What syllbus do we follow?
At NFAD, our student journey is underpinned by two of the most respected dance education systems in the world — the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) and the International Dance Teachers’ Association (IDTA). Together, these syllabuses provide structure, consistency and challenge across age groups and dance styles, helping us support every dancer’s progression from their very first steps to advanced training.
A Strong Start: Early Years and Foundation Levels
From age 2½, students join our Tots and Movers classes to begin exploring rhythm, musicality and expressive movement. These classes are built on the foundations of RAD Pre-School Ballet and creative movement techniques used across dance education.
At age 4+, students can progress into formal syllabus-based classes:
Ballet follows the RAD Pre-Primary and Primary levels
Tap, Modern, Street and Musical Theatre begin with IDTA Rosette Awards, designed for young learners
These early years lay the groundwork for coordination, discipline and confidence in a joyful and age-appropriate way.
Structured Progression Through School Age
From age 5 upwards, students begin working through graded syllabuses:
RAD Graded Ballet takes dancers from Grade 1 to Grade 8, with the option to move into Vocational Grades (Pre-Vocational to Advanced 2) from age 11 onwards
IDTA Graded Tap and Modern progress through Junior, Mids and Teen levels
Musical Theatre follows a structured framework through IDTA that blends dance, acting and singing in performance-led formats
Street also follows the IDTA graded process, up to age 8
Each style and syllabus is structured to support technical growth and personal development, whether students take exams or choose to progress without formal assessment.
Beyond the Grades: Broadening Skills and Experience
Our student journey doesn’t stop at exam syllabuses. From around age 8, students can also take part in:
Contemporary dance, which develops creative expression and floorwork technique. We don’t follow a formal syllabus or offer exams in contemporary because this style prioritises creative exploration, improvisation and personal expression over structured grading.
Skills Workshops, which focus on cross-style skills such as turns, leaps and conditioning
The Future Teachers Programme, which introduces students age 12–16 to safe, inclusive teaching practices
Each of these sits alongside the RAD and IDTA pathways and helps build a well-rounded, versatile dancer.
Adult Classes and Ongoing Growth
Our adult dance classes (for age 18+) offer progression in Ballet, Tap and Contemporary for complete beginners through to advanced levels. While exams are not the focus, these classes still use technique-building frameworks from RAD and IDTA to support progression and skill refinement in a relaxed, inclusive setting.
A Pathway That Prioritises the Individual
The strength of using recognised syllabuses like RAD and IDTA is that they offer clear benchmarks and progression routes. But at NFAD, we always make space for flexibility. Whether a student is aiming for their next exam, training for a future career, or simply enjoying weekly classes, we tailor their journey to suit their goals, interests and pace.
Our progression pathway supports more than just dancers — it nurtures confident, resilient individuals at every stage.
