Music Teacher Apprentice

Start date: 1st September 2022

Contract Type: Full time

Contract Term:   Fixed term – 15 months

Salary: £20,000

Reports to: Ed Watkins (Director of Music) 

The West London Free School

The West London Free School is a non-selective school based in Hammersmith, West London. We are suited to teachers at all stages of their careers, priding ourselves on a supportive working environment and valuing the importance of staff wellbeing. 

The West London Free School provides all pupils, irrespective of their background, with a Classical Liberal education. By a Classical Liberal education, we mean a rigorous, knowledge rich education that draws from the best and most important work in both the humanities and the sciences. We believe that knowledge is a good thing in and of itself, empowering pupils to understand and take an interest in the world around them. We believe a secondary education is not just a preparation for work, but a preparation for life. As such, we value the knowledge of our teachers, and the passion for their subject that they bring to the classroom.  

We have a firm but fair approach to behaviour. Senior leaders see it as their core responsibility to ensure all teachers can teach without disruption. School rules are non-negotiable, poor behaviour is met by escalating sanctions, and pupil detentions are centralised and run every day by senior staff. Teachers can therefore prioritise planning and teaching their lessons. Senior leaders at the West London Free School all teach, pay due attention to workload pressures and are highly visible around school. 

As well as a knowledge rich education, the West London Free School runs an extensive co-curricular programme that encourages children to develop outside the classroom. The clubs are central to the ethos of the school and give pupils the opportunity to try new activities and develop new interests. The school specialises in music and offers a range of sporting opportunities as well as general interest clubs. All staff are encouraged to share their co-curricular enthusiasm by committing one hour a week to running a school club. 

The Music Department

The West London Free School music department is looking to appoint an apprentice teacher for the academic year 2022-2023. The successful candidate will undertake a teaching apprenticeship with a view to gaining QTS by December 2023. Unlike on many other training routes, training costs will be covered by the school, offering the successful candidate the chance to gain QTS alongside earning a salary. The apprenticeship is delivered entirely remotely, allowing the successful candidate to benefit from maximum time in school. You will also benefit from having an expert mentor and access to high-quality in-house CPD sessions. 

The West London Free School is a music specialist school located in Hammersmith. Music is at the heart of our school, both physically and spiritually, and we pride ourselves on ensuring that our students make great progress while building happy memories of teenage music making with their friends. The department runs GCSE, taken by around 30% of the pupils, and then both Music and Music Technology at A level. We run a bustling schedule of concerts and trips involving the whole school community, particular highlights being our sixth form album gigs (recently Black Eyed Peas 'Monkey Business) and European tours (next year we are planning to take 25% of Years 10-13 on a choir tour to Seville). In recent years the department's success in melding high standards with high inclusion has led to our team feeding into both the Department for Education's Model Music Curriculum and Ofsted's recent Research Review. The department would give any aspiring music teacher a strong foundation as they start their career and we would welcome applications from any good musicians who are interested in first class music making in the state sector.

The successful candidate will have: 

• strong subject knowledge, a passion for Music, and an ability to communicate that passion to pupils;

• an ambition to teach Music at Key Stages 3, 4 and 5 to all ability levels, including pupils with SEN; 

• an understanding of the ethos of the West London Free School, and a commitment to teaching a knowledge-based curriculum; 

• high expectations of pupil conduct and behaviour; 

• excellent team working skills; 

• excellent communication skills with both pupils and staff;

• a willingness to contribute to the school’s co-curricular programme. 

The closing date for applications is 9am on Monday 6th June, although candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.  The School reserves the right to commence or complete the interview process at any time prior to the closing date.

Interviews: w/c 6th June. 

Equal Opportunities 

The Knowledge Schools Trust is an equal opportunities employer. The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the School is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.

West London Free School and the Knowledge Schools Trust is fully committed to the principles of equal opportunity, diversity and inclusion.  We want to attract and retain the very best staff in all areas of the Trust, ensuring our staff body reflects the diversity of our students and local community.