Candidate InformationAssistant Director of Music

Reed ’s Schoo lSandy Lane | Cobham | Su r rey | KT11 2ES

www. reeds .su r rey. sch .ukRegistered Charity Number: 312008

Reed’s School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Reed’s School is a leading HMC independent day and boarding school, providing an education for around 740 pupils. We accept boys between the ages of 11 and 18 years, with girls joining in the Sixth Form. Reed’s is predominantly a day school with approximately 10% boarders spread throughout the year groups.

Although primarily day, the School benefits from all the facilities of a boarding school which provide the welcoming community feel that embodies the ethos and character of the School.

Reed’s is well-known for its innovative approach to STEM learning, through the FutureTech programme, outstanding Arts and Music provision, and National and World class sports teams.

Our staff are recognised for their inspirational and dynamic approach to learning. The vast majority of pupils go on to attend their first choice universities, with Russell Group universities being the most popular destinations. The ISI awarded the School “excellent” in all categories during its most recent inspection.

Situated in over forty acres of countryside in Cobham, Surrey, Reed’s benefits from excellent transport links by rail, road and air. The School is a ten-minute walk to Oxshott Station, with a forty minute journey into Central London while the A3 is a four minute drive away with excellent links to Gatwick and Heathrow airport and the M25.

An Introduction toReed’s School

Reed’s School was established in 1813 by the prominent philanthropist and social reformer Reverend Dr Andrew Reed as a school for orphaned children. His belief that philanthropy and education have the power to transform the lives of children remains central to the ethos of Reed’s. Through our Foundation the School continues to offer bursaries to approximately 10% of the pupils who will have lost the support of one or both parents, be in need of pastoral care and financila assistance.

Since its founding the School has benefited from a Royal Patron and Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II is the current Royal Patron of the School, having visited as recently as 2014.

Although much has changed since the School was founded, our values-driven approach to education has remained the same. Through our core values of Integrity, Compassion, Curiosity, Resilience, Responsibility and Independence we are able to create a dynamic, exciting, and friendly environment where our pupils and our staff thrive.

The History ofReed’s School

The MusicDepartmentMusic represents a prominent cultural force within Reed’s School; engaging a large, enthusiastic, and active musical community. The musical provision at Reed’s is characterised by clear ambition and the pursuit of the highest possible standards in performance and academics.

The Reed’s Music calendar is innovative and very busy, with diverse and inclusive events staged throughout the year. There is large-scale participation by the pupils, with nearly half of the school performing. This interest and demand for music making is mirrored inside the classroom where option numbers for A Level and GCSE are consistently high and results are very strong. Our students regularly progress to study music at Oxbridge, Russell Group universities and the top conservatoires in London and abroad.

The Department is housed in an impressive and well-equipped Music School which includes a recital room (home to a beautiful Steinway B piano, state-of-the-art stage-lighting, 32 channel mixing desk, and high-end front of house speakers), a professional grade recording studio (with new Midas M32 mixing desk), a classroom for the teaching of KS3 music (featuring a suite of 20 Yamaha keyboards and AV system), two Mac suites running Logic Pro X and Sibelius for GCSE and A Level teaching (20 new iMacs), a percussion room (three drum kits, large inventory of auxiliary and tuned percussion), a resources library (including hundreds of scores and musicology books) and a number of practice cells each with a Yamaha upright piano.

The Department comprises a Director of Music, an Assistant Director of Music, three other permanent members of the music teaching staff, a Graduate Music Assistant, and a team of visiting instrumental teachers.

Years 7 and 8 students currently receive one hour of Music per week. In a combined curricular/extracurricular effort, we stage an ambitious Close House Music Competition every year. Years 7 and 8 also participate in string and woodwind schemes (Year 7) and a trombone scheme (Year 8). Music students in Year 9 (where the subject is optional but very popular with around 80% of pupils studying Music) stage a music show each year as part of their course. Recent shows have included The David Bowie Show, The Reggae Show and The Kraftwerk Show.

The Department follows the Eduqas syllabus for GCSE and AQA for A Level. A Level musicians present an annual recital at Steinway Hall in London.

The Department stages frequent performances throughout the year in pre-eminent venues. Recent events include Orff’s Carmina Burana at the Royal Festival Hall, a symphonic/choral rendition of The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour at Cadogan Hall, Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells at St John’s, Smith Square, and Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd at Epsom Playhouse. The department has also commissioned new works for the choir and orchestra from prominent composers such as Will Todd.

The department runs an invitation series of concerts every September where our pupils have the opportunity to perform with celebrated musicians. In the past we have invited acoustic pop duo The Jeremiah Brothers, symphonist and polymath David Hackbridge Johnson, and Chris Difford from Squeeze.

The Chapel Choir, who number over 90 singers, are invited each year to sing at St Paul’s Cathedral and have recently appeared in the Netflix series, The Crown. This group also undertakes successful annual foreign tours.

The main school orchestra’s recent repertoire has included works by Sakamoto, Gershwin, Rimsky-Korsakov, Weber, Rosauro, Paganini, and Gounod.

The department also operates windbands, brass ensembles, string quartets and all manner of musical groups as well as supporting pupil-led bands.

The MusicDepartment contd.

• Teach Music throughout the school from Key Stage 3 to A Level.

• Contribute to and participate in the innovative extra-curricular music programme, directing and/or performing in ensembles as agreed with the Director of Music.

• Contribute to departmental meetings, feeding back on academic matters.

• Provide support to the Director or Music and work cooperatively within the Department Team.

• Assist the Director of Music with the development of schemes of work and assessment materials.

• Establish and maintain standards in student assessment, marking and feedback in line with whole-school policies.

• Track pupil progress through, amongst other methods, analysis of internal and external assessment data, and report on this to Director of Music and wider Senior Leadership Team as appropriate.

• Ensure that the teaching environment for all students in Music classrooms is safe, attractive and appropriate.

• Attend suitable INSET as required under the guidance of the Director of Music.

• Promote participation in curricular and extracurricular music throughout the School.

• Undertake such other comparable duties as the Headmaster requires from time to time.

• Promote and safeguard the welfare of children and young persons for whom you are responsible and with whom you come into contact.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Person Specification QUALIFICATIONSEssential

• Educated to Degree level in Music or a related subject.

Desirable

• Hold PGCE or other teaching qualification.

EXPERIENCEEssential

• Experienceofworkingaspartofadynamicandcreativeteam.

Desirable

• Experience of teaching successfully at all levels and to differing ability needs.

• Ability to demonstrate success across the ability range.

• Ability to demonstrate creative and innovative approaches to enthusing and challenging pupils.

SKILLS Essential

• Good planning and organisational skills.

• Good academic and theoretical knowledge of music.

Desirable

• Ability to use a range of ICT to gain participation and encourage learning.

• Ability to set effective, realistic and challenging lesson objectives and appropriate prep.

• Initiative to improve personal and departmental standards and results.

• Experience of gathering, evaluating and using assessment data to inform learnings.

KNOWLEDGE

Essential

• Excellent subject knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject.

• Good communication skills and ability to convey knowledge and enthusiasm effectively.

Desirable

• Insight into student learning needs.

PERSONAL COMPETENCIES AND QUALITIESEssential

• Motivation and enthusiasm to work with children and young people.

• Ability to act as a role model for pupils and staff through demonstrating high standards of personal and professional conduct.

• Positive attitude to use of authority and maintaining discipline.

• Ability to maintain consistency and fairness.

Person Specification

ISI INSPECTION REPORT JANUARY 2015

“Excellent in all categories”

“Pupils are intellectually curious, self motivated, and have high aspirations, both inside and outside the classroom.”

“Pupils’ achievements in extra-curricular activities are outstanding and reflect the wide range of their interests, the development of their talents and their determination to make the most of the opportunities offered.”

“Pupils are taught in a nurturing environment by highly committed teachers. Relationships between pupils and teachers are very strong and result in positive attitudes to learning.”

“Pupils are noticeably proud of their school community and take every opportunity within it to further their personal development with the result that this is highly developed by the time they leave the school.”

“There is a relaxed and positive atmosphere in school with excellent relationships between pupils and staff.”

If you would like to find out further information regarding the role, please contact the HR department by email at hr@reeds.surrey.sch.uk or by telephone on 01932 869043.

Applicants should send a completed Reed’s application form to the HR Department by email to hr@reeds.surrey.sch.uk or by post to Reed’s School, Sandy Lane, Cobham, Surrey KT11 2ES

All applications will be acknowledged by email. If you have not received acknowledgement that your application has been received within two working days of sending it, please contact the HR team by telephone using the contact number above.

The closing date for applications will be midday on Friday 28th February 2020. Interviews will be held on Friday 6th March 2020.

Reed’s School 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.

Application Process

Safeguarding & Child Protection