Peripatetic Musician - Singing

Old Swinford Hospital is one of the country’s leading state boarding schools. A large number of the School’s students are boarders who come from a wide range of backgrounds in the UK and also from the EU and overseas. A third of our pupils are day pupils, who usually go home after lessons, unless they are involved in sport or music, CCF or DofE. The School is now on an exciting journey to become fully co-educational by 2025. Girls joined us in September 2021 in Year 7, whilst the Sixth Form has been mixed since 2004.

OSH is a calm place to work. It is inclusive, tolerant and welcoming. The atmosphere is supportive and orderly, and it is also very relaxed because for many of our pupils their school is also their home. Parents, pupils and staff are all on the same side and our pupils want to learn before going out into the wider world and making their own contribution to it.

We have recently had two very favourable Ofsted visits, one for boarding and one for curriculum. You can see these via our website www.oshsch.com. We enjoy a very good academic reputation and regularly feature in the lists of the most academically successful maintained schools. We’re not about league tables, however. We pride ourselves on developing in our pupils a balance of academic achievement, character and resilience and we’ve been doing this now for nearly 360 years.

Our extensive extra-curricular programme contributes to our pupils becoming happy, healthy and interested young people, for whom sport, music, art, drama, and outdoor pursuits feature in their everyday lives.

A major building programme has recently been completed which includes a large extension to an already impressive sports centre, an all-weather floodlit sports pitch, a new teaching block with a specialist arts room, a performing arts centre and a new senior boarding house. Other recent developments include a new off-site sports ground and a new food technology centre. From September 2021, university style teaching accommodation has enhanced and extended our campus in a new block, ‘Swinford Court’. In September 2024 we are opening our second girls boarding house.

The Music Department at Old Swinford is a large and thriving one. It is housed in an independent Music School, Hanbury House, which has a well-equipped ICT suite, recital room and practice rooms. The music curriculum involves every lower school pupil in practical musical activities, with many opportunities to use ICT. There are strong numbers of pupils both in GCSE and A level option groups, and academic standards are very high, with about 1/2 of all Music students moving on to degree level courses at Universities, Conservatoires and Colleges of Music each year. The department also has an active programme of liaison work with local primary and secondary schools.

The Director of Music oversees the work of some 15 visiting instrumental and vocal teachers, and some 40% of the students in the school have a lesson each week. There is a wide range of extracurricular groups, including Concert Band, Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Swing Band, Choir and a number of smaller chamber ensembles. There is a full annual programme of concerts both in the school and the local community.

JOB SPECIFICATION

The Peripatetic Musician is responsible to the Director of Music for the provision of extra curricular music lessons to students. All employees are required to comply with the relevant legislation and guidance in relation to working with and the protection and safeguarding of children and young people.

Specific responsibilities

• To provide a maximum of 30 individual music lessons of 30 minutes duration per student, per year, per instrument: due to the differing length of terms more than 10 lessons may be required in Michaelmas Term, with less than 10 lessons in Lent and Summer Terms. Except students who are required to take study leave in the Summer Term will have a reduced number of music lessons.
• To provide music lessons in accordance with the termly written timetable provided by the School.
• To keep a register of students attending lessons and the number of lessons given. The register must be available for the Director of Music on request.
• To enter students for Associated Board and other practical examinations when appropriate for the individual student.
• To encourage regular practice by students by using student practice notebooks and awarding house points according to the school’s rewards system.
• To support extracurricular activities by rehearsing music for extracurricular ensembles during individual lessons from time to time, and recommending students who are ready to join these ensembles.
• To monitor the progress of students and write one annual report on the progress of students for the Music Department and parents.
• To participate in performance appraisal.
• To undertake any training required.
• To undertake such other duties as the Headmaster or Director of Music may from time to time reasonably require.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

The person appointed will:

• Be a graduate instrumentalist and/or have other appropriate and extensive experience of instrumental teaching and performing - singing;
• Be able to teach double bass lessons to students of varying abilities, and at standards ranging from beginner to post grade 8;
• Enter students for Associated Board and other practical examinations when appropriate for the individual student;
• Make an active contribution to the school’s systems of attendance monitoring and encouraging regular practice by students;
• Support extracurricular activities by rehearsing music for extracurricular ensembles during individual lessons from time to time, and recommending students who are ready to join these ensembles;
• Show an awareness of current teaching methods in their own practice, and of the needs of students of different ages and abilities;
• Display commitment to the protection and safeguarding of children and young people.

REMUNERATION

The salary is £32.67 per hour including statutory holiday pay. The contract is a fixed term zero hour contract, in the first instance, to deliver music lessons to pupils as requested when the school is in session. Your hours will be agreed with the Director of Music on a termly basis in advance. In line with current regulation you will, if you are eligible, be offered a workplace pension through NEST.

Old Swinford Services Ltd welcomes applications for employment from all sectors of the community.

Suitability to Work with Children

Old Swinford Services Ltd is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants are required to undertake an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check. The School reserves the right to close the job advert early where sufficient applications have been received and so we encourage early applications to ensure consideration for the post.