Head of Music Department (Secondary)

CLARUS EDUCATION; Greater London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player in education is seeking a dynamic Head of Music Department to lead and inspire students in a vibrant secondary school. This role offers a unique opportunity to drive curriculum development, enhance student outcomes, and contribute to a supportive community focused on excellence. The school is committed to professional growth, providing ample opportunities for staff development and career progression. With a strong emphasis on evidence-informed teaching and a positive school culture, this position is perfect for passionate educators ready to make a significant impact. Join a team dedicated to transforming lives through education, where your expertise will help shape the future of students from diverse backgrounds.

Benefits

3 week Christmas holiday

No retrospective book marking

No student report writing

4.5 day work week

Qualifications

• Proven experience in teaching music at secondary level.
• Strong commitment to professional development and improving teaching practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Music Department and develop a high-quality curriculum.
• Ensure excellent pupil outcomes and foster a positive learning environment.

Skills

Teaching Skills

Classroom Management

Instructional Coaching

Evidence-Informed Teaching

Education

Qualified Teacher Status

Degree in Music or Related Field

Job description

Head of Music Department (Secondary)

Salary: MPS/UPS and Inner London Weighting +TLR2B

Job type: Full Time, Permanent

Start date: September 2025

Our Secondary School in Barking and Dagenham is part of a small school’s Trust. Previously rated Ofsted “RI”, our school has been on a transformation journey, most recently achieving Ofsted rating “Good” with a progress 8 turnaround of +0.6 from previous -0.5.

This has huge implications for the communities we serve at our school. We serve a wonderfully diverse community, many of whom face challenges through no fault of their own. It is for this reason we want to level the playing field for all of our students, regardless of their background, by providing a world class education.

We care about outcome. We know good grades lift life chances and impact health, wealth and even mortality. We know that teachers have the greatest impact on pupil outcomes and so we take professional development seriously, whatever our role in the school. Whether we have taught for two months, two years or twenty years, we believe in our capacity to always improve in the classroom.

Our CPD provision is comprehensive and fundamental to our commitment to improve. We are invested in our own and each others’ development and use principles of instructional coaching to provide feedback to each other. Our CPD involves deliberate practice, video models of excellent practice and lots of fun! The desire to improve a little bit everyday permeates the culture in our school.

Our approach to teaching is evidence informed. We avoid ‘discovery learning’ methods and instead, we teach explicitly. Our teachers are experts in the classroom and lead from the front. We focus on perfecting routines for behaviour, like entry into lessons and transitions between tasks so that we can maximise time spent on learning. We have excellent behaviour systems which mean teachers can focus on what we love doing most - teaching!

As well as excellent outcomes, we want our students to be well rounded individuals who will thrive beyond school years; that’s why we deliberately teach prosocial behaviours like making eye contact when greeted, listening attentively and showing gratitude. We know these skills will set all of our students up for life, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

But we invest in working smart too: we have a 3 week Christmas holiday, no retrospective book marking, no student report writing, no performance appraisals with formal lesson observations and a 4 and half day week!

We recognise talent and impact at our Secondary School. There are lots of opportunities for promotions within the school and our Trust. Our staff body at all levels is a true reflection of the makeup of the community we serve - we are proud of this and welcome anyone who will add value to our wonderful school community.

To apply for this Head of Music Department, please get in touch today! We are recruiting for this Head of Music Department role now and will be interviewing ASAP.

We are dedicated to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all staff to share this commitment. As a Head of Music Department, you will have a safeguarding responsibility if appointed. The successful Head of Music Department candidate will be subject to enhanced clearance through the Disclosure and Barring Service and employment will be subject to references. This Head of Music Department post is not exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

Apply for this Head of Music Department opportunity by sending your CV. You will be contacted (if shortlisted) for the Head of Music Department role within 48 hours.