Teacher of Music

Birkenhead School, founded in 1860, is an HMC independent day school providing education for boys and girls drawn from the whole of the Wirral, Liverpool and as far afield as Chester and North Wales. Situated in the leafy suburb of Oxton, the School enjoys excellent facilities. The main campus has a ‘village green’ atmosphere, with classrooms and laboratories looking out over the cricket square. There are ongoing and substantial investments in facilities. 

The School comprises Nursery and Pre-Prep (Early Years), Prep and Seniors and integrates their objectives and activities within a ‘One School’ concept. Birkenhead School prides itself on being a family school and this has been greatly strengthened by the opening of the Nursery in 2006. It is attractive to parents to have all their children in one school and it is a great advantage for the school to be able to establish strong, long-lasting relationships with families. 

A key feature of the School is its strength of community, which runs through the student, staff and parental bodies. The School is embedded within the wider Wirral community, has strong links with local business and charities, and offers an extensive bursary programme. The School aims to inspire students both inside and outside the classroom, knowing each individual and providing them with outstanding opportunities to find their niche.

A dedicated, talented and collegiate staff body is required to achieve these aims. The School’s informal motto is Respect, Responsibility and Resilience, to which we have recently added inclusivity, compassion, integrity, humility and courage as defined School values. Birkenhead School recruits on attitude as much as the quality of an individual’s qualifications on paper.

The Department

The Music department currently consists of a full time Director of Music, three part time music teachers in the Senior School and a part time teacher of music in the Prep. There is also a strong team of visiting instrumental teachers, offering tuition in around 20 different instruments. Around a third of our students learn a musical instrument either in or outside School. The School offers music scholarships to particularly talented students who, in return, are expected to make a wide contribution to the musical life of the School.

The department is well resourced and is housed in a dedicated Music School, with practice rooms, classrooms, a rehearsal studio, a recording studio and a keyboard lab running Dorico, Sibelius, Noteflight and BandLab software. Beyond the Music School, the Prep Hall, Bushell Hall and School Chapel provide venues for a wide range of performances including instrumental and choral concerts, fully staged musicals and weekly Sunday Evensong during term-time.

The Person

The successful candidate will balance a determined work ethic and strong academic rigour, with good humour, teamwork and positivity. All staff are expected to contribute fully to the wider life of the School and the co-curricular provision. The post holder will continue to meet, maintain, and build upon Teachers Standards. 

Applications from both ECTs, and more experienced teachers are welcome. 

The ideal candidate will

•  Have a secure knowledge and understanding of own subject/curriculum area including current developments in teaching and learning.
• Have QTS/PGCE qualification, or relevant industry experience.
• Have prior teaching experience at Key Stages 3, 4 and 5.
• Be an excellent classroom practitioner with evidence of good teaching skills, leading to consistently high standards of achievement.
• Be a team player, enthusiastic, confident and diligent.
• Develop and maintain good relationships with students and colleagues.
• Have a sound understanding and awareness of Safeguarding procedures.
• Develop creative and innovative teaching techniques.
• Be IT literate to support teaching and learning.
• Inspire staff and students through action.

A full list of roles and responsibilities can be found on the School website under Employment Opportunities.

We will value and support your contribution to School life and in return provide you with excellent rewards; 

• Working with fantastic young students
• Working as part of a committed team
• Membership of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme
• Membership of the Employee Assistance Programme
• Term time is approx. 34 weeks
• Free use of the fully equipped on-site gym
• Support for your continuous professional development
• Children of permanent staff enjoy a reduction in School fees 

This is a permanent part-time post (0.3 FTE) and the post holder will be required to be flexible to contribute to co-curricular opportunities and work as necessary to carry out the duties of the role, including School productions, concerts and other events.

A letter of application indicating skills and experience, together with a completed application form, including the names and addresses of at least two referees, should be sent for the attention of the Headmaster via Cheryl Wallace (Personnel Manager)

Candidates are welcome to contact the Director of Music, Mr Philip Robinson with any questions relating to the role.

To meet our safeguarding obligations, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check is undertaken as part of the recruitment process for all new staff. As Birkenhead School is an educational provider, it is permitted to ask whether an applicant has any convictions, cautions, reprimands or final warnings which would not be filtered in line with current guidance, as defined by The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020). It is a criminal offence for an individual who is barred from working with children to apply for a role which is classed as regulated activity (i.e. involves working with children). 

The closing date for applications is 9.00am on Monday 27th February 2023.