ROYAL ALEXANDRA AND ALBERT SCHOOL

Transcription

1 ROYAL ALEXANDRA AND ALBERT SCHOOL JOB DESCRION Post Holder: Post Title: Scale: Director of Music Teacher MPS +TLR The Post Our Director of Music, who joined us in 2011, has accepted a four-year salaried PhD post at the University of Western Ontario and we are now looking for a replacement for an outstanding colleague. The current Director has moved Music forward hugely, making GCSE Music a healthy option subject and introducing A level Music in September The breadth and quality of Music Events is evidenced below and the Music Department enjoys the particular support of Governors. Single or larger rent-free accommodation will be available for the appointee in return for boarding duties which are explained below. The Department The Department consists of the Director of Music, a full-time teacher of Music as well as a Graduate Music Assistant (currently a job share), a part-time Administrative Assistant and 16 peripatetic Instrumental Teachers - approximately 15% of pupils have individual lessons each week. We host special visit ABRSM and Trinity Rock&Pop exam sessions. Governors have recently spent a considerable capital sum improving the Bothy Music School and a generous grant from a Music Charity has provided technology facilities including a suite of MacBook Pros used exclusively by the department. I invite you to consider this post with the demands and the rewards that it offers. Person Specification Essential Music degree and QTS Confident performer in a wide variety of musical genres and idioms Experience of teaching outstanding music lessons at Key Stages 3, 4 and 5 Commitment to the wider life of the school Willing to lead activities and contribute to department events Desirable Familiar with GarageBand and Sibelius Awareness of the Musical Futures movement and associated research into effective musical pedagogy Ability to teach Key Stage 2 Music

2 The department is housed in The Bothy, a listed building slightly away from the main school to which significant acoustic improvements were made in A large classroom is equipped with sufficient keyboards and ukuleles for use with Key Stage 2 and 3 classes. There is also a smaller classroom used for A level teaching. We have a good stock of tuned and un-tuned percussion instruments, African drums and enough guitars and basses for Key Stage 3 classes to work in bands. A further 12 rooms of varying size are used for rehearsals and break-out space (five have drum kits and sufficient amps for band rehearsal) and for instrumental lessons. Our music technology provision includes a suite of 16 MacBook Pros and one imac, which run on their own network within the department. All Key Stage 2 and 3 pupils will use GarageBand as part of their composing work, and Sibelius 7, Logic and Ableton are also available. Additional hardware enables pupils and staff to record live performances to professional standards. The current Scheme of Work summary is attached below. Much classroom teaching follows approaches from Musical Futures, which has led to a considerable increase in GCSE uptake. Use of music technology in all Key Stages continues to be developed. All Key Stage 2 and Year 7 classes have one 50-minute music lesson each week, with Years 8 and 9 having two lessons each week. The emphasis is on active music-making and the development of independent learning skills. By the end of Year 9, all pupils will have sufficient opportunity to develop performing skills on at least one instrument, ensuring that GCSE Music is available as an option to all. GCSE classes have one single and one double lesson per week. All classes are mixed ability. There are currently 13 pupils in Year 11 and 12 pupils in Year 10. A Level Music was introduced in September 2014, using the OCR specification, with a cohort of 3 students who we hope will continue to A2. We expect a similar size group to begin AS Music in September The department is actively involved within the Junior School. All KS2 classes have a weekly music lesson and the Director of Music leads a weekly assembly, in addition to supporting the Christmas play and providing further performance opportunities. An extensive programme of co-curricular activities is offered. The current timetable is shown below. This varies each term to provide suitable opportunities in different musical styles for pupils of all ages and abilities, including collaboration with Surrey Arts ensembles. A wide variety of s and other events take place, with approximately 500 pupils performing in public each year; please see the attached calendar and also visit for an indication of our recent activities.

3 MUSIC EVENTS Thursday 4 th September: WWII anniversary service Friday 5 th September: VMT annual meeting and training session Wednesday 17 th September: Albert Orphanage service Tuesday 23 rd September: Year 7 music workshop Wednesday 24 th September: Pop Rocks! auditions Wednesday 8 th October: Pop Rocks! Collaboration with The Fresh Dixie Project Saturday 11 th October: Remember Reflect Thursday 16th October: Year 7 inter-form music competition Tuesday 11 th November: Remembrance Day Service Tuesday 25 th November: Year 11 GCSE Music mock performing exam Sunday 30 th November: Scratch Youth Messiah Friday 5 th /Saturday 6 th December: Junior Christmas play Saturday 6 th December: Advent Carol Service w/c Monday 8 th December: Trinity Rock&Pop candidates to meet with AJB Saturday 13 th December: Soulstice Tuesday 16 th December: ABRSM exams Friday 23 rd January: Trinity Rock&Pop payment deadline Friday 7 th February: Piano duets Wednesday 11 th February: Year 11 GCSE Music performing exam Saturday 7 th March: Pulse w/c Monday 9 th March: Year 11 GCSE Music Composing recordings Tuesday 10 th & Wednesday 11 th March: Trinity Rock&Pop exams Wednesday 18 th March: Singamajig workshop and Thursday 19 th March: Year 12 AS Music performing exam Sunday 22 nd March Small Choir for Special Service at St Andrew s Friday 17 th April: Year 8 inter-form music competition w/c Monday 20 th April: ABRSM candidates to meet with AJB w/c Monday 4 th May: Dusk auditions Friday 8 th May: ABRSM payment deadline Saturday 9 th May: Founders Day Wednesday 13 th May: Dusk Tues 2 nd June AM: Year 12 AS Music listening exam Friday 5 th June AM: Year 11 GCSE Music listening exam Saturday 6 th June: Junior Prize-giving Thursday 11 th June: ABRSM Music exams Tuesday 23 rd June: Summer Serenade Wednesday 24 th June: Junior music

4 Pupils will also be involved in performances at weekday and Saturday Chapel services throughout the year. RAAS Music Activities timetable, Spring Junior Lunch Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday* (RCR) (GL) J J Flute Ensemble J Senior Lunch GCSE Support 4-5 / (LF) 5-6 ORT 6-7 Senior Girls Composing Clinic Yr6-8 Pop Rocks! Beginners Guitar (MR) ORT Strings ORT Flute Ensemble RAAS Jazz (GL) Tech Club (GL) Blast Off! ORT (GL) Blast Off! SESAW Folk Group (RCR) Pop Band (JT MD) ORT KS2 Music SOW Year Performing focus Autumn 1 Autumn 2 Spring Summer 1 Summer 2 3 Vocal Pentatonic Christmas Musicals Summer 4 Keyboard/tuned perc Stadium rock Christmas Programme music Summer 5 Ukulele/keyboard 3-chord songs Christmas Group performance Summer 6 Band instruments Riffs and improvising Christmas Song writing Summer KS3 Music summary: Year 7 Class performance/keyboard and ukulele skills/chords and arranging/dance music/african music 1. Year 8 The blues /Spirituals/African music 2/Rock n roll/broadway musicals/west end musicals/juke box musicals/baroque music.

5 Year 9 Dance music 2 (Moby)/Rock n roll/pupil-led music/remixes. Boarding No prior experience or understanding of boarding is required as we provide full training for all teachers with no experience of boarding. Currently the boarding hours of the Director of Music are spent supporting and developing the musical life of the school: this includes running boarding musical activities and rehearsals in the Bothy; supporting music in individual Houses, particularly Rank Weston the Junior boarding House; and arranging and leading many boarding musical events such as House singing competitions and Battle of the Bands. This work entitles the appointee to rent-free accommodation in School property, or perhaps a salary enhancement for somebody living off-site. You will either be enthused or exhausted by what you have just read. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including an Enhanced DBS check. I look forward to interviewing the enthused. Paul D Spencer Ellis Headmaster 1 st March 2015