Bursaries at the RAD

Thanks to the donors to our ‘Steps to Success’ campaign, our new RAD bursary fund can offers the chance to take free exams.

This has been set up to create even more opportunities for dancers, who struggle financially. All exams are eligible, including the Solo Seal, and bursaries are available worldwide.

Successful candidates will have 6 months to use the bursary from the date of their award.

We hope you, or a teacher you know, will be able to take this opportunity to provide financial assistance to deserving candidates.

The process is open year-round and you can submit an application for your nominees at anytime. The awarding dates will be in January and June.

The January award is for free exam entries for the spring and summer sessions. The June award covers exams in the winter session.

If you have any questions or feedback, please contact Mo Jama in our Examinations Department.

• You must be an RAD Registered Teacher.
• We will consider UK and international applications.
• You can only apply toward bursary-designated CPD UK activities.
• Awards only cover the CPD activity and are not for accommodation, travel, or subsistence.
• Only one application for one bursary-designated activity per UK CPD year (1 September – 31 August) is permitted.
• Incomplete applications will not be considered.
• All applications must be completed in English.
• A CPD Bursary review panel of CPD, Membership, and Artistic staff will consider applications.
• Provided your application has been completed in full, we will normally make an assessment and decision within 10 working days.
• Any complaints must be made in writing and sent to cpd@rad.org.uk within five working days of notification. A senior member of RAD staff will look into it and inform you of the outcome in writing

Bursaries will be awarded based on:

1. a track record of dance teaching employment
2. the demonstration that you
   • have a strong commitment to self and professional development
   • take a committed approach to your dance teaching
   • are highly motivated
   • are keen to succeed
   • have an interest in the wider dance teaching profession
3. the financial circumstances which impact your ability to take part in a bursary-designated CPD activity.

You must provide information and personal statements to support your application. Please don’t send personal or financial documents.

Applications must be received at least four working weeks before the date of the bursary-designated CPD activity. We will not consider late applications.

Additional bursary-designated activities in the 2024/25 CPD year will be announced shortly.

We are committed to supporting to students who want to develop their skills and knowledge by beginning, or continuing, their studies. The limited available funds will help those most in need, ensuring the widest participation of students in our programmes.

The Hardship and Bursary Funding Policy with information on hardship support and available bursaries can be found under Policies and Procedures. Please use the application form appropriate to your chosen bursary:

Hardship support and other bursary funds:

Financial Assistance Application form

Headley Trust application form
Application deadline for Certificate in Dance Teaching (Ballet): 1 September
Application deadline for Professional Dancers’ Graduate Teaching Diploma: 1 December

LRAD Bursary application form
Application deadline: 28 February

HE Bursary application form
Application deadline: 1 February

The fund has been set up to create even more opportunities for dancers who struggle financially to enter our exams, to reduce inequality, and to offer exams to new, under-represented groups.

All exams are eligible, including the Solo Seal, and bursaries are available worldwide.

Successful candidates will have six months to use the bursary from the date of being informed of their award.

We hope that you, or a teacher you know, will be able to take this opportunity to provide financial assistance to deserving candidates.

Each bursary will be awarded based on the selection panel’s judgement and on the evidence presented in the letter. Applications can be made at any time, but will be reviewed and awarded at the start of each academic year. The total number of bursaries, however, is subject to change annually, and depends on available spaces in each class.

In the application letter, applicants should be able to show that their young dancer is:

• under 18 and in full-time education,
• enthusiastic, energetic and determined to dance,
• strongly committed to self-development,
• a good communicator with strong interpersonal skills,
• active and committed to dancing,
• highly motivated, and
• keen to succeed.

In your application you should explain how receiving a bursary would support your child to attend classes. You should tell us of personal financial difficulty if this is a barrier to taking part. You should also tell us of any cultural, physical, or other needs that might prevent your child from attending dance classes. We want to open up opportunities and would like to know what obstacles you face.

The selection process will be administered by the Dance School before to the start of each academic year. Although you can’t defer this bursary, you are welcome to apply again, regardless of previous applications.

Bursaries will only be awarded to dancers under 18.

You must submit your application in English, however, the selection panel will take into account that this may not be your first language (please make sure you let us know this in your application).

Decisions are made at the discretion of the Dance School and the choice of recipients is final. No feedback will be provided.

Send you application by email to danceschool@rad.org.uk

• Please save each file in the following format before you submit it: <<nameapplication.doc>>
  e.g. if your name is Jo Smith, save your file as: Jo_Smith_application.doc
• Please include <<RAD Dance School Bursary Scheme>> in the email subject heading.

This bursary scheme is open for the upcoming academic year. We don’t carry applications over from previous entries and you must send a new application for each year.

In order to be eligible for the next academic year, you must continue to demonstrate a financial need, maintain an impeccable attendance record, and demonstrate a positive attitude and commitment to your work.

We prefer to receive application letters by email, however, if you would prefer to send a paper copy of your application, please send it to the address below:

RAD Dance School
RAD Dance School Bursary Scheme Application,
Royal Academy of Dance,
188 York Road,
London SW11 3JZ
United Kingdom

Read our privacy notice.

The Thistle Trust have kindly made available funds of £3000 to support students on GCSE and A Level courses. This has been split to offer six bursaries of £500 towards the cost of the tuition fees for the course. Six students studying GCSE and A Level courses have benefitted from this bursary to support their studies for the 24/25 academic year. The courses will cease to run after the current academic year.