HEAD OF PERFORMING ARTS 65% contract (minimum) with additional optional lessons and involvement

The Job Moor Park is seeking a specialist Head of Performing Arts (Drama and Music) who will fit into our culture of educational innovation and excellence. We are a staff room who value excellent and committed teaching and a school where colleagues value energy, innovation and mutually supportive relationships. We are looking to appoint an outstanding teacher and leader for our Performing Arts department, someone who can inspire students across the age and ability range to achieve the best possible outcomes and receive the highest quality of teaching. Our pupils have enjoyed excellent results in various assessments at all levels in recent years including winning scholarships to some of the best senior schools in the country. The School Moor Park is an IAPS, co-educational, boarding and day school of Catholic foundation accepting pupils from 3 months to 13 years of age. Children from 3 months to rising-three are catered for in our Tick Tock nursery/child care setting which runs for 50 weeks in the year. Thereafter, children enter the Pre-prep until the end of Year 2. The Middle and Upper Schools complete a Moor Park education before the children leave to the full range of senior schools both locally and nationally, many with scholarships in the full range of disciplines despite being a non-selective school. In the last two years, In the last three years, 81 children have won a total of 69 scholarships and awards, an enviable record. Children have won academic awards to Harrow, Radley and Shrewsbury (amongst others) in the last three years.

The school continues to develop its curriculum and teaching methods to encourage the eponymous Moor Park Mindsets from Nursery to Year 8. The effect of this innovative approach was noted in the school’s successful recent inspection in June when Moor Park was graded as being Excellent in all areas. Being a boarding school for the 8 to 13 year olds, the school operates on a 24/7 basis during term time and children take advantage of the beautiful surroundings and excellent facilities. The school is built around a magnificent 18th century country mansion in approximately 85 acres of stunning grounds, which include playing fields, woodland and a lake. It is situated just outside the market town of Ludlow in the beautiful Shropshire countryside.

The Prep School The Prep School starts for children in Year Three and ends in Year Eight when children leave Moor Park to go to the senior school of their choice. The prep school is split up into the Middle School for Year Three to Five when children have a Form Teacher in charge of their pastoral care and academic progress and the Upper School from Year Six to Eight when children have a Tutor who guides them through the last three years of Moor Park. Each Tutor group is no bigger than ten pupils and is made up of children from Year Six to Year Eight. The curriculum is broad, offering challenge and opportunity for all: confidence can often grow from success in a small part of school life. Year Three follows naturally from the Pre-Prep, with much emphasis on literacy and numeracy, taught by the form teacher. As the children rise through the school they develop greater independence, being taught by subject specialists, enjoying a broad curriculum, which includes, for example, classics, It & Computing, and PSHEE/Citizenship. French is taught in the Pre-Prep but becomes almost a core subject as children reach Year Four. Moor Park offers a wide, rich curriculum which challenges and supports all children. We aim to inspire children through an academic curriculum that strives to create original thinkers who are able to meet the challenges of tomorrow’s world: children who work independently, think concepts through carefully and pursue personal interests as far as possible. Performing Arts - Music Our firmly held belief is that Music should be available to all and enjoyed by everyone and that it is an essential part of the Moor Park curriculum, to be experienced both inside and outside the classroom. We have a dedicated Performing Arts Centre, which has a computer suite as well as teaching and practice rooms and a recording studio. Individual instrumental lessons, tailored to the age of the child, are taught by a team of highly experienced specialists. All of the orchestral instruments, as well as Piano, Singing, Music Theory, Guitar (both acoustic and electric) and Drums are available

Among the instrumental chamber groups we have a Wind Ensemble, Flute Choir and Brass Ensemble, Junior Strings and Orchestra. Moor Park has a range of choirs running at any one time, meaning every child has a chance to be involved musically and enjoy the experience of making music with others. The excellent Chapel Choir is in demand for BBC local broadcasts, weddings and services and regularly gives concerts raising money for charities, as well as singing regularly in the School Chapel. There are many opportunities for performance at Moor Park. We excel in both Trinity Guildhall and the Associated Board examinations

Performing Arts – Drama

All children have the opportunity to perform on stage on a regular basis as we believe that this breeds confidence. Every Year Group has its’ own annual production and all children are encouraged to be involved. These are important events in the school calendar and our Henderson Hall with lighting rig and flexible staging is often full: children may also be involved with back stage work, including lighting and sound.

Individual Speech and Drama lessons are offered and many of the children go on to achieve the higher grades although many take these lessons to improve public speaking skills or simply because they are fun. Class assemblies, reading match reports in assembly and other performance opportunities build confidence and encourage talent at every level. Moor Park is committed to provide pupils with the opportunity to achieve their full potential. While learning and developing a whole range of techniques, pupils develop their personality, interact with their peers, enjoy new skills and most of all have fun, in a lively and creative environment. In this way, pupils gain a confidence and self-belief, which will carry and support them throughout their lives. Each year there is the option to take part in the Hereford Performing Arts Festival and formal examinations, which are moderated by the New Era Academy of Speech and Drama and accredited by OFQUAL and the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulations. We currently enjoy a 100% pass rate in these examinations.

Past pupils have won Drama Scholarships and Exhibitions to

schools such as Shrewsbury, Stowe, Radley, Hereford

Cathedral School, Monmouth, Malvern College & Christ

College Brecon.

Y8 Improvision work in the Performing Arts Centre

Pre-Prep and Early Years The staff at Moor Park pride themselves on knowing every single child: their interests, their talents, even what makes them nervous and things that they struggle with. Whatever point your child is starting from, it is our goal to nurture their curiosity, develop their talents, stretch their boundaries and develop in them a confidence that ensures they feel ready to tackle anything. Activities are designed to engender in pupils a sense that learning is FUN! From Kindergarten to Year Two we aim to build solid foundations in the basic skills. In numeracy, we teach a practical based curriculum designed to give children confidence in their understanding of number, shape, space and measure. It is our belief that reading holds the key to knowledge and learning and great emphasis is placed on the development of the required skills to move on from the Pre-prep as a confident and independent reader. Of course, a great pre-prep education is about more than building firm academic foundations. Our wide variety of extra-curricular activities allows every child to try something new and develop their skills. We embrace an active and outdoor education and make the most of our wonderful grounds and dedicated Woodland School site. You will often see a child’s character emerging most effectively when they are allowed the time, space and freedom to just explore and discover. We were delighted to be deemed as Outstanding in all areas of our Early Years Provision by the ISI Inspectorate in our June 2019 Inspection report. Performing Arts in the Pre Prep and Early Years We love music and singing in the Pre-Prep, and the introduction of a Pre-Prep choir for Year 1 and 2 has been a great success, with the children performing at both smaller and whole school events. Year 2 are taught to play the ukulele and we all look forward to their performances in the Spring Festival. Our newly introduced Mini-Music Maker classes for Kindergarten are a fun and active introduction to music for our youngest children and these feed well into the specialist taught music that continues throughout the Pre-Prep.

Our Nursery, Tick Tock is an accredited ‘Sing and Sign’ nursery. In May 2018, we were awarded the centre of excellence award. Baby signing sessions are part of everyday interactions with our littlest children, aiding them in developing their pre-verbal communication and also part of circle time sessions with our Butterfly children. We have introduced Mini Music Maker sessions where the main emphasis is on learning through fun, relaxed multi-sensory activities for our youngest children, to more high energy, action packed sessions for our older children.

They enjoy learning action songs, playing circle games with parachutes, singing songs with puppets, tapping drums and shaking shakers with the group.

Drama is taught, in the Pre-Prep as part of the English curriculum. Role-play is a key learning tool for developing story writing skills, and drama games are often used to accompany PSHE and circle time sessions. There are many opportunities for the Pre-Prep children to perform across the year. Regular class assemblies allow the children to build their confidence in a familiar and safe setting, and the children enjoy hugely, our visits from ‘Open the Book’, who invite the children to join in performances of familiar bible stories.

Christmas is a special time of year in the Pre-Prep. Reception to Year 2 work hard on their wonderful Christmas production, which is performed to a large audience at the end of term. The show is always stolen by the Kindergarten children, who end the performance with their own Nativity. The Lent term is a time for variety, and each class perform, sing and dance in our Spring Festival. Many pupils start to study Speech & Drama in their early years at Moor Park. A team of dedicated staff ensure that individual and small group lessons are beneficial and rewarding. Start Date The post is available from September 2020 but a start date could be delayed for the right candidate. The Local Area Shropshire is an extraordinary place to live and many families have found that they can bring up children in a safe and beautiful environment for a fraction of the cost of living in the South East. Moor Park is close to the historic town of Ludlow, well known for its high-end restaurants and food is a real feature of the area. Outdoor enthusiasts would also enjoy everything on offer. Property prices are still relatively low, for now, and we enjoy good relationships with the local estate agents who would be happy to help with a candidate looking to relocate. Please see below for Job Description, Person Specification, Terms and How to Apply

Outline of Professional Duties The following duties shall be deemed to be included in the professional duties which the Teacher may be required to perform: General duties in relation to Performing Arts

• To provide professional leadership for music and drama at Moor Park by promoting and developing high-quality teaching, effective use of resources and striving for the highest possible standards of achievement and enjoyment for all pupils.

• To be familiar with the requirements of the National Curriculum and scholarship requirements of those schools for which we have candidates.

Policy and Practice

• To teach curriculum music and drama lessons to Years 3-8 and possibility for three lessons in Pre-Prep at the teacher’s rate

• To lead musical groups, generating enthusiasm, encouraging inclusivity and excellence • To direct and organise the Year 8 production and advise on other plays during the year (any extra

hours on separate rate – see Terms and Conditions) • To maintain the departmental documentation for music and drama in line with school policy • To ensure that the schemes of work encompass the work undertaken for EYFS through to

scholarship • To promote high quality music and drama throughout the school whilst ensuring inclusivity by

giving access to all • To identify ways for music and drama to work together, utilising the full capability of the

Performing Arts Centre. • To develop ways for the department to collaborate with other departments in the school • To liaise with the Senior Management Team on the school’s music and drama provision. • To be aware of how each member of the department teaches and to advise, in consultation with

the Deputy Head, on further training and development of the staff in the department, motivating them to achieve the highest possible standards

• To evaluate the quality of teaching within the department and the standards of pupil achievements and enjoyment and to set targets for improvement.

• To induct new staff into the department and the school. • To keep up-to-date with developments in the performing arts at all stages of education within the

School and to respond appropriately to any such developments, keeping members of the department informed.

Peripatetic Staff

• To appoint, in liaison with the Headmaster, peripatetic musical instrument and speech and drama teachers.

• To monitor the progress of pupils and the effectiveness of peripatetic staff. • To create and monitor a timetable of peripatetic music and drama lessons each term. • To liaise between parents, school staff and peripatetic staff. • To monitory termly pupil reports from peripatetic staff. • To keep peripatetic staff up to date with school policies and initiatives. • To ensure peripatetic staff are aware of any pupil issues as necessary.

Meetings

• To attend staff meetings and INSET as required, ensuring that relevant information is passed on to members of the department.

• To attend any meetings with parents/outside agencies as required by the Headmaster.

Budgeting/Resources • To review the Department’s resources with the SMT and to set out and prioritise the

Department’s needs. • To submit a yearly budget, in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the school that will cover

all the Department’s spending (excluding consumables) over the next academic year for approval from the SMT.

• To ensure that the Department keeps within its budget. (To liaise with the Bursar re any unforeseen costs.)

• To keep an account of all the spending of the Department. • To maintain an up-to-date list of departmental resources. • To ensure the Department’s resources are used effectively, efficiently and safely.

Other Duties

• An involvement in the pastoral care systems of the school, perhaps involving taking a tutor group for the right candidate

• An involvement in the break and boarding duty rota and cover arrangements as necessary • The list of duties is not to be regarded as exhaustive and you may, at any time, be required to

undertake additional or other duties as are reasonably necessary to meet the needs of the School. It is understood that you will not be required to perform duties which are not reasonably within your capabilities.

Outline of Personal Qualities, Skills and Experience Required

Evidence

• A Degree in a related subject • At least an A’ Level in a related subject • Evidence of recent relevant professional

development • Keyboard/Piano skills are essential

CV, letter and references, interview

The ability to teach Performing Arts to scholarship level and a track record of excellence in the classroom • Excellent subject knowledge • Ability to deliver high quality teaching and learning

across the age and ability range • Ability to raise standards of attainment and

aspiration

Lesson observation, CV, letter and references, interview

Sound Leadership Qualities and Competence • The ability to empathise with and develop prep

school children of all abilities in a holistic sense • Understanding of the need for departmental self-

review • Good people management skills • Competence to monitor, evaluate and improve

teaching • Ability to delegate and support others to achieve

specific targets • An ability to inspire confidence • An ability to establish and maintain a culture of

behaviour for learning within the classroom and beyond

Lesson observation, CV, letter and references, interview

Personal Qualities • A passion for the subject • Is approachable, caring and has integrity • High aspirations for themselves and all students • Commitment to ‘go the extra mile’ to support

students • High levels of self-motivation, commitment and

determination • Is able to act consistently • Willingness to take part in extra curricular

activities • Excellent organisational skills • High professional standards in dress, attendance,

punctuality and time management

Lesson observation, CV, letter and references, interview

QTS, or equivalent

Curriculum Vitae

Terms and Conditions

• The central role is for 65% of a full allocation with an optional three lessons in Pre Prep and the basic salary reflects this

• This allocation includes teaching classroom music lessons, a full involvement in Saturday Smash and two periods per week for administration.

• It is hoped that the Head of Performing Arts will be keen to run extra groups as well as organise concerts and productions and these will be paid for on an rate of £33.96/hour. The groups that the Head of Performing Arts runs will need to be agreed with the Headmaster in advance and will be in line with the skill set of the incumbent. Any additional groups would need to be agreed with the Headmaster before communicating with pupils or parents.

How to Apply Please apply using the schools Application Form and send with covering letter to Mrs Karen Bunce HR Officer Moor Park School Richard’s Castle Ludlow Shropshire SY8 4DZ Email: hr@moorpark.org.uk Closing Date for Applications ……………………..

Moor Park is a special place for children to develop within a caring, nurturing environment, having fun and playing in the beautiful grounds. It is a truly co-educational experience with boys and girls being encouraged to work and play together. We believe that each child has their own specific needs and we help children grow in confidence whilst discovering their own talents.