Candidate InformationDirector 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 770 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 learning, 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
Reed’s School is highly stable, currently enjoying notable demand for places and is backed by strong financial planning that enables all departments to be very well resourced.
REED’S SCHOOL SALARY-SCALE• Reed’s School operates its own generous salary scale which sits above
the national scale. There is also the opportunity for additional responsibility allowances for roles such as leading one of our Sports, or Heading a Department or House.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT • The School commits to a generous INSET budget every year and encourages
all members of staff to subscribe to external CPD courses. • In addition to this, the School offers INSET days delivering a range of further
training, from highly-practical First Aid qualifications to seminars on aspects of teaching and learning. High-quality training is provided throughout the year through twilight INSET from external trainers.
• The School offers comprehensive Professional Development. Heads of Department are mentored through courses such as ISQAM (HMC), NPQML and NPQSL. The School also supports members of staff who wish to study for other qualifications such as Master’s degrees.
• There is an annual cycle of appraisal as well as myriad opportunities to reflect on professional practice and development opportunities.
• The School offers excellent administrative support to teaching staff.
TEACHER’S PENSIONS SCHEME• The School pays the employer’s contribution to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.
PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE (OPT-IN)• Teaching staff are eligible to sign up to the school’s Private Health Insurance,
provided by AXA PPP Healthcare.
EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME• Health Assured provides expert free and confidential support with personal
and professional difficulties, 24/7.
ICT FACILITIES• The School has high quality ICT facilities with multiple bookable IT suites. • The School operates an iPad scheme; all teachers are provided with iPads to
faciliate innovative use of technology.
FEE REMISSION SCHEME• Teaching staff are eligible for School Fee Remission in respect of their child(ren)
attending Reed’s School. This sum is proportionally reduced for part time
members of staff. The children of employees are subject to the same admissions assessments as other children and employment in no way guarantees that an offer of a place will be made.
ONSITE ACCOMMODATION• TheSchoolissituatedinover40secludedacresofheathandwoodlandwithin
five minutes’ drive of the M25 and 30 minutes from Heathrow, Gatwick and central London. Oxshott train station on the Guildford-Waterloo line is ten minutes’ walk. Epsom, Kingston, Leatherhead, Guildford and Woking are all within easy reach. All staff are welcome to apply for accommodation in line with the school’s Onsite Accommodation Policy.
MEALS & REFRESHMENTS • Lunches and other refreshments are provided f.o.c. during the school day
(breakfast and dinner available should staff work earlier or later than normal).
PARKING• Free, onsite parking is available for all staff.
REED’S SCHOOL SPORTS CENTRE• Free membership of the School’s Sports Centre, with access to squash courts,
the gym, the swimming pool and other sports facilities at agreed times.
COMMON ROOM• All members of staff belong to the Common Room. There are opportunities
to participate in a number of Common Room activities such as social events, sports teams etc.
CYCLE TO WORK SCHEME• Employees can apply to the Cycle to Work Scheme, linked with Evans Cycles
HOLIDAY CAMPS & LOCAL RETAILER DISCOUNTS• Discounts are available to all permanent staff on holiday camps and activities
hosted at Reed’s School. In addition a number of local shops and retailers offer discounts to staff at Reed’s School.
Reed’s School is strongly committed to inclusion and is an equal opportunities employer. We aim to create a welcoming, respectful and safe environment for all members of our community from every ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, ability/disability, religion and background. We want our pupils to understand the importance of a diverse community by recruiting from the widest possible pool of talent, removing barriers that can prevent people from showing their full potential, and fostering a fully-inclusive environment.
To enable us to make any reasonable adjustments, please let us know when you submit your application whether you have any special requirements.
Teaching Staff Benefits
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 Department is currently co-led by the Head of Performance Music and the Assistant Director of Music (who is the academic Head of Department). There are three other permanent members of the music teaching staff (one of whom is the School Organist) and a team of visiting instrumental teachers.
The Director of Music will be responsible for all aspects of music at Reed’s, reporting to the Deputy Head Academic and the Senior Master.
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 Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour at Cadogan Hall
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. 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.
Pupils regularly progress to study music at Oxbridge, Russell Group universities and the top conservatoires in London and abroad.
Years 7 and 8 pupils 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 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.
Chris Difford, from Squeeze, at an invitation concert
Strategic direction and development of music• Provide dynamic and inspirational leadership of the Music Department, clearly
articulated through a visionary development plan for music at the school.
• Ensure that music continues to develop as a high-profile activity at the school, with an aim of establishing Reed’s as one of the top senior school choices for ambitious and talented pupils in the local area.
• Be a key member of the academic music department, teaching a timetable of lessons and instrumental lessons as appropriate, working closely with the Assistant Director of Music to develop the curriculum, whilst retaining responsibility for overall academic achievement by pupils.
• Maintain, alongside the Head of Performance Music, a rich and varied programme of music performances through the year ensuring that the greatest possible number of musicians can perform to an audience as often as possible.
• Work closely with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to develop an effective programme of musical events for pupils from prep and other feeder schools, for contributing towards the school’s charitable mission, and for opportunities to use music to market the school.
• Oversee the programme of support for music award holders, conducting an annual review of award holders alongside the Head of Scholars, and supporting school musicians in their preparation for auditions and competitions as appropriate.
• Develop further the musical link between Reed’s and Ripley Court School.
• Through coaching and mentoring, actively help other members of the department to develop their careers and musical passions and effectively delegate responsibilities for aspects of the department’s work.
• Be responsible for the recruitment, management, support, and appraisal of visiting music teachers.
• Have oversight of the selection and performance of appropriate music, working with the School Chaplain, to produce inspirational services both for the regular weekly worship and for special occasions.
• Work with the SLT to balance the time and resources needed for music with other aspects of the calendar in this busy school.
• Oversee all budgets allocated to the Music Department.
• 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
Orff’s Carmina Burana at the Royal Festival Hall
Person Specification QUALIFICATIONSEssential
• Educated to Degree level in Music or a related subject.
• A teaching qualification in Music or a related subject.
EXPERIENCEEssential
• Experience of teaching successfully at all levels, including up to A-Level, and to differing ability needs.
• Experienceofleadingadynamicandcreativeteam.
• Proven excellence in the delivery of music in the classroom.
• Experience of training large and small groups of musicians in a range of musical styles.
• Ability to demonstrate creative and innovative approaches to enthusing and challenging pupils.
• Experience of managing a budget.
Desirable
• Specifically, experience of teaching a range of compositional styles for the exam specifications would be welcome.
• Wide knowledge of a broad range of musical styles and how they can be brought to life in performance.
• Knowledge of the Anglican choral tradition and how to apply it within a school setting.
SKILLS Essential
• Creative approach to the training of practical music-making.
• An ability to accompany performers on the piano at a high level, and expertise in one or more other instruments.
• An ability to work effectively with modern composing and recording technology
• An ability to forge excellent relationships with all stakeholders.
Desirable
• Excellent ICT skills, including experience of working with social media.
• Accomplished public presentation skills.
KNOWLEDGE
Essential
• Thorough knowledge of wide range of musical genres and techniques.
• Insight into pedagogy and an understanding of how pupils of all abilities learn music.
Desirable
• A network of musical professionals to draw on in order to fulfil the responsibilities of the role.
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
• Strong time management and plentiful resilience to meet challenging deadlines.
• An obvious, deep-seated and infectious love of music.
• 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 [email protected] or by telephone on 01932 869043.
Applicants should send a completed Reed’s application form to the HR Department by email to [email protected] 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 Tuesday 23rd February 2021. Interviews will be held on 4th & 5th March 2021.
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
