The Stage

The Stage champions CDET stamp of approval

Published Wednesday 22 November 2006 at 11:30 by Nuala Calvi

The Stage is throwing its weight behind a nationwide scheme designed to tackle the scores of musical theatre and dance schools around the country that are failing to meet basic educational and health and safety standards.

A new kitemark system coming into force in January will confer so-called Recognised School status to institutions that meet vital criteria from Criminal Records Bureau checks and qualifications for staff to safe dance practice and equal opportunities policies.

Administered by the Council for Dance Education and Training, in association with The Stage, it will be open to the thousands of schools in the pre and non-vocational sector that operate outside state control.

Particular concerns have been raised over the risks to children under 16 attending unregulated schools.

The Stage’s managing director Catherine Comerford said: “The Stage champions this initiative unreservedly. There must be minimum standards in this sector so that pupils, particularly those under 16, are offered some protection from operators who take a cavalier approach to their responsibilities.”

The benchmark system costs £100 a year and CDET aims to have 1,000 institutions signed up by the end of 2007.

Director Sean Williams said: “The response we’ve been getting so far from teachers about the kitemark is: ‘At last’. Until now, genuine teachers could be undercut by people setting up in the same building with no training and no dance history and students and parents would have no way of telling the difference.

“With this system, people can see very clearly what they should be able to expect from schools and there is no compromise - either those standards are in place or they aren’t.”

The benchmark system works on a self-validation basis and any complaints from students about institutions failing to meet the agreed terms and conditions will be referred to a special CDET panel, which can withdraw RS status. Random visits to schools will also be undertaken to ensure that they are abiding by the published standards.

For more information, see www.cdet.org.uk