chickencam Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 I recently arranged for ED and I to do a night school class at our local college, in dressmaking, The cost for ED was going to be her main birthday present for next Saturday. We had a letter this morning to say that the course has had to be defered because the tutor has pulled out. ED is away on DofE this weekend and she is going to be gutted when she finds out, because she so wants to learn good sewing skills. She is self taught upto now. OH found this online course and I was wondering if anyone has used this company? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 Hmm, I'd be happy to be corrected, but it looks like not a lot of learning for a very lot of money. There are two dressmaking courses and the combined content should be easy enough to teach in one course, not two Also, I think that a lot of the skills needed for dressmaking will be much easier to understand throught direct demonstration and practical application. I've sent for a prospectus anyway, be interesting to see just what it does cover and how they teach it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 Could you just see if another local college or school offered a similar course? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 You're probably better off at a local college so check that out first. Some distance learning courses ( and I don't know if this is the case with the Regent Academy) make money on the basis that the majority of people drop out fairly early on but have signed up to pay fees ( or have paid them already) so they have guaranteed income for no further expenditure. You could ask them for their achievement rate, but also ask them if this is calculated on how many people enrol - rather then how many people take the exam. In my experience, the success rate based on the enrolment number can be as low as 2%. If you get as far as the exam, it can be 70-90%. You miss out on the support of your class members with distance learning too unless it's something like the Open University which has a support system in place. Good luck Tricia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted September 21, 2009 Author Share Posted September 21, 2009 I have left a message with the college today. I am going to ask for the enrollment fee to be refunded and see what else is available. I have sent for a prospectus from Regent academy but I think that really she needs to be taught by a real person. I am going to keep an eye on the local press etc. It would also worry me that the company might go out of business before she had finished the course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Have you looked to see if you have a local shop which sells materials, patterns etc ? Our lovely dress making shop in sleepy old Abingdon has a range of courses it has started and holds in an upstairs room. It also has cards in there from people offering courses such as dress-making. The problem is that colleges and adult education services have had budgets for " leisure" courses cut, so it's often not economic for them to run them. Tricia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted September 21, 2009 Author Share Posted September 21, 2009 The shop where she bought her overlocker does courses, but they are in the process of moving premises and won't be doing any until the new year. I was hoping for her to do one this term before her GCSE work racks up too much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
