Head of Academic Music

• Job title:Head of Academic Music
• Job Type:Full or part-time, permanent
• Salary:£49,663 - £76,199
• Department:Music Department
• Reporting to:Director of Music
• Location:Highgate, North London
• Start:September 2026
• Closing Date:19 March 2026 at 8:00 am

An enthusiastic, talented and dynamic Head of Academic Music is required by this academically selective North London day school to start in September 2026. This position would suit an experienced music teacher with an excellent track record in the classroom who is passionate about pedagogy and their subject.

As Head of Academic Music, the post holder will lead in all matters relating to music within the curriculum and supporting pupils with higher education admissions. The ability to inspire children is key, as is a willingness to support the ambition and ethos of the school. The successful applicant will take an active role in the department’s co-curricular provision, rehearsing several instrumental ensembles or choirs.

The successful applicant will be an excellent classroom practitioner and their timetable will involve a full teaching allocation across the age and ability range, including up to A Level and Oxbridge preparation. Applicants should demonstrate a deep love of music, an enthusiasm for communicating this to pupils across the school and high expectations of pupils’ approach to music, performance and learning. Working closely with the Director of Music the successful candidate will be involved in the strategic planning, organisation and execution of Highgate’s exciting and comprehensive music programme.

The Music department’s strong central ethos is that everyone is capable of being a musician. Teachers aim to provide an aspirational, creative and inclusive musical environment. All pupils study Music in Years 7 to 9, following a varied spiral curriculum that focuses on creativity and collaboration across all skill areas. High quality teaching materials are produced and shared within the department, although teachers are encouraged to shape their lessons to cater for each class and their own musical interests. GCSE Music is popular each year, with multiple clases, and in 2025, 92% of pupils achieved 9-7 grades. There are currently 6 pupils studying AQA A Level Music. In recent years, over half our A Level pupils achieved an A*, with c.90% A*-A. Here, pupils receive a grounding in the western classical tradition while also studying music for media in Year 12. In Year 13 pupils have the option to extend their western classical study into the 20th century, or to embark on an in-depth study of popular music. Pupils have specialist composition lessons and regular performance workshops. Several pupils go on to read Music at university or music college every year and pupils regularly make successful Oxbridge applications, including Choral or Organ scholarships.

The department is led by the Director of Music who, working closely with the Head of Academic Music and Choral Music, oversees all aspects of the department’s musical provision. The Director of Music leads the co-curricular and music performance across Highgate’s Pre-Prep, Junior and Senior Schools, overseeing the Heads of Sections (Head of Woodwind & Percussion, Head of Brass, Head of Vocal Studies, Head of Strings and Head of Keyboard), and around fifty Visiting Music Teachers. The Head of Academic Music leads a team of 6 teachers in the Senior School, who deliver the academic curriculum to all pupils from Year 7 to Year 13.

There are three music teaching classrooms, two Mac suites (complete with Logic, Sibelius and a recording booth), an auditorium and recital room for rehearsals and concerts, practice rooms for individual music lessons and a departmental office. Choirs regularly rehearse and perform in the School Chapel.

The successful applicant will take an active role in the department’s co-curricular provision, rehearsing an instrumental ensemble or choir, or several. The school’s various orchestras, ensembles and choirs frequently perform at school and externally, including at landmark London venues, and our flagship choir, Chorale, won the Traditional Category of the Barnardo’s National Choir Competition at Birmingham Symphony Hall in 2025. The cycle of school performances includes a major concert each term, Christmas carol services, numerous instrumental and vocal concerts, termly solo platform concerts, choral services throughout the year – both in the School Chapel and in local churches – and at numerous other music competitions and events. A full-scale musical, in collaboration with the Drama department takes place biennially.

Person Specification

Highgate School seeks to appoint teachers who will have, in addition to the professional qualities outlined below, the following proven personal qualities, or the potential to develop them. At interview, candidates will have the opportunity to demonstrate or give an account of these attributes.

• Profound and continuing interest in the academic subject/s to be taught.
• The depth of knowledge and agility of mind to allow flexibility in lessons, adapting delivery as appropriate in the light of pupils’ responses.
• Empathy with pupils across the age and ability spectrum at Highgate and the ability to implement a range of teaching strategies to cater for each individual pupil.
• Capacity to deal sensitively with problems raised by pupils, in line with Highgate’s pastoral policies and sanctions system, working in partnership with Highgate’s designated staff i/c pastoral care.
• Ability to create effective rapport and a sound relationship with pupils, earning their respect and trust but maintaining proper professional boundaries by not deliberately courting popularity or friendship.
• Dynamism and enthusiasm to contribute broadly to the life of a busy co- educational independent day school.
• Willingness to contribute to the extensive range of activities provided for pupils and to support them in their co-curricular pursuits.
• Capacity for industry and initiative in both independent work and as part of teams of colleagues in academic work, pastoral care, sports and co-curricular activities.
• Awareness and understanding of matters relating to the personal, social, health and emotional development of pupils.
• Willingness and ability to liaise effectively and professionally between pupils, staff and parents when required, making accurate records of these exchanges.
• Patience and thoughtfulness to see any issues that may arise with pupils, parents or colleagues from a variety of perspectives.
• The ability to defuse difficult situations using different strategies such as careful listening, sensitive use of humour, praise and recognition where due, utilising the School’s reward system.
• Retention of a sense of perspective and, on occasion, the invaluable ability to laugh at oneself.

Essential Criteria

• Criteria
• How will these be tested or verified?
• A good honours degree in a related subject
• • Original degree certificate(s)
  • Questions about subject specialisation (and course content for more recent graduates)
  • Opportunities at interview to discuss techniques for teaching set topics
• Excellent communication skills
• • Two panel interviews
  • A taught lesson
• The ability to use ICT appropriately to support teaching, or a willingness to learn the skills
• • Lesson planning and resources
  • Opportunities to recount experience and expertise at interview
• The ability to establish good relations with colleagues and pupils.
• • Opportunities at interview to recount experiences where these skills have been demonstrated
  • Questions which referees will be
  • Asked as part of the confidential reference request
• Sympathy with and knowledge of fundamental British values
• • Questions at interview to test this
• Awareness and understanding of safeguarding and welfare of children
• • Questions at interview to test attitudes towards and knowledge of children’s safeguarding and welfare
  • Questions which referees will be asked as part of the confidential
  • Reference request

Desirable Criteria

• Criteria
• How will these be tested or verified?
• Experience of teaching academic lessons, either as an employed teacher or during a teaching placement, and an understanding of effective assessment.
• • A taught lesson with a lesson plan and resources
  • Questions at interview
  • A confidential reference request
  • Verification of a candidate’s employment history
• A teaching qualification (eg PGCE, GTP)
• • Original certificate
• Knowledge of, and experience of teaching the subject at A Level
• • Opportunities at interview to recount
• A willingness to be involved in the wider life of the department and school.
• • Opportunities at interview to recount experience of running or participating in such activities or to give ideas for these

Job Specification

Head of Academic Music: Main responsibilities

• to develop a strategy and vision for Academic Music across the curriculum
• to lead the department in delivering excellent teaching and learning, ensuring consistently high-quality lessons are taught by all Music teachers, leading to excellent educational outcomes for pupils
• to ensure that Music fully espouses the school’s academic ethos, especially in normalising academic struggle, teaching beyond public examinations and promoting scholarship for all
• to prioritise teachers’ development, as both subject specialists and excellent classroom practitioners

Curriculum and Teaching and Learning

• to ensure the consistent delivery of lessons of high quality which stretch, stimulate and educate pupils of every level of ability
• to carry out regular lesson observations, learning walks and work scrutinies; on the back of these, to develop colleagues’ practice accordingly
• to play a proactive role in curriculum development
• to ensure the Deputy Head (Academic) is assured of the effectiveness of provision in Academic Music and remains informed of significant curricular changes that need to be discussed and implemented
• to review and ensure that appropriate support is provided for pupils with LDD and Gifted and Talented pupils
• to oversee the provision of academic extension and university mentoring, and to support and monitor students’ applications to study Music at university and conservatoire
• to ensure a robust programme of peer observation within the department

Management

• to oversee excellent results in public examinations and to perform thorough analysis of results data, scripts and mark schemes to inform strategy
• to ensure that the thrust of the school’s development plan is reflected in the annual Academic Music department development plan
• to ensure that full support and coaching is given to all teachers to support professional growth and leading by example in the classroom, and to ensure appropriate monitoring takes place when a teacher encounters difficulties, whether of an academic nature or with regard to classroom discipline
• to play an active role in the recruitment of Music teachers, and to then assist with induction and probation, acting as a mentor to any new colleagues
• to support Music staff in order to meet personal and professional targets, both generally and as part of the school’s appraisal system; the Head of Academic Music will carry out appraisals for most of their team
• to organise regular Academic Music department meetings, to set the agenda, record action points and ensure decisions are implemented
• to ensure the department is sensibly timetabled each year
• to submit and manage the annual Academic Music budget
• to advise their line-manager of necessary improvements to teaching facilities
• to be on site for the release of A Level results and online for the release of GCSE results, to assist pupils with any post-results services and advice
• to liaise, where appropriate, with other Heads of Departments on cross-curricular initiatives and ensure these are well-planned

Co-curricular and Enrichment

• to ensure that there are effective and lively co-curricular opportunities for pupils across Music including trips, workshops, theory classes, composition days, etc.
• to establish contacts with Music departments at universities
• to promote the studying of Academic Music, or associated degrees, at university

Support | A welcoming, comfortable and exceptionally well-resourced environment with significant assistance from a range of support staff.

Pension | The School pays the employer’s contribution to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.

Professional development | Comprehensive induction. Focus on continued learning and development for all employees.

Holidays | Terms are shorter than in the maintained sector.

Location | Highgate Village, adjacent to Hampstead Heath, with quaint shops and easy connections across London.

Facilities | Free access, at stipulated times, to our sports facilities, including a fitness suite and new swimming pool. Staff can borrow from 1,700 books held in the Sir Martin Gilbert Library.

Lunch | Free tea and coffee A complimentary lunch including hot meals, sandwiches, salads, fresh fruit and dessert.

Sustainable travel | Access to the Cycle to Work Scheme and a Season Ticket Loan scheme for public transport.

Flexible working | Flexibility for parents, enhanced maternity pay and paid dependant leave.

Highgate is a caring, open-minded community, where we promote kindness, empathy and friendship. Everyone who works and studies with us deserves to feel they are part of a welcoming environment that enables them to be themselves and to thrive as individuals.

Our community extends beyond the school, through partnerships, charity work and our commitment to equality, inclusion and sustainability. All members of our school community are encouraged to look outwards and play an active role.

Following a visit from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) in September 2024 to assess Highgate’s regulatory compliance and school standards, we are pleased to share the inspection findings, which reports compliance in all five areas and a ‘significant strength’ in our teaching expertise.

Highgate is committed to staff wellbeing, which we promote by encouraging a strong work-life balance; trying our best to support flexible working requests; providing a nutritious complimentary lunch in the dining hall; and offering access to sporting facilities including our recently renovated swimming pool.

The Staff Wellbeing Committee, with representatives across the School, meets regularly to drive forward initiatives, and a selection of staff have been trained as Mental-Health First Aiders.

We encourage an open culture throughout our school, with regular staff surveys, action committees and opportunities to feedback. We strive for continual learning and improvement, and staff training and development is paramount. There are opportunities to participate in the wider life of our school, such as taking part in trips or societies and getting involved in partnership projects.

More details about working at Highgate can be found here:

As an independent school, we want to use our position as a charity effectively: to make high-quality education accessible to as many children as possible – through our bursary programme at Highgate and through our work with local state schools. We have partnerships with over 60 state schools across 7 London boroughs, and we are the principal educational sponsor for London Academy of Excellence, Tottenham – an academically-selective state sixth form in a community where such opportunities are lacking.

Alongside this, our staff and pupils undertake charitable activities throughout the year. These range from staff giving up their time to neighbourhood schools and charitable organisations, focused fundraising campaigns, to pupils undertaking community work in the local area or further afield.

As a school, we have a central role to play in educating our pupils, staff and parents about the importance of environmental sustainability. We are taking positive action to adapt our operational performance to tackle the negative effects of climate change. We encourage all our staff to reflect upon their personal and professional practices, to support our environmental agenda and to make positive changes wherever possible.

• Closing Date:19th March 2026
• Timing of interviews:Week commencing 23 March

Contact: James Newton, Deputy Head (Academic) and Jonathan Murphy, Director of Music, are happy to answer any questions about this post.

Early Application: Applications will be considered ‘as and when’ received and we may close the vacancy if we appoint before the closing date.

We know that more diverse teams are stronger teams, and that the more inclusive we are, the more our staff and pupils will feel a sense of belonging and will thrive. To enable us to make reasonable adjustments, please let us know of any disabilities (including neuro-divergence) when you submit your application.

As this role will have regular unsupervised contact with children you must, if appointed, comply with Highgate’s Safeguarding Policy and Staff Code of Conduct. 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 and welfare of our pupils, these concerns must be reported immediately in accordance with the Safeguarding Policy. If, while in the post, Highgate becomes aware of any safeguarding concerns to staff, pupils or the community, these will need to be followed up in line with the safeguarding policy and code of conduct which is underpinned by KCSE and other legislation. These concerns may need to be shared with other agencies. A copy of these policies will accompany all offers of employment. Training will also be provided to all staff to support Safeguarding practice.

Highgate is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to this post, including checks with past employers, the Disclosure and Barring Service and overseas police check if necessary. Candidates from overseas must provide information about their past conduct, for example, by providing documents issued by overseas teaching authorities.

Please note that this role is ‘exempt’ from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore, you are required to declare any convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings that are not ‘protected’ (i.e. filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). Shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide details of all unspent convictions and those that would not be filtered, prior to the date of the interview.

In accordance with the latest guidance from KCSIE, we shall be conducting online searches on any candidates who are shortlisted.