“Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without."
Confucius.
Teacher of saxophone
(the ability to teach clarinet would be an advantage)
required from January 2011
Part time (initially half a day per week with the possibility of expansion)
St Paul’s Girls’ School is one of the country's leading independent, secondary day schools
for girls aged 11-18 and has excellent facilities. There are approximately 730 pupils with
over 200 in y12 and 13. Some 80% of pupils learn a musical instrument. Entry to the school
is by competitive exam, held in January, and there is heavy demand for each place. Our
public exam results are consistently outstanding and about half of all students every year
move on to Oxford and Cambridge. Increasing numbers also go on to higher education at Ivy
League colleges in the United States. Aspirations and achievements in many areas go well
beyond what one would normally expect from a school, making St Paul’s a very exciting and
stimulating place in which to work.
Full details of the school, including our curriculum and public exam results, are available on
our website at http://www.spgs.org.
The music department
Historical background:
“It is of great importance that the parents should understand that we intend to make the
music of the School of more than ordinary merit" (Miss Frances Gray, the school’s first High
Mistress in a letter to the Governors in 1904).
It was with such high ambitions for music in mind that Frances Gray appointed the
distinguished composer Gustav Holst as the school’s first director of music in 1905. He was
to remain in the post until his death in 1934. Most of Holst's greatest works, including The
Planets, were written whilst he was the director of music at the school. Ralph Vaughan
Williams worked at St Paul’s for 3 years, and was followed by Herbert Howells in 1936 and
John Gardner in 1962. More recent directors of music have been Nicola LeFanu, Giles
Swayne, Hilary Davan Wetton, Derek Bourgeois and Julian Grant.
The department today:
The music department consists of the director of music, Yat-Soon Yeo (a conductor and
harpsichordist), the assistant director of music and composer-in-residence, Mark Wilderspin
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(a composer), an academic teacher of music, Corissa Gould (an academic music historian)
and four music heads of department: John York (keyboard), Hilary Sturt (strings), Heidi
Pegler (singing) and Angus Meryon (wind, brass and percussion). There is also a full time
music administrator.
There are currently around 45 peripatetic teachers, including some very prominent
members of their professions. Each peripatetic teacher is answerable in the first instance to
the appropriate music head of department.
The department is housed in an historical listed building dating from 1913 and designed to
Gustav Holst’s original specifications. It includes a 220-seater recital hall, two spacious class
teaching rooms, sixteen sound-proofed individual teaching rooms and two offices. Largescale concerts take place in the beautiful setting of the school’s Great Hall.
Curricular music:
All pupils study music for two periods a week from year 7 to year 9. In year 10 and year 11
it becomes an optional subject; instead of GCSE in music the school has its own school
directed course, much appreciated by those who study it, as it contains greater intellectual
rigour and wider breadth, preparing girls for the possibility of A level and a university place
in the subject. This year there are 16 students taking music in year 10 and 17 in year 11.
Music is taught as an AS and A2 option and there are currently 7 students taking the subject
in year 12 and 5 in year 13. Students regularly go on to study music at tertiary level, either
at university or music college.
Extra-curricular music:
Music plays a central and much valued role in the cultural life of the school. Students of all
levels and abilities are encouraged to participate in extra-curricular musical activities.
A very high proportion of the girls take music lessons; these include singing, all standard
orchestral instruments, piano, harpsichord and organ. Lessons are also taught in jazz, pop
and rock instruments, including saxophones, electric guitar and kit percussion. For the first
three school years a rolling timetable enables girls to have instrumental lessons during the
school day. They can also study theory and aural.
The department runs a very busy and varied extra-curricular programme of activities. These
include: two orchestras, a string orchestra, two wind bands, two choirs, two chamber
groups, and many smaller chamber and vocal ensembles including jazz, pop and rock
groups. There are numerous performing opportunities including two formal large-scale
concerts each term, many smaller-scale concerts throughout the school year and a weekly
lunchtime concert series. In addition there are regular staged productions of musicals and
operas (most recently the operas Amahl and the Night Visitors by Menotti, The Christmas
Rose by Bridge and the world premiere of The Little Match Girl by the school’s composer in
residence Mark Wilderspin, and the musicals The King and I, Thoroughly Modern Millie and
My Fair Lady). Orchestras and choirs also perform occasionally outside school. Recent
performances have included festivals at Chichester Cathedral and St Mary’s church, Perivale.
The department undertakes a major overseas tour every two years. Recent destinations have
included Venice, Barcelona and Budapest. In October 2008 there was a pioneering ten day
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tour of Hong Kong and China. The department has just returned from a week long tour to
the USA with performances in New York, Greenwich and Boston.
Joint performances with St Paul’s School are also a prominent feature; every two years there
is a major joint choral concert involving amalgamated orchestras and choirs and an annual
joint chamber concert. The schools also collaborate at an annual service at St Paul's
Cathedral to celebrate the founder of the St Paul’s schools, Dean John Colet.
Our students are regularly represented in the National Youth Orchestra, the London Schools’
Symphony Orchestra and the National Children’s Orchestra. A number of pupils also study
at the junior departments of the London music colleges.
The post
The school is seeking a suitably qualified peripatetic teacher of the saxophone. It is hoped
that the successful candidate will assist in raising the profile of jazz music within the very
busy schedule of extra-curricular music making within the school.
At present there is a vacancy for the equivalent of half a day’s individual teaching on the
saxophone. However, it is hoped that there will be potential scope for pupil numbers to
rise, particularly if the successful candidate is also able to offer clarinet teaching to a high
level.
Candidate profile
The successful candidate is likely to possess some or all of the following: a degree or
equivalent professional qualification at tertiary level; experience of teaching secondary
school pupils; the enthusiasm and subject knowledge to inspire high-achieving pupils; a
proven track record as a professional performing musician; the ability and organisational
skills to motivate pupils as part of an extra-curricular music programme.
Terms and conditions of the post
The salary is according to qualifications and relevant experience.
All peripatetic teachers at the school are self-employed, although they are expected to work
on the school premises and within the school’s code of practice.
Successful candidates for posts at the school are required to complete a medical declaration
and undergo the normal CRB checks.
Application and interview procedures
Please submit applications using the form provided. In addition to a covering letter addressed
to Mr Yat-Soon Yeo, the Director of Music, we ask candidates to provide a full curriculum vitae
with details of qualifications and experience, and the names, addresses, telephone numbers and
e-mail addresses of two professional referees, one of whom should be the head of the
applicant’s present or most recent school or college.
Faxed and e-mailed applications will also be accepted and the details of where to send them can
be found below.
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We will invite short-listed candidates for interview at St Paul’s and as part of this process they
will be expected to teach a lesson of 35 minutes, for which a full prior briefing will be given.
We will acknowledge all applications and if you do not receive an acknowledgement it is advised
that you e-mail or telephone to confirm that your application has been received. Candidates
who have not heard further from us within two weeks of the closing date should assume that
the post has been filled.
Criminal record certificate
St Paul’s is a “registered body” under the Police Act 1997 because employment here involves
access to children under the age of 18. This post will require an enhanced criminal record
certificate from the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) before we can confirm an offer of
employment. The CRB no longer endorses portability of disclosures. Former members of
staff who re-join us also require fresh disclosures unless less than six months have passed
between their leaving and their re-employment date.
Safeguarding guidelines
The post-holder’s responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and
young persons for whom s/he is responsible, or with whom s/he comes into contact, will be
to adhere to and ensure compliance with our child protection policy statement at all times.
If, in the course of carrying out the duties of the post, the post-holder becomes aware of any
actual or potential risks to the safety or welfare of children at St Paul’s, s/he must report
any concerns to our safeguarding designated teacher or to the High Mistress.
Contact details
Miss Emily Godfree
Music Administrator
St Paul’s Girls’ School
Brook Green, London W6 7BS
Tel: 020 7 605 4812
Fax: 020 7 602 9932
musicadmin@spgs.org
www.spgs.org
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