Head of Music
West Kirby Grammar School, Wirral, Merseyside, CH48 5DP15 days remaining to apply
Job start date
1 September 2025
Closing date
1 May 2025 at 9am
Date listed
3 April 2025
Job details
Job role
- Teacher
- Head of department or curriculum
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Key stage
- Key stage 3, Key stage 4, Key stage 5
Subject
- Music
Working pattern
- Full time: 32.5 hours per week Monday to Friday
Contract type
- Permanent
Pay scale
- M1 to UPS3
Additional allowances
TLR 2b £5,644
What skills and experience we're looking for
The Governors of this exceptional Grammar School wish to appoint a well-qualified and enthusiastic Head of Music for September 2025. This is a permanent post and will be considered on a full-time or part-time basis. The ability to teach GCSE and A-level Music is essential. A strong degree in Music is sought, although candidates with a degree in a closely related discipline are welcome to apply.
The Music department at WKGS is an exciting place to work, and we are looking for a creative individual to lead with passion and determination to further promote a love of music amongst the student body, driving engagement with the subject both inside and outside the classroom.
All students study Music from Years 7 – 9 when they can then choose to continue with their studies of Music as an optional choice at GCSE level. At GCSE, students study the Pearson Music specification and follow a two-year KS4 programme. At A-Level, students follow the AQA specification where they have twelve 50-minute lessons per fortnight.
Students achieve highly in their curricular and extracurricular endeavours with students averaging a grade 8 at GCSE and a grade A at GCE level in 2024. There are numerous clubs and ensembles offered and a host of performance opportunities compliment this. The department also runs a variety of trips each year, along with organising visiting speakers, in order to enhance and develop each students’ learning experience.
West Kirby Grammar School is a very successful selective girls’ School with a coeducational Sixth Form. There are over 1200 students on roll and results are outstanding. In 2024, a Progress 8 score of +0.42 was achieved and 51% of results were at grades 9-7, with 15% of all grades being at grade 9. At A-level, 61% of grades were A*-B with the average grade achieved being a B.
Further information and an application form are available to download on the school’s website
(www.wkgs.org) or by contacting the School on 0151 632 3449. A completed application form and
letter addressing the content of the person specification, which should be no longer than two sides of
A4, should be submitted to office@wkgs.net for the attention of Mr S. Clarke, Headteacher.
We are looking to attract candidates with the qualifications, skills and experience detailed below:
E: Essential D: Desirable
1. Qualifications
- Degree or equivalent in Music or closely related subject (E)
- QTS (secondary phase) (E)
- Further degree or related qualification (D)
2. Experience
- Leadership experience in a secondary school (E)
- Successful delivery of Music at Advanced Level (E)
- Running of music ensembles and concerts/performance opportunities (E)
- Successful delivery of Music Technology at A Level (D)
- Leading or accompanying school visits (D)
- Experience of managing others continued professional development (D)
3. Knowledge and Skills
- Detailed knowledge of curriculum design and implementation (E)
- Ways to teach students how to think and how to behave in order to achieve high performance (E)
- Ways to assess work over time and monitor this at a department level (E)
- Excellent understanding of best pedagogical practice to ensure ambition and challenge for all (E)
- Use interactive technology to enhance teaching (D)
- An understanding of the local agreed syllabus and its implementation (D)
4. Special Requirements
- A belief in the potential of all students to perform at the highest level (E)
- Empathy with students and colleagues (E)
- Enhanced DBS clearance and identity checks (E)
- Willingness to contribute to the wider life of the school (E)
- Excellent references (E)
- Professional approach to conduct, attendance and dress (E)
What the school offers its staff
- Greater PPA time than national recommendation
- Deadlines well publicised and staff consulted on the annual calendar
- Reduced data collections to ensure no collections for data’s sake
- Considerate approach to lesson observations, drop-ins and learning walks
- Headteacher ‘Open Door’ Policy at all times
- Opportunities for professional development always considered
- Dedicated classroom wherever possible for teaching staff
- Access for all staff to self-referral Health & Wellbeing Support package
- In-house Wellbeing Manager available to all staff, and Staff Wellbeing Committee that monitors and responds to staff needs.
- A flexible and generous approach to family appointments and child events
- On site car parking available
- Complimentary tea and coffee
- Regular social events organised by the Social Committee
Flexible working opportunities
- PPA time may be taken off the school site, subject to following the school policy
- A flexible and generous approach to family appointments and child events
Further details about the role
CV's or approaches from agencies are not accepted
Commitment to safeguarding
Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.
Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.
Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children
You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.
Applying for the job
Please download the application form using the link below, and once completed send to office@wkgs.net
CVs are not accepted.
Additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About West Kirby Grammar School
- School type
- Academy, ages 11 to 18
- Education phase
- Secondary
- School size
- 1225 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- West Kirby Grammar School website
- Email address
- office@wkgs.net
- Phone number
- 0151 632 3449
A selective, all-girls grammar school with co-educational sixth form, providing Wirral and the wider region with an outstanding education since 1913.
Every student arrives at West Kirby Grammar School with a unique combination of talents, skills and aspirations – it’s our job to help each of our students to discover and nurture theirs.
We do this by providing pupils with a wealth of opportunities and choices, enabling everyone to find out what they enjoy and are good at. We create a caring and supportive environment, whilst at the same time allowing students to solve problems for themselves, ensuring that we develop resilient and enterprising learners.
We don’t believe that anyone is born with fixed abilities and intelligence. With the right teaching, support and motivation, children can grow and thrive in subjects they never considered themselves to be cut out for. And whilst our academic record speaks for itself, we know that students learn and develop both in and out of the classroom. That’s why we offer such a broad range of extra-curricular opportunities, through which pupils develop vital life skills and forge lasting friendships.
Because of all of this, our students leave us equipped to thrive in a complex world, ready to make a positive contribution locally and globally as tomorrow’s leaders.
Arranging a visit to West Kirby Grammar School
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email office@wkgs.net.
School location
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