PPA Cover / Arts / Music Specialist

Essential Skills & Core Competencies

• Creative Curriculum Delivery: Ability to confidently plan, adapt, and deliver high-quality, engaging curricular music and art lessons across EYFS, KS1, and KS2 during teachers' PPA time.
• Musical Proficiency: Ability to lead singing, introduce basic music theory (rhythm, pitch, notation), and ideally play an instrument (e.g., piano, guitar) to accompany school assemblies and performances.
• Classroom Management: Outstanding classroom management skills, with the ability to maintain a structured, safe, and productive environment while delivering practical art lessons and whole school music lessons.
• Nurturing Creativity: A proven ability to foster a culture of creative risk-taking, encouraging children of all abilities to express themselves through various artistic mediums and musical forms.
• Adaptability & Inclusion: Skill in adapting creative tasks so that the arts remain fully accessible to pupils with SEND, EAL.
• Assessment & Feedback: Strong skills in tracking pupil progress in creative subjects and providing clear feedback to class teachers regarding pupil engagement and skill development.
• Collaborative Communication: Excellent interpersonal skills to liaise with class teachers, senior leadership and external creative practitioners.

Experience

• Primary School Cover: Proven experience working as a HLTA or Arts/Music Specialist within a primary school setting, with a track record of successfully leading whole classes independently.
• Arts & Music Provision: Demonstrable experience leading children’s choirs, musical ensembles, or coordinating art and design projects within a school or community setting.
• Production & Event Management: Experience organising, rehearsing, and directing school performances, nativity plays, end-of-year shows or art exhibitions.
• Enrichment Initiatives: Experience developing the school’s wider cultural profile, such as establishing lunchtime/after-school arts and crafts clubs, music clubs or drama groups.
• Resource Management: Experience managing, organising and maintaining music instruments and art supplies safely and efficiently.

Qualifications & Training

• HLTA Status: Meet the Higher Level Teaching Assistant standards (or hold an equivalent/higher qualification, such as a Degree in Fine Art, Music, Performing Arts, or QTS).
• Specialist Creative Qualifications: Grade 5 or above in a musical instrument/theory, or a relevant qualification/portfolio demonstrating proficiency in the Visual Arts, Design, or Drama.
• Core Literacy/Numeracy: GCSE Grade C/4 or above (or equivalent) in English and Mathematics.
• Safeguarding: A thorough, up-to-date understanding of safeguarding policies and child protection procedures within a primary school environment.

Desirable Attributes

• Knowledge of the National Curriculum requirements for Art, Design and Technology and Music Curriculum.
• Experience in applying for or maintaining creative accreditations for schools (such as Artsmark).
• Connections with local theatres, galleries or music hubs to bring external cultural experiences into the school.