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Reviews 52
Tom
Mar 30,2023Our 7 years old daughter wanted to start drama despite being very shy and we thought that a drama school would help her. After checking online, it seemed like Stage coach was the best choice in Derby. A franchise, good reviews generally,... However, our daughter was very very quiet and not very happy each time after a stage coach session. I'm a professional musician and I know the pleasure and fun that should results from those type of classes. We realised very quickly that our daughter was sitting on her own. We tried to talk to the manager asking if it would be possible to help her to socialise even more. We had a big smile and the assurance that it would be done. However, we quickly realised tha nothing was done. As I said, I work in that area and I know the headteacher of a stagecoach school in an other city and she told me that she would never put her kids in stage coach Derby because they privilege kids with a natural talent and seems to not really look after others who are a bit more shy. Last session our daughter had, she was chewing her sleeves all afternoon after that. We decided to take off. We send an email before half term saying that we didnt wanted to carry on. We didn't recieved one response. Not a word!! Like they didn't even care at all! I'm teaching piano myself and when someone stops their lesson, when they contact me to let me know, I always reply. In some cases I like to know why the person stops as it is always a valuable information. Now let's talk about the show that my daughter did. It wasn't great. At the most it has the value of a school show. They were all wearing the stagecoach t-shirt, no costumes, not even any sets on the background. It seems like the show was something they had to do because it is a drama school more than a real conviction. If your child doesn't have a natural ability they just don't care, I think they are looking for easy work, as it is easier to lead a child who has natural ability. As I said, I'm a piano teacher and my job is to teach piano and try to reach the best of all my students regarding their age and natural ability or not. We have now registered our daughter to a smaller drama school but runs by a very kind and passionate woman. It is like an other world! Our daughter has gained in confidence, she is a lot more involved in the show she is preparing. There is a real cohesion between the children. The kids are building up the sets for their show, they are involved into making their own costumes. It is a smaller school but a lot more alive than stage coach Derby! And cheaper and we don't HAVE to buy the t-shirt. The headteacher of stage coach finally replied to us, asking for her money for the end of the term. Not a word about our daughter! Not even a question, I'm not even sure she remembers her name, she has been there for a term and a half! For me it is a drama school with no passion, more a childcare axed around drama. For that price you really expect more commitment and passion form the teachers. I don't recommend the school unless your are looking for a school with no passion.
Emily Holt
Mar 07,2023I absolutely love Stagecoach. It offers the best opportunities and has made me grow in confidence so much. It’s very friendly and a big family and I am lucky to be able to go. All these reviews are so bad and for a person who has been going for 9 years I completely disagree. Thanks Stagecoach for everything!
Dontlook Back
Jan 22,2023I have recently left stage coach and joined PQA this Saturday that was the best decision ever I'm already in a friend group and feel like a apart of the team. At stage coach for me it felt like there was favouritism and it made me lose my confidence and enjoyment in acting. The students there treated me childishly because of my disability and I felt awkward the whole time as non of them really wanted to talk to me. I only made one friend there who is lovely and trying to gain herself confidence but when she joined non of them went up to her or introduced themselfs her saying "they was busy talking when I walked over that's why I wasn't talking to them" I don't know if it's to do with her being black but I would be the only person to talk to her and to interact with her unless one of the others was made to work with her. I hope she gets more confidence and one of them or someone new will join and talk to her and be her friend. At a easter school I think it was a 10 year old kid kept touching my bottom and touched my boobs that stressed me out the coach saying its because of his disability but then the parents should of taught that kid to not even touch people's personal parts this triggers me thinking about it and he only would do it when staff wasn't playing attention so he knew what he was doing was wrong but a pupil did notice and told the kid off. I don't want anything to be done im just giving honest review now that I'm at PQA and I feel way more confident and more apart compared to at stage coach and I think I found my group of people in a what's app group with 5 other people and join them in actives to where at stage coach I would sit alone before the girl at stage coach joined and it would just be me and her but now I finally found a new group of people and im happy. For the teachers at stage coach Dance teacher was amazing and really kind and nice encouraging people instead of favouritism but for dance and acting I wish I could say the same it just felt like pure favouritism and not giving other students or me a chance.
Siedah Thompson
Jan 20,2023My daughter absolutely loves the school itself but it is expensive and there are a lot of hidden costs. £348 fees, and the kids learn a dance from the off to perform on stage at the end of term, I got a message today that I will have to pay another £115 for her to actually perform the show that she's already learning. On top of this, I have been asking for an invoice of payments for weeks and am just being completely ignored. They seem to be dodgy with money but because my daughter loves going I'm now stuck having to deal with it.
Anna & Val
Oct 30,2022I wish I've read all negative reviews before booking a holiday club for my 3 children boys aged 11, 14 and a girl who was nearly 16. The holiday club is advertised for children aged 6-18 and Stagecoach claims that the children are split into different groups according to their age. In my children's group, there were mostly children aged 8-12, 1 child aged 13 and then my children 14 and 16 year old. All children, regardless of their age or the group they were in, were involved in the same activity. They were playing some very childish games, which are suitable for 5-7 y.o. My children refused to remain at the club and I had to collect them after 2 hours. When I arrived, the younger children were playing on a playground designed for primary school children and the elder children were just doing nothing. The school Principal was very rude and started to accuse my boys of fighting and other inappropriate behaviour. My children are well behaved and there were never any complaints about them fighting or any other behavioural issues. The girl also confirmed that there were no behavioural problems with the boys.
Jon Aird
Aug 01,2022After my daughter attending 3 complete terms of stagecoach I was very disappointed with the end result. The so-called show they did at the end of term three was nothing more the singing one song from trolls - with very basic movement and acting ("happy trolls, sad trolls"). It lasted approx 10 mins. The Christmas Show was not much more spectacular. Compared to other local children's theatre groups in the area they rate very poorly in my opinion. We have signed up to a branch of Bristol performing arts and they are already doing a production after 2 days holiday club. When I wrote to express my misgivings about stagecoach, the local director replied with an incoherent email in which I think he was trying to blame covid. I found that mildly insulting as my daughter has done some great performances at school this year so don't see how covid comes into it at all. If that really were the case then why continue to take over £100 per term in fees? Shame that I have to write this because the staff at the local stagecoach Casey, Emma and Lily were super enthusiastic and trustworthy.
Vaz
Sep 25,2021Please avoid Stagecoach drama school Didsbury!!!!!!!!! Both my children attended Stagecoach Drama school Didsbury MCR last term. I had many issues with the Manager Mr Roy Evans regarding my payments. I was claiming 85% of the cost from my CCGS account. After sending 10 lengthy email about my CCGS account. He refused to claim the payments weekly. He put a request through that wasn’t authorise because it was 2 weeks or more. After I explained to him these are the rules of the account that the government set not myself. He aggressively started screaming at me to get my children out of his club. And he wanted his MONEY, NOW!!! I removed my children IMMEDIATELY for their own safety. I paid a deposit for both children. My 15% and had to remove them immediately due to no fault of our own. The previous term I paid cash, because he couldn’t understand how to claim the grant and I was worried my children would lose their place. He has ruined things for my children my son heard him screaming at me they were too frightened to return. Previous they’d enjoyed their time there and engaged well with staff and children. I was made aware this was his establishment and he can do what he wants. I wouldn’t be able to complaint to anyone. I would never trust another Stagecoach Drama club again. I contacted them to raise a complaint about him. I didn’t get a reply. It’s a shame that my children are missing out. After my experience, I don’t want to try another Stagecoach. If you can let a well educated maniac run your franchise and not respond to serious complaints. I have a problem as a parent. This is a lucrative business. Not a safe Ofsted approval childcare. I will be complaining to Ofsted about this. Be careful trusting people like this with your children. He had no compassion towards children, his aggression was the worse I’d ever seen. It wasn’t their fault and he was acting as if they’d done something personally towards him. He should not be a manager of this establishment. His wife Gill was the opposite to him and demonstrated a different approach. She was kind, apologetic and tried her best to resolve this situation. However, I coulnt trust her husband to be around my children and felt he would have been prejudiced towards them. I can honestly say, if I had spoken to him or my children in that manner he would’ve contacted the police. It was disgusting behaviour!! I put him on loud speakers as I was collecting my children from his establishment at the time. I wanted others to witness how he was acting. I’ve never experienced anything like it. I have 3 other childcare providers taking payment from my CCGS account, I’ve never had this issue with any of them. At the time, I had more then enough funding to cover it. Please consider using this company. It looks as if anyone can open a Stagecoach franchise. 3 hours is a long time for manics to be looking after your children. I will give another Drama Club a try but I wouldn’t use Stagecoach again!
Z Powell
Jun 20,2021Both my children attend stagecoach . The uniform is a one of payment and reasonable prices t-shirt and jazz shoes plus black leggings or joggers . The costumes and extras are also included in the fees . They both spend 3 hours per week on 3 different subjects and it works out £42.00 per session which is actually good value for money . Separate classes or a smaller organisation would expect far more plus additional fees for costumes etc or several different kits . So , in my opinion stage coach is far better value for money plus peace of mind of learning the framework and each class is inspected by the principal.
Charlotte
May 29,2021My daughter has been going to Stagecoach in Walton for almost 5 years. She really enjoys it and it keeps her challenged. She participates in drama, singing and dancing. The Manager Tony is so very friendly, caring and supportive. The teachers are very friendly, talented and creative. My daughter lacked a lot of confidence when she first started stagecoach. She has grown in confidence and gained so many skills. My daughter continues to be motivated and looks forward to going every Saturday. Thank you Stagecoach my daughter is shinning and taking advantage of this wonderful opportunity. Charlotte
Alison Taylor-Brown
Nov 17,2020We signed our 7 year old for a two week trial at Stagecoach, Windsor and he loves it! He came out from his first two sessions with a massive smile and couldn’t wait to tell us about the dance routine and songs he had learned. We wondered how it might continue during lockdown, via zoom but the teachers are amazing - so full of enthusiasm and energy. The three hours fly by! He is usually quite shy in front of others but we have noticed his confidence grow considerably since he started and all self consciousness disappears once he starts following instructions from the teachers - their engagement and enthusiasm is contagious. It can’t be easy teaching via zoom but each teacher engages and inspires the children brilliantly. He now sings and dances around the house, practicing his routines. Thank you, Stagecoach!
Gareth
Sep 22,2020We have paid for our three children to attend classes and no one will respond to us. We eventually tracked someone down and they are telling us that the local owner has disappeared with everyone money and that it is not their problem as it’s a franchise. Be very careful and don’t make the same mistake we have!
12th floor Export House, 5 Henry Plaza, Victoria Way, GU21 6QX, Woking, GB
http://stagecoach.co.uk
Paul
Apr 19,2023Be aware of the small print, your children are only cash flow to them. I say them, Roy Evans in particular who manages Hazel Grove in Stockport and at least one other. There is a review below which goes into great detail about the aggressive behaviour he uses to bully funds out of people as per his T&C. My granddaughter who is 4 yo attended the winter term Sept to Christmas 2022. At only just 4 but quite smart for her age she started at the school and seemed to enjoy it. She was even Chief Elf in the Christmas play. It is difficult to follow progress as parents are not allowed to attend the weekly sessions. So 1 term all well and good. 2 weeks into the New Year term she came home upset both times she attended "girls being mean to me" stuff which even i acknowledge is untrustworthy as to what went one, suffice to say she did not want to go back. We waited a week or two trying to get her to go back but she was adamant no, "they were not nice to me" So my Step Daughter informed the school that she would not be coming back. Then the fun started. Evans comes on stating that we need to pay a full term fee and the whole of the next term even if she had only attended 2 of the 12 weeks and had no intention of returning. £358. As it was myself paying the fees I contacted him via e mail to make it clear we would not be paying, aggressive no, assertive yes. The fact that he had demanded £358 or run the risk of late payments and possibly court proceedings seemed pretty aggressive to us, we are dealing with fickle 4-6 yo kids, all he was interested in was claiming what his T&C demanded. This is where it got interesting for me as his DEMAND for the £358 was in fact a fraudulent claim, as we had served notice according to his own T&C and it was a toss of a coin as to whether we would be on the hook for half a terms fees. After threatening us with court action, he then clearly decided to read and check his admin to find the correct timeline and then wrote directly to my step daughter in whose name the contract was in. See the e mail below and decide for yourself. XXXXX Please do not ignore this email and please do not ask your father to reply to me as he is doing you no favours with his aggressive emails. The contract is in your name only so I will only communicate with you as of now and it is you who needs to reply. You attended three sessions for the Spring term according to my manager and the school register. You have also confirmed your attendance in your emails so I'm not really understanding why there is a problem with paying the term fee. As stated in my previous emails payment has to be made immediately and I've included a payment link below. If I do not receive payment by Friday 14th I will instigate court proceedings against you. This will result in additional fees on top of the term fee for late payment and court costs. It may also harm your credit in the future so please let's settle this amicably. The outstanding fee is £174 and as a gesture of goodwill I will not add late payment interest and admin charges if paid immediately. There are many factual inaccuracies in there. He also stated to me that he had investigated any bullying and unsuprisingly found none. We mentioned it as that is what my granddaughter had said, and the reason she did not want to attend, did we believe it? not really, its kids sometimes. We did not ask for an investigation.... ALL he is interested in is getting as much cash per child as possible, whilst i accept its a business, know your customers, they are (in this instance) little kids 4-6 who will blow hot and cold, no empathy to say sorry she didn't enjoy it, could you pay for the weeks she was here? Yes that would have been fine, but his attitude is a "gesture of goodwill" pay for the 10 weeks you did not attend and i won't take you to court! My step daughter paid up as she did not want any court trouble, me i would have happily spent a few hundred to drag his sorry backside all the way to court even if i eventually lost. He is everything i detest in business people, and his behaviour over the e mails concurs with the lady who suffered his administrative incompetence the year before. Leopard and spots. Advice to anyone who has bothered to get to the end of this. MAKE SURE YOU READ HOW ONEROUS HIS T&C ARE BEFORE YOU SIGN UP AND BE READY TO BE COMPLETELY UNDERWHELMED BY ANY SHOW THE STAFF ORGANISE (NOT THE KIDS) We only have a sample of one show but others say the same. Try another Drama Dance club before this one. Avoid Roy Evans or pay the price.