Ellen Triumphs in the End
Ellen Miller was sitting her Drama “A” Level by an arrangement with two secondary schools because of a timetabling problem. Half-way through her course it was deemed too difficult for the schools to continue the arrangement and Ellen was left high and dry with only half a course completed.
The Northern Echo ran a piece about Ellen which I read. I thought it was a terrible shame to let a student down like that and thought I could help her. Even though Stagecoach does not teach “A” Level Drama courses, we do teach LAMDA Acting exams which are worth equivalent UCAS points to “A” Levels for university entrance. I offered to teach Ellen privately so that she could eventually sit a LAMDA exam to try and make up what she had lost. Ellen has been coming to me since September on a weekly basis. At first we were just going to do Grade 6 and build up to higher grades later but Ellen quickly showed that she was a hard worker and was committed to the project. I suggested that she might learn a third drama piece and make an attempt at Grade 7. Ellen took on the challenge and sat her exam in February.
I am delighted to say that Ellen gained her Grade 7 with Merit (being only 4 marks off a Distinction) which I think is an extraordinary achievement given that she had never sat an individual exam like this before and was coming in at such a high initial level. Her marks have earned her 50 UCAS points equivalent to a B at AS Level and between a D and an E at “A” Level. It is also LAMDA`s Silver medal award (medal shown in the photograph) Not bad for five months work.
Ellen is now going on to sit her Grade 8 next year. Well done you!
Many of our own Further Stages students also did amazingly well in their LAMDA exams. All our candidates gained Merits or Distinctions this time and I will be following up with a piece about them when I can get them all together for a photocall at the start of next term.
