51±¬ÁÏ

VACANCIES

DIRECTOR OF MUSIC

We are looking to appoint a passionate and inspirational Director of Music from August 2026 or January 2027.

Music is a central part of life at Cargilfield so this is an extremely exciting opportunity to lead an outstanding department. Our vision is for all pupils to have access to high quality musical experiences and to love music, whilst those with outstanding interest and talent are provided with opportunities to develop and extend their skills to a high level.

The School

Cargilfield was recently named ‘Best 51±¬ÁÏ School in the UK’ by Tatler magazine, and we are very proud of the quality of education that our children receive. We are a busy 51±¬ÁÏ School, with long days and the occasional weekend, but the benefits of working here are huge: we have a brilliant team of staff who value the opportunity to teach their subjects with independence and freedom; we have pupils who are engaged and interested in their learning and willing to stretch themselves and to try new things; and we have invested parents, who are supportive of the school and our aims.

51±¬ÁÏ was the first 51±¬ÁÏ School in Scotland, established in 1873. We are now a school of about 300 boys and girls aged 3 – 13. We have some boarders (Monday- Thursday nights) but the majority of our children are primarily day pupils. The children take Common Entrance and scholarship exams to the best senior schools throughout Edinburgh, Scotland and the rest of the UK.

The wider curriculum is fundamental to our success as a school and Music plays a key role in this. As well as timetabled lessons, children have exposure to the Music Department at other times of the day so that keen musicians can develop their skills and repertoire. We have a scholarship music programme for 11–13-year-olds where they have extra time in the week to practise and prepare. The Director of Music’s timetable would reflect those commitments and this role might appeal to a senior school Music teacher who enjoys working with younger children but is excited about producing work of senior school quality. We are also looking for a teacher who has strong keyboard skills and who is comfortable leading the whole school in rehearsals and singing practices.

One of the real benefits of this role is the freedom to shape the department yourself. While you work alongside colleagues in Design, Technology and Art as part of the Expressive Arts Faculty, as Director of Music you would be able to lead and shape the department in your own way. Children here are at an age where they are really excited by music but are also developing the skills to produce work of an impressive standard. They are well-behaved and well-motivated and there is the chance to have a really positive impact on our pupils.

Our curriculum is broad and academically rigorous. Longer school days and flexible and weekly boarding opportunities support the wide range of extra curricular activity on offer at the school (although the majority of activity runs from Monday to Friday). All members of staff are expected to contribute to this offer and we aim to recruit colleagues who enjoy making a wider contribution to school life and the development of our children’s interests and abilities.

Cargilfield is a friendly and welcoming school community. Staff benefit from generous fee remissions for their children. Cargilfield is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Please have a look at our website (www.cargilfield.com) to get a better feel for this outstanding prep school. Feel free to contact the School Office should you wish to discuss this role further with the Headmaster or with the outgoing Director of Music. Don’t feel that you have to have your application in place before making contact.

The Music Department

Music at Cargilfield is centred around our purpose-built Music Building, which contains a large teaching/rehearsal room, eight practice rooms and an office for the Director of Music. There is access to our two recently upgraded ICT suites for composition lessons. We also have a stunning school Chapel, which serves as our main performance venue for concerts and performances. The Chapel is also a theatre and the Director of Music supports our plays and musicals throughout the school. Edinburgh is on our doorstep with the opportunity to access cultural enrichment through visits and concert trips.

Choral singing is a strength and all children up to Form 7 take part in weekly choir rehearsals within their age group. Our Chapel Choir plays an integral role in school life and external concerts and choir tours have been a highlight of our musical offering. We also have a school Pipe Band, who perform regularly throughout the year.

We have a strong and cohesive group of inspiring and motivated peripatetic teachers who are skilled in enabling children to achieve their potential within the constraints of a busy school life. Some administrative support is available within the department (around 3 hours per week) and an accompanist is available as required for choral rehearsals, concerts and exams.

We have an engaged and supportive parent body. Take-up of music lessons is consistently around 93% in the Upper School with many children learning more than one instrument. The school supports children’s learning with daily timetabled practice sessions in the Upper School.

Ensemble playing is central to the ethos of the department. Ensembles rehearse during our extended morning break and are given priority over other activities at this time, ensuring children are able to focus and enjoy these activities. Peripatetic teachers work with the Director of Music to provide around 12-16 ensembles each term working towards end of term concerts.

The Role

The Director of Music is responsible for all music at Cargilfield, inspiring children to want to play musical instruments and sing and provide appropriate opportunities for them to enjoy practising, playing and performing together. Specific responsibilities include:-

• To aim to ensure that music at Cargilfield is a positive experience for every child
• To teach music as part of the timetable
• To provide children with the experiences and skills they need to go on to senior school feeling confident in themselves and to provide a basis for life-long enjoyment of music
• To select the hymns for the term and to play the organ/piano in Chapel
• To prepare the music for all Chapel Services
• To work with the Drama department with musicals and plays
• To produce and organise a termly programme of concerts and other musical events (internal and external) that provides a wide selection of musical experiences for children at all levels
• To liaise with Directors of Music at other schools to ensure good relations between schools locally and with senior schools
• To make sure that the most able children are provided with sufficient level of challenge to enable them to make the most of their talents, which may include sign-posting them to activities outside school
• To work with Peripatetic Teachers to prepare children for external music exams and scholarship auditions
• To liaise with the Deputy Head (Academic) and the Headmaster regarding the suitability and preparedness of children for scholarship applications
• To ensure that the fabric and equipment in the Music Department is maintained to a good standard, liaising with the Bursar when investment in equipment is required
• To maintain and administer the stock of hire instruments
• To seek applications from, interview and appoint new Peripatetic Teachers as required according to Safer Recruitment guidelines and in liaison with the Headmaster
• To ensure that Peripatetic Teachers have the support they require to teach to the best of their abilities
• To organise a termly Departmental Meeting for Peripatetic Staff
• To be responsible for the standards of teaching and learning in the Department
• To set high professional standards within the Department for others to follow
• To monitor, assess and appraise the quality of teaching within the department, both formally and informally
• To contribute to the induction of new staff
• To be responsible for departmental improvement plans and oversee departmental planning and evaluation
• To be responsible for the department budget and the ordering of all equipment, and to maintain proper records
• To attend Expressive Arts Faculty meetings
• To report (occasionally) to the Governing Body (or a sub-committee thereof) about the organisation/running of the department and its aspirations
• To organise trips in the department

General Staff Responsibilites

Each teacher is expected to perform the following responsibilities under the direction of the Headmaster.

• To teach classes assigned each year in a professional manner, employing a range of methods and resources for effective learning and teaching
• To plan effective teaching of the syllabus on a long-term and short-term basis: to ensure that evaluations of last term’s teaching and subject forward plans are ready at the start of each term
• To maintain an attractive and stimulating environment in the classroom
• To keep a record of each child’s progress on a term-to-term basis
• To liaise with Learning Support regarding children with additional support needs
• To help with the development of the School Curriculum, and in the refinement of school policies
• To contribute to and implement Departmental Curriculum Development strategies, including the exchange of ideas with colleagues
• To maintain good order and discipline among pupils and to safeguard their health, safety, and general welfare, with particular reference to the School’s Child Protection Policy
• To communicate any significant welfare issue or any Child Protection issue to the Child Protection Officer or Headmaster
• To take part in the School’s Staff Duty system
• To work with parents as appropriate to ensure children’s learning is as effective as possible
• To liaise with outside agencies when called upon to do so by the Headmaster or Child Protection Officer
• To take part in the School’s Staff Appraisal system
• To assist, where appropriate, in the professional development of colleagues – including probationary and student teachers
• To attend meetings and school functions as appropriate – these are advertised as early as possible and occasionally may occur at the weekend – and to contribute positively to the welfare of the Cargilfield community at all times
• To be on site during the normal teaching day Monday to Friday and to work one evening to 7.30pm offering an activity
• To take part in afternoon games, clubs or duties on a daily basis or to supervise changing rooms or those who are off games or looking after the children after the games session
• In the case of staff absence, to cover absence on a rota basis
• To work for one weekend (can be two separate days) during the course of each term, as set down by the Headmaster
• To perform any duties which the Headmaster may reasonably ask

Cargilfield is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff, volunteers and other third parties to share this commitment. Safer recruitment practices and pre-employment background checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed.

How to Apply

Please complete the attached application form and send this, with a covering letter, to the Headmaster at [email protected] . The closing date for applications is 1pm on Friday 27 March. We plan to interview in early April but there is some flexibility in this date and we reserve the right to interview and appoint earlier in the right circumstances.

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Please click on the job description below for a more detailed understanding of what is required, but bags of energy and enthusiasm and a love of working with children goes a long way!

We look forward to hearing from you.

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We have four resident GAP students each year, either from the Southern Hemisphere (Jan-Dec) or from the UK (Sept to Jul). Please click on the Job Description below for a more detailed understanding of what is required, but bags of energy and enthusiasm and a love of working with children goes a long way!

We look forward to hearing from you.

Applications for candidates from the Northern Hemisphere to start in September are considered each year on an ad hoc basis.

ALL GAP POSITIONS FOR 2025/26 HAVE BEEN FILLED.