Director of Music

HILDEN GRANGE SCHOOL

IAPS CO-ED PREPARATORY DAY SCHOOL

Part of the Alpha Plus Group

Director of Music

An opportunity to work in one of Kent's leading Prep Schools

Hilden Grange School is an independent preparatory school which educates pupils from 3-13 years.  It was founded in 1929 and is now part of the Alpha Plus Group, the Gold Standard in educational provision.  The school has access to more than twenty acres of attractive grounds, on the northern fringe of Tonbridge, Kent. 

We are currently looking to recruit a full-time graduate Director of Music who has a passion for teaching, to a high standard, children in Year groups Nursery to Year 8, and who ideally has knowledge and experience of scholarship level Music syllabuses for public schools.  The ability to offer another teaching subject would be an advantage. 

Start date:  September 2021

Hours: Full-time

Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience and will be on the Alpha Plus scale.

The Alpha Plus Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.  DBS checks and references essential.  The Alpha Plus Group is committed to equality of opportunity as an employer and educator.

Please note that we will not be offering tours of the school prior to interview, a tour will form part of the interview process.  Our website provides a lot of information about us and hopefully will give you a feel of life at Hilden Grange.

Application closing date: Wednesday 10th February 2021

Interviews: during the week commencing 1st March 2021

JOB DETAILS

Job Title: Director of Music Reports to: Assistant Head Academic 

Location: Hilden Grange School, Tonbridge, Kent

JOB PURPOSE

We are currently looking to recruit a full-time graduate Director of Music who has a passion for teaching, to a high standard, children in Year groups Nursery to Year 8, and who ideally has knowledge and experience of scholarship level Music syllabuses for public schools.  The ability to offer another teaching subject would be an advantage. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

The successful applicant will be expected:

• To oversee the running of the department in line with school policy 

• To provide support and advice to members of the department and instill the aims and objectives of the department and the school

• To teach and manage the music curriculum throughout the school, including the development and monitoring of LTPs and MTPs within the department

• To be responsible for the training of the School Choirs, orchestral and musical groups and be able to accompany or conduct the groups as necessary.

• To enter the Choirs, musical groups and pupils into the music festivals such as Sevenoaks Three Arts, Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells & Hastings as required, Associated Board music exams each term accompanying pupils where necessary, and to encourage pupils to attend music courses where relevant.

• To organise and prepare pupils for school concerts, the annual Carol Service, the Form Singing competition and in conjunction with the Head of Drama the annual Prep School Play and Pre-Prep Nativity and Summer Entertainment.

• To oversee the preparation of potential Choristers for Tonbridge School Chapel and to support them and liaise with Tonbridge School accordingly

• To liaise with parents as necessary and advise and support members of staff regarding parental concerns where appropriate

• To attend Alpha Plus forums as necessary

• To encourage and facilitate Peer Collaboration within and across departments

• To oversee the Peripatetic staff, maintaining a high standard of tuition and appointing new staff as required to meet pupil demands on instruments.

• To write and maintain the Departmental Handbook

• To lead the use of the Hilden Hub (Learning Platform) within the department

• To monitor and track the progress of pupils within the department

• To attend all Pupil Progress Meetings

• To identify Able pupils and encourage their development via differentiation in line with our Challenge for All policy.

• To manage the departmental budget

• To manage departmental resources

• To attend Creative Arts departmental meetings regularly and jointly provide minutes of the meeting

• To lead departmental evaluations and contribute to whole school evaluation and development planning

• To attend HOD meetings

• To assist in the induction of new members of staff within the department  

• To perform any reasonable task at the request of the Head 

EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

A proven track record of teaching, and preferably leading, a department and teaching music to Nursery to Year 8 pupils and knowledge of public school music scholarship and examination systems.  Excellent keyboard skills required.  The ability to offer another teaching subject would be an advantage.

SAFEGUARDING

APG is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and as an

employee of APG you are expected to share this commitment.  The protection of our students’ welfare is the responsibility of all staff within APG Schools and individuals are expected to conduct themselves in a way that reflects the principles of our organisation.

Note: This job description is indicative of the duties and responsibilities of the post but does not form part of any contract of employment. All jobs within the school evolve over time and their features vary from year to year.