Director of Music

St. Paul’s was founded in 1926 and was the first British school in São Paulo. The school is a not-for- profit foundation and is fully coeducational, with approximately 1000 pupils, aged from 3 to 18. It is a school with history and tradition, but which embraces innovation, contemporary values and technological developments.  We prepare our pupils within a bilingual and bicultural Anglo Brazilian community for a global future.  We offer a broad and balanced, rigorous curriculum, where the individual pupil is at the heart of the teaching and learning.  It is our aim to discover the passion and talents of every pupil, and create the right environment to develop these.  Pupils leave us confident, assured and well prepared for an exciting life, and a multitude of opportunities. 

We are a world-class school, a member of HMC and the first official UK government accredited British School Overseas in South America.  We are proud of our local, national and international reputation and we constantly strive to improve the opportunities for our pupils and staff.  Our recent BSO inspection judged us as a leading British School overseas.  The Penta International report from December 2015 can be found by clicking here.

Constantly seeking to improve our facilities, the school has undertaken an almost continuous programme of building works over the past 20 years as it has gradually grown; this includes extensive refurbishment and extension of the original school building, the creation of a sixth form centre and library and in August 2014 we opened our multimillion real underground state of the art sports centre.  In February 2016 we inaugurated our new Academic Centre, housing the music and art schools, science facilities and learning resources space.  This exceptional facility places teaching and learning at the heart of the school. 

More details about the school can be found at www.stpauls.br.

General

Due to the appointment of Mr. Lee Ward as Director of Music at Liverpool Cathedral, the school is seeking an experienced and skilled Director of Music to take the department forward into the next phase of its development. The department’s profile is unique in Sao Paulo (and perhaps in Brazil) in a school that has a highly supportive and visionary leadership team which fully understands both the ethos and the importance of music and the arts in the curriculum and beyond. Music is at the heart of the school.

Sao Paulo is a vast city of enormous artistic excellence and variety. It boasts a world famous Symphony Orchestra (OSESP, director Marin Alsop), several outstanding opera and symphonic choruses (including OSP and OSESP), theatre and dance companies. There are many excellent venues for outstanding Jazz and Brazilian music and many of musical styles buzz around the city both day and night. There are hundreds of concerts and other productions each week in the city and the current Director of Music has forged strong relationships with a number of these prestigious and professional organisations. It is expected that these relationships will be continued to be nurtured.

St. Paul’s School wishes to appoint an experienced, dynamic and energetic Director of Music with the ability to lead and teach across all key stages, from KS1 to IB Level, with confidence and humour.

As the Director of Music, you will be responsible for setting the tone and ethos for the music department and for delivering an outstanding musical experience for all of our pupils. You will be able to lead choral and instrumental ensembles and to conduct them in high profile events both in and outside of the school. The Director of Music will work with a dedicated and experienced staff (currently six full-time and several part-time visiting teachers) in all aspects of the musical life of the three schools. There is a part time music administrator

Applicants will be required to have strong keyboard skills.  The present Director is an organist and the position would suit someone with a similar experience, although the post is by no means restricted to this. The post holder will report directly to the Assistant Head, Enrichment.

For expatriate staff the package is a two-year (renewable) contract that includes:

• return flights (at the start and end of each contract)
• luggage allowances (outbound and return)
• visa expenses
• pension scheme
• health care plan
• dental treatment
• UK sterling salary allowance
• accommodation

The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share in this commitment.  The offer of the role would be made subject to receipt of satisfactory references, proof of relevant qualifications, identification checks and other safeguarding checks, an overseas check if appropriate and a pre-placement medical assessment. Proof of entitlement to work in Brazil is also required where necessary.

A completed application form (click here), which includes a letter of application with the details of two referees should be addressed to the Head, Louise Simpson, to vacancies@stpauls.br by Thursday, 1st June 2017, but applications will be considered as they arrive and interviews may happen before this date. Further information can be obtained by contacting the HR Manager at vacancies@stpauls.br.

Job starts end of January 2018

For full job description click here