During each course every child will usually have two individual lessons with one of our singing teachers. After the course the singing teacher will write a report on each pupil, which is then sent on to his/her parents.
During the summer course, assessments are carried out of children eligible to move from the Yellow Choir to the Blue or Green Choir, and from the Blue to the Green Choir. We assess various aspects of their progress including maturity, mastery of repertoire and choir discipline. There is an opportunity for both music and pastoral staff to contribute their thoughts. Parents will receive a letter with the results of these assessments with their child’s report.
During Registration for the Easter course, existing choir members are asked to sing to conductors or singing teachers to establish their vocal progress during the months since their last course. This is for placing purposes only and is not an audition. New choir members are not usually heard as they have only recently auditioned; children who have deferred entry for a year will be asked to sing so that we can assess their development in the interim.
NCCGB members are not required to reaudition annually. However, if a child misses two consecutive courses he/she will be asked to audition again before rejoining the choir.
However, as we do not see and hear the children on a weekly basis, we do carry out assessments when they are with us for courses:
As musicians, NCCGB members will need self-discipline in order to achieve good choral discipline. We explain the importance of this to the children, and endeavour to help them develop in both areas.
Consideration for others is very important to us and we expect the children to be aware of others and their needs. Older members are encouraged to look after younger ones, especially if they are homesick.
We do not allow bullying in the choir. If an allegation of bullying is made, this is thoroughly investigated by us, and we will contact parents if there is any basis for the accusation. If one choir member is proved to have bullied another, they will be asked to leave the course and the choir.
It is important that the choir members learn to care for their music. This is an expensive resource, and we ask that the children only write on it lightly in pencil, and do not make permanent notes in pen. Doodling on music is strongly discouraged!
For members of the Junior Choir, intimate relationships are not legal; we do not consider these relationships to be appropriate for any choir members during courses.
In the case of most of our members, smoking and consumption of alcohol are illegal and will not be tolerated. We expect members of the Senior Choirs who are legally able to do so to refrain from smoking and drinking, as this behaviour is not acceptable and is vocally detrimental. Consumption of banned or illegal substances will result in immediate dismissal from the choir.
At the end of every course, we choose the Choristers of the Course, of which there are usually two. The winners may be members of any of the Junior Choirs, and they will have made an outstanding contribution to both the musical and general life of NCCGB.
Children do bring sweets and snacks with them, but we ask you to make sure that they do not bring too many! Also, it would be very helpful if you could avoid sending nut based snacks, as a number of children in the choir have severe nut allergies.
We are happy for children to bring their DSs and iPods to the courses, as long as they understand that they are responsible for looking after their own possessions and using them sensibly. We do not allow iPads (or equivalent tablet PCs), laptops or portable DVD players.
WHAT TO BRING TO COURSES
We have received the kit and uniform lists, but would like some more general information about what our child should and should not bring to the courses.
General guidelines are that:
- Day to day clothing should be casual and comfortable.
- A waterproof is essential, even for the summer course.
- Trainers must be ‘non-marking’.
- For party night (see Recreation) children often like to dress up.
Please ensure that your child has sufficient changes of clothing; whilst we are happy to deal with the occasional ‘clothing crisis’, we do not have the facilities to provide more extensive laundry services.
We do understand that the children like to wear hoodies and T shirts embellished with slogans; however if someone is wearing a garment with offensive language or images on it, they will be asked to put on something more appropriate.
If your child wishes to swim, please remember to send a separate towel for this.
We are aware that children possess a number of devices that allow them to film their friends. However, in a recent incident an NCCGB member posted a video on Facebook, despite our explicit request to the contrary. It is with regret, therefore, that we are no longer able to allow children to film or record during choir activities.
I see that there is an end of course concert. Am I allowed to record it?
We ask that parents do not film or record the NCCGB concerts that they attend. There are issues surrounding the filming of children, and some parents may object to their child appearing in another family’s video. Informal sound recordings may not be acceptable to the professional musicians taking part in the concerts, and we ask you to respect this.
Parents are sometimes concerned that, as their children do not eat a wide range of foods, they may not find anything they like to eat whilst they are on a course. We understand these concerns, and pass on to our host school any information you give us regarding food allergies, intolerances and dislikes.
We are aware, however, that likes and dislikes can be unpredictable, and we do our best to ensure that the children eat well at every meal – singers need plenty of nourishment! The pastoral staff keep an eye out for children who may not be eating properly, and will encourage them to do so. If it is a question of unfamiliarity of the food offered, or that ‘it’s not what Mum makes’, we can always arrange for a simple and more familiar substitute. Should we have more serious concerns we will contact parents to discuss these.
A number of bursaries are available every year, to children whose families are able to show that they have a genuine need for this support. The procedure is that, late in the autumn, a bursary application form is e mailed to the parents of every NCCGB member. If a parent/guardian wishes to apply for a bursary, the completed form must be returned, with supporting documentation, by the due date.
The applications are then considered by a panel, and bursaries awarded on a ‘percentage of fees’ basis; at this time we are not able to award full bursaries. Applicants are then informed of any award made to them.
It sometimes happens that, due to a child becoming ill during a course, or to an unexpected event at home, he/she needs to leave the course early. Again, we are not able to refund fees in these circumstances; however we suggest that the family travel insurance policy may well cover such eventualities. If not, it may well be worth undertaking specific insurance.
It is not ideal for a choir member to miss part of a course through other commitments, although we do understand that sometimes this is unavoidable. In the circumstances of late arrival at or early departure from a course, we are not able to refund a proportion of the course fees.
Course fees may be paid by cheque to the PO Box address, or by BACS transfer. If it is more convenient for payment to be made by instalments throughout the year, this can also be arranged. We cannot accept credit card payments.
Course fees are paid in two stages. A deposit, usually £100, is due with the Registration form, approximately 12 weeks before the course begins; this deposit is not refundable. The balance payment is then due 6 weeks before the course. If, due to some unforeseeable circumstance, the place must be cancelled up to three weeks before the course, 50% of the balance payment will be credited against the next course. If a place is cancelled within three weeks of the beginning of the course, no refund can be made.
If a payment to us is refused by the issuing bank, any charges involved will be the responsibility of the person making the payment.
If a child has an issue related to their emotional wellbeing, even if it is not currently evident, we do need to be aware of it, so that we are able to give appropriate support. We may ask you to arrange for us to see copies of relevant reports or information, and we might suggest that we appoint a staff mentor for your child. Any information we are given is treated with the strictest confidence and only shared on a ‘need to know’ basis.
We recognise that the nature of a residential course may not be appropriate for some children with diagnosed long-term conditions such as ME, where fatigue may impede ability to participate in the daily life of the choir. We suggest that a child with such a condition should wait to join us until such time as their health will allow them to take part fully.
As an organisation, NCCGB is committed to supporting its members and to working with disabled members and those who have chronic medical conditions to find appropriate and practical solutions to problems that might arise. We are happy to make adjustments to our procedures in order to accommodate all our members, and appreciate any information you are able to give us to help with this.
We have a qualified member of staff who supervises all medical matters during the course. Your child may be put to bed in their boarding house, supervised by a pastoral carer, or may move into a room set aside for unwell children. Usually children recover from minor illnesses in 24 hours and are able to rejoin the course; if, however, a child remains unwell, you will be contacted and we will discuss with you whether it is in your child’s best interests to go home.
If, when your child is due to join a course, he/she is unwell, please contact us before leaving home. It is sometimes better for a child to join us a day late, feeling well, than trying to cope with the course when feeling ill. We are especially grateful if a child with a gastric bug stays at home until no longer infectious!
In the interests of the safety of all the children on our courses, we do not allow free access to medication of any kind. The only exceptions are items used in the treatment of asthma and diabetes; these remain in the possession of the child, but parents are still asked to supply details for our information. There is a member of staff on duty 24 hours a day with responsibility for all medication, who will be called if your daughter needs to take Paracetamol.
Please note that throat sweets are included in the above, and must be handed in. This is because a sore throat can indicate a problem with vocal technique, so we need to be aware of it.
Should a child need medication during a course, this must be handed in at the ‘Medical’ table at Registration, where a Medication Information form must be completed giving full details.
The Medical Questionnaire gives us up to date information about your child’s medical status and enables us, in the event of a visit to a GP or hospital, to provide necessary details. It is essential that the Medical Questionnaire is completed giving all details, including those of conditions that, whilst they are not currently apparent, may recur.
We do understand that mobiles are very important to children; however we need their full concentration during the working day, and believe that they would find mobiles to be a distraction. At night, they need to sleep, not text or phone! The phones are given out during the early evening so that the children may ring home; mobile phone time is generally 6.40 – 7.00 p.m., although phones are not made available on the first evening of the course.
We ask that each phone (and charger if sent) is labelled with your child’s first and last names.
In the past we have discovered that some children have brought second mobiles, which they have kept with them. If this happens again, we will contact the parents and ask them to remove their child from the course.
Senior Choir members may keep their phones, as we expect them to be mature enough to behave responsibly and use the phones only at appropriate times.
When your son’s voice changes, please contact us as soon as possible to discuss the best way to proceed. As the NCCGB Junior Choir sings treble repertoire only, we will ask you to contact your son’s singing teacher or head of music to ask whether they feel that he still has sufficient treble range to be part of the NCCGB Junior Choir. If not, when his voice has settled, your son will be invited to move into the Senior Boys’ Choir for their next course.
I know that there is more than one choir within NCCGB, but would like to know more about the structure and whether my child will move from one choir to another.
We currently have three Junior Choirs, which are all treble choirs:
Yellow Choir is for children age 9 – 11
Blue Choir is for children age 12-15
Green Choir is also for children age 12-15
When a child age 12-15 joins us, he/she may enter the Green Choir, or, if a little more time is needed to consolidate skills and technique, he/she may work for a while in the Blue Choir and move into Green when ready.
In 2012 we have a Junior Tour Choir, also for treble voices.
There are two Senior Choirs within NCCGB, for boys and girls. When girls reach the age of 15, they are eligible to move into the Senior Girls’ Choir. Boys move into the Senior Boys’ Choir when their voices have changed and settled. The Senior Choirs work as separate groups, and may join together to work on SATB music.
The Senior Choir courses usually take place immediately after the Junior Choir courses, at the same venue. The Senior Boys’ Choir will not meet in 2012 but will resume in 2013.Enter answer here
There are two recreation periods each day, 1.15 – 2.20 p.m. and 7.15 – 8.30 p.m. During afternoon recreation there is a choice of activities; these may include crafts, for example T shirt design, cupcake decoration, friendship bracelet making; games, either outdoor or indoor; or quiet time for resting. There is often the opportunity to play tennis or swim during courses (a small charge may be made for the latter). In the evening everyone joins together for recreation: quiz night, movie night and party night are all favourites. All these activities are supervised by recreation and pastoral staff.
We have a house team system, whereby everyone is assigned to a team on the first evening of the course, with a mix of ages in every house. There is fierce competition between the teams for house points, with prizes for the winners at the end of the week.
STAFF
In rehearsals the children work with their choir’s conductor, pianist and sectional leader. In addition they have individual lessons with singing teachers during the week, and daily sight reading lessons. All the music staff are experienced performers and teachers, who enjoy working with young musicians and developing their skills.
There are pastoral carers on duty throughout the day and night. They are available to answer questions, to give advice and support and to provide supervision when the children are not in rehearsals. Some of our pastoral carers are musicians, others are teachers, health professionals and students. We also have volunteers working as part of the pastoral care team. Many pastoral carers have been choir members themselves and are able to share their experiences.
Throughout the courses there are regular music and pastoral staff meetings, which allow for a regular exchange of information and for any concerns about choir members to be raised and addressed.
All our staff have Enhanced CRB clearance. Our Safeguarding policy is available on the website.
SUPERVISION
Boys and girls may visit each other’s houses during recreation activities, when they are supervised and remain in the common room areas. During mobile phone time, occasionally brothers and sisters may share a phone in one or other’s boarding house, but must remain downstairs in a public area. Otherwise there is no reason for boys and girls to visit each other’s boarding houses and they are not permitted to do so.
We are conscious that it can be disorientating for a child to be in such a big space, especially if they have not stayed away from home before, and do our best to make the experience as easy as possible. When children move around the site, for example going from rehearsal to the dining room, they do so in a large group supervised by members of staff. If a young member of the choir needs to fetch something from their boarding house, they will be accompanied by a member of staff; a responsible older choir member might be allowed to return unsupervised but only if accompanied by a friend. We do not allow any child to move around the site alone.