

You need to be 18 when the course commences. There is no maximum age.

We welcome students from across the globe, but please bear in mind that non-EU students need to have a student visa. Candidates whose first language is not English must provide proof of their English proficiency with a TOEFL score of 6 or higher.

This is not usually an option other than for International students or in exceptional circumstances. However, due to the current Covid-19 situation, first round auditions for the School of Acting this year will be via video self-tape.

You will need to organise your own finances, but you may find the Funding & Scholarships page useful.

It is not possible to pay fees monthly; however, we will review requests on an individual basis.

No, but please notify us of any access needs or special requirements prior to your audition.

Yes, but the courses are very intensive, so you will need to take this into account.

No, but the school will send an accommodation list with details of local letting agents. Most students live locally in rented accommodation in shared flats and houses.

Students looking for flat shares often find accommodation through student postings on social media. If you are offered a place at the school, search for the ArtsEd community via Facebook and Twitter.

The average rent for a room in a shared house is about £250 per person per week.

Chiswick is a leafy suburb in London, Zone 2. It has a vibrant shopping, café and bar culture, and is well connected with tubes and buses into Central London.

Turnham Green Station is approximately a three-minute walk from ArtsEd and under 30 minutes from Central London.

There is an ArtsEd canteen and you can generally eat lunch for under £5. Card and Cash are accepted.

We have visits from a physiotherapist two or three times per week at a heavily discounted rate. This is cash only.

In addition to our physiotherapist, we have a fitness and wellbeing instructor for rehabilitation, and can provide access to an osteopathic consultant and a teacher trained in the Alexander Technique. We also offer a free counselling service.

The training is usually based on three terms of 11 weeks with a half term in the middle.

Bullying is not tolerated at any level. Nor does the school discriminate on the grounds of race, colour, ethnic or national origins, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, disability, religious beliefs or age. You can find all our policies here.

Looking after the mental and physical health of each and every one of our students is of paramount importance to us, and we recently won an Industry Minds Award for our approach to fostering positive mental health. We have Heads of Year across our degree courses and for our Foundation students, and our open door policy makes it straightforward to arrange one-to-one meetings. In addition, each year group has a weekly half-hour meeting with their Head of Year. You can find out more about our approach to pastoral care here.

Auditions for the Day School are held in December and February.  Auditions for the Sixth Form are held in February.  You can find up-to-date information on the Admissions pages: Day School  Sixth Form

Invoices for fees are typically raised in three instalments, one each term, and are usually payable by the first day of the term. In some circumstances the Finance department may be able to offer alternative payment structures, however this would have to be discussed directly with the Head of Finance after the acceptance of the place. Evidence of financial circumstances will need to be provided, and in most circumstances a change in payment structure or number of instalments may not be possible.

Yes, currently we offer singing, piano, guitar, drums and violin. If there is demand for others, we can look into it. These lessons take place during the school day at an additional cost.

We do not submit people for ABRSM or other graded exams however if you have an instrumental/singing teacher in school they will be able to assist you with the material.

Bursaries and hardship grants are available to parents/carers whose children have been enrolled at ArtsEd for at least two terms. As with scholarships, bursaries and grants are means tested and involve parents/carers completing a detailed financial questionnaire which is used to determine the level of funding entitlement (10%-40%). Bursaries are awarded at the discretion of the Awards Board, with the Deputy Headteacher being responsible for the co-ordination and management of the process.
You can find out more about our fees and funding here: Fees & Funding – ArtsEd

Though we do not offer PE, our pupils are able to visit Rocks Lane Chiswick – a local multi-function sports pitch site –  for 45 minutes twice a week. They have the opportunity to play football, basketball, and netball.

We also run Homework Club every day from 4.10 pm to 5.30 pm, and we offer lots of additional activities like Junior Musical Theatre, Acting Company, and Dance Company.

Our brand new Green Roof is for the exclusive use of our Day School and Sixth Form and is available to pupils during break times.

We do not provide School transport, and it is very common for ArtsEd pupils to use public transport. We are a 5 minute walk from Turnham Green tube station and even closer to bus stops.

The maximum capacity in Year 7 and Year 8 is 25 pupils. In Year 7 and Year 8, we split Maths and English classes into smaller groups. We can accept more students into Year 9 and GCSE subject classes are split so that pupils study in small groups, often between 6 and 10 pupils per class.

The maximum cohort size for Years 7 and 8 is 25.

Yes! Drama pupils have two periods of Dance per week, and Dance pupils have two periods of Drama per week. These are not compulsory but highly recommended.

We have an excellent SEN Department and we can provide one hour face-to-face session with the SEND teacher per week.

Drama pupils have 10 periods of Drama per week, and Dance pupils have 10 periods of Dance per week.

Registration is at 8.25am, and classes start from 8.30am to at least 3.50pm. On some days (or if our pupils are engaging with our extra-curricular activities), the school-day will end at 5.30pm. Breaks and lunch are built into the school day.

Yes, we provide lunch and our lunches are included in our fees. We have a varied menu and can cater for all dietary requirements. Our canteen team are always happy to address an individual’s needs. We also operate a café for healthy snacks and drinks. ArtsEd’s kitchen and canteen is a nut-free environment.

ArtsEd Sixth Form typically receives applications from candidates due to complete their GCSE’s the summer before they wish to begin. We accept applications from candidates aged 15 – 18. We recognise that schooling systems in other countries may differ.

We typically receive around 250 applications per year. As places are offered via auditions, and we do not have a set number of places for Sixth Form, the number of students each year varies. We typically take 60 – 80 students per year.

Yes.

No. All Sixth Form offers are subject to the same audition process and interview, and candidates who study at ArtsEd Day School receive no preferential treatment.

Yes. Please make it known on your application that you are unable to audition in person, and a virtual audition pack will be sent to you before your audition date. You will be required to attend the interview online.

Approximately 30% of our current Sixth Form live with relatives, host families, friends or in their own rental accommodation. ArtsEd does not recommend any particular vendor or take part in helping students secure accommodation. In line with the most recent edition of KCSIE, any involvement from the school would require ArtsEd to vet and report any vendor to the local authority, which would place an undue administrative strain on the school and mean students and parents would have less flexibility and choice when securing or cancelling accommodation.

If students live away from home while attending ArtsEd, we provide council tax exemption documentation and proof of schooling where required. ArtsEd provides weekly ‘living away from home’ support for students, including education on cooking, wellbeing, and independent living.

There are opportunities on the induction days for students, parents and carers to exchange contact details with others who will be living away from home.

We strongly recommend all Musical Theatre students take up additional 45-minute singing lessons in school. Music lessons are charged at a heavily discounted rate of £20 for 30 minutes, and £25 for 45 minutes, and students usually receive 10 music lessons per term. For BTEC Pathway students there is a single BTEC registration fee imposed by the exam boards, of £225 – £300, subject to change. Other disbursements would include school trips or specific resources for A Level subjects (for example extra reading material/texts). School trips to see theatre shows are usually between £25 and £35. Additional expenses are invoiced at the end of each term and are kept at a minimum.

Candidates can contact sixthformadmissions@artsed.co.uk to request a change in subject or pathway choices. The combination of subjects should be compliant with the Sixth Form Option Blocks where possible, although candidates can audition for multiple pathways and subjects if they wish. Prospective candidates are able to change their subject preferences up to one week before the audition day.

Offers are conditional upon candidates meeting the entry requirements. In instances where candidates fail to meet the entry requirements, the school may withdraw the offer of a place.

BTEC Dance is equivalent to three A Levels and therefore involves much more content. This means there is more practical work, taking the form of performance workshops and projects. This BTEC course is designed for people who are preparing for a career in the industry. The A Level option is designed for students who are keen to learn about the world of dance, and who enjoy individual choreography as well as developing ideas with other students in collaborative and independent projects.

In terms of assessment, the A Level option is 50% written submission. The BTEC Dance subject is much more project based, but still includes elements of research, reflective evaluation (in the form of a performance and practice journal) and is predominantly practically assessed.

Across both subjects, students will be actors and learn and develop acting skills. BTEC Acting goes on to explore a wider variety of those ideas, whereas A Level Drama also explores how students work as Directors. This gives them a broader view about the Theatre industry as a whole and ensures that both can be taken simultaneously to develop them as either actors or theatre practitioners.

BTEC Acting is continually assessed over 2 years and is equivalent to 3 A levels in UCAS points. There are no examinations held under controlled conditions, and the assessments are internal and broken up into smaller units and assignments. Assessment is varied and involves practical exploration, rehearsal, application of skills and performance, alongside written analysis and review of a process. It is a vocational course that provides the essential foundation of training as an actor and understanding of the performing arts industry. The course is suitable for students who want to pursue a career in this sector through further training, and application to drama schools.

The A level covers specific practitioners and text in detail, following the specification, with more written analysis and critical review, and the BTEC covers a wide range of practical skills required for Acting, alongside Voice and Movement in a holistic and synoptic approach.

Yes. Our two biggest shows, the Music Concert, and the Live Lounge, have auditioned places available for performers and auditions are open to all our Day School and Sixth Form students.

No, but we strongly suggest that all BTEC MT students take one-to-one singing lessons to support their vocal development. They are charged at a greatly reduced rate and we have an exceptional team of vocal tutors, all who have worked professionally in the industry and teach on degree musical theatre courses.

Usually, successful candidates show an excellent level of skill in two out of three of the disciplines of Singing, Acting and Dance, with potential for development in the third.

Yes, we have an enrichment programme which includes a Musical Theatre Company (auditioned) and Show Choir which are open to all Sixth Form students. You can also audition for solo and small group slots in our annual music concert.

MT students take two ballet classes, one jazz, and one tap class a week. There is also the opportunity to audition for the Dance Company, Dance stream, and extra dance enrichment which allows for additional dance training.

We have means-tested scholarships available for Musical Theatre, Drama, Dance and Academic attainment. See more information here: Fees & Funding – ArtsEd

Bursaries are available only to students who have attended ArtsEd Day School for a minimum of one academic year. The number of bursaries may vary year to year, as these are dependent on how much funding is available at that time. These, when awarded, vary in terms of the amount awarded and for what (e.g., fees, music lessons, extras etc.). Bursaries are subject to financial verification, but not guaranteed to be available year to year in the same way scholarships are.

Scholarships are awarded on entry to Sixth Form, and cover fees for the full two years of study. Scholarships are subject to the same rigorous means testing that Bursaries are. There are additional responsibilities and expectations we place on our scholarship candidates once they join the school.

Candidates may express their desire to be considered for a scholarship on the application form. In order to be invited for the scholarship round, candidates must first gain an offer to study at the school and score highly in the first round of auditions. If you express that you would like to be considered for scholarship, you will receive the outcome of that consideration in your first-round audition result.

Unfortunately, there are no other funding options available for incoming students. As ArtsEd Sixth Form is not a Higher Education (HE) institution, we do not qualify for Student Finance England (SFE) funding. Details of several external charities and trusts that may be able to support you can be provided if you receive an offer.

Usually about 30-32 students.

See the Auditions information page to find out what you need to prepare.

You can apply here– applications close in March for entry in September.

Auditions are generally held on Thursdays from November to June during term time. If we offer you a date, please do your best to attend. We can only reschedule under extreme circumstances, such as illness or an exam commitment.

Note: due to the current Covid-19 restrictions and social distancing guidelines, all first round auditions for September 2021 intake will be via video self-tape.

You will perform to an internal audience each year. Your public performance will be in the third year when you will take part in fully staged, professionally produced plays for a paying audience. You will also have the opportunity to perform in the West End before an audience of agents.

Usually about 50-52 students.

See the Auditions information page to find out what you need to prepare.

You can apply here [link] – applications close in March for entry in September.

No. If you have been awarded a DaDA, you cannot apply for a student loan.

Auditions are generally held on Tuesdays from October to April during term time. If we offer you a date, please do your best to attend. We can only reschedule under extreme circumstances, such as illness or an exam commitment.

Note: due to the current Covid-19 restrictions and social distancing guidelines, all first round auditions for September 2021 intake will be via video self-tape.

Very full! You will be given a sign-in time 15 minutes before your start time. This could be as early as 8am and no later than 8:45am. You have classes or rehearsals all day, five days a week, from 8:45am (or sometimes earlier) to 6pm and sometimes beyond. You will then have work to prepare for the following day. You could be going from an acting class, straight into ensemble singing, then into a jazz class, followed by Speech & Voice and 1-2-1 singing!

You will perform to an internal audience each year. Your public performance will be in the third year when you will take part in fully staged, professionally produced plays for a paying audience. You will also have the opportunity to perform in the West End before an audience of agents.

The year is made up of three ten-week terms. Each term has a half-term break, when pupils will have two Saturdays off.

No, you must book termly. At the moment, our system is unable to automatically renew bookings so you must book every term.