What schools say about New York

What really stood out was the level of access and engagement our pupils had to world-class performance art. Seeing the Broadway and Off-Broadway shows gave them a clear sense of industry standards (and lots of enjoyment), but what made the trip more unique was the behind-the-scenes insight. They got the chance to watch the shows and then speak to the professionals who brought them to life. It was great to watch them get the chance to participate, not just observe, with experiences like learning choreography and pitching their own show.

I would say the biggest impact was how the trip connected their classroom learning with career pathways in the arts. The Q&As and the visit to Juilliard helped them understand the wide range of roles within the industry.

This was a brand new tour, and Tony was great at balancing his extensive knowledge of NY with my suggestions to make a fully theatre-centric tour. There were a small number of teething problems with catering, flights and breakfast, but these were swiftly sorted.

We were grateful to have TCA presence on the trip itself, and Tony and Chris balanced this well, allowing us space while also being on hand if any problems arose. I would not hesitate in using TCA again. I'm currently in talks to run this as a bi-annual trip.

The bespoke feel to planning.

Life experiences.

It was great to see and experience the contrasting theatre and music that NYC has to offer. Meeting real New Yorkers was great.

My only comment [is that we] loved going inside the jazz venues, so more of that would be good, with the music venues and the theatres.