Instrumental Music Teachers

About the role

We have an exciting opportunity for enthusiastic specialist instrumental teachers to join our busy and successful Music Department. The teaching is from beginner up to Grade 8 and diploma and there is huge scope to develop the work and hours. We are particularly looking for secondary violin, piano and singing. However, the potential is endless. Please read on!

We want to develop the roles to suit the skills and musicianship of the new colleague. There will be instrumental teaching as part of this role, there could be work as part of our extensive enrichment programme of choirs and ensembles. There are so many possibilities, and we are particularly looking for a secondary violin teacher, singing and piano. Can you offer Musical Theatre singing teaching? Popular music? Classical? Are you a piano teacher who could teach Jazz, as well as keyboard and popular music? Do you teach another instrument not mentioned and would like to join our amazing team? Could you lead and inspire our orchestra, developing our secondary strings? We use the Involve platform for lesson timetabling and communication. Hours can be discussed on application (at least a day of each) and there is huge potential for growth.

Music at Simon Balle, as part of the Laurel Education Trust, is thriving and is a beacon of musical inclusion and excellence. Our all-through curriculum, from Reception to Year 13 is ‘spiral’ and we are so proud of what our musicians are learning and achieving. We are continually looking to improve our musical experiences and how we inspire our musicians through our teaching. Our GCSE and A level students work with the Eduqas syllabus (our GCSE points score was +1.48 in 2024). We have large classes at GCSE and A level and our school is a destination for some in the 6th form with bespoke pathways. Across our all-through school, music is a very important part of our broad and ambitious curriculum, which is progressive and sequential from Reception - Year 13. We use chromebooks (all students have a chromebook) and chromeboxes for much of our teaching with Soundtrap, Focus on Sound and Noteflight. We are developing a programme for our most advanced musicians, many of whom work towards LCM diplomas. Most years have some of our Year 13 leavers going to music college or a music conservatoire. We have recently worked with the RNCM Popular Music Team. We are developing a partnership with the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Students support our ensembles, as well as taking part in our huge Rock School (which has over 12 bands rehearsing each week). Our primary wind band has 50 students taking part each week, as does our primary string orchestra. Our Junior Wind Band has 60. Our Concert Band is slightly smaller, but is growing again with our increasing numbers coming through. Both Junior Wind and Concert Band have full percussion sections. We have a Big Band and saxophone ensemble as well. We have 4 choirs across the all-through school. Our advanced musicians take part in an annual tour to Ghent - a huge music festival. This year we are launching our Simon Balle Concert Orchestra and Chorus performing 4 arrangements from the recent BBC disco prom. We perform each year at Saffron Hall. We are looking to develop a ‘middle school’ experience as well. Our teachers work as a team, so that all musicians receive consistent teaching and experiences.

For more details of our amazing music, where 30% of the school learn an instrument and 25% are in an ensemble or choir each week, please visit https://www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk/music/

Our events are found here: https://www.simonballe.herts.sch.uk/music/whats-on/

This is an incredible opportunity to be part of an amazing school where we aim to create lifelong musicians and music is so much part of who we are. We are Team Music!

If you have any questions or would like to visit, please email Mark Taylor, Director of Music on music@simonballe.herts.sch.uk.

Simon Balle All-through School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of students and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants for this post must be willing to undergo child protection screening, including reference checks with previous employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.

We are committed to a policy of openness and equality of opportunity in the employment of staff. We will not condone discrimination on the grounds of the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership. It is our central responsibility to ensure that every individual that we come into contact with is treated with dignity and respect