WESTMINSTER UNDER SCHOOL

Music Gap Student - Required for March 2021

Westminster Under School is seeking a talented and enthusiastic Music Gap Student to work in the Music Department for the remainder of the current (Lent) term, with the likelihood that the role will continue after Easter towards, or until, the end of the Summer (Election) term in the first week of July.

The School

Westminster Under School is a selective school for boys aged from 7 – 13 and is located on Vincent Square, the largest square in Central , a few minutes from Parliament and well located for transport links at Victoria, Pimlico, Vauxhall or Westminster stations. There are approximately 300 boys in the School – large enough to create a busy, bustling atmosphere but small enough so that teaching and non-teaching staff know boys throughout the School.

Westminster’s origins can be traced to a charity school established by the Benedictine monks of from at least the early fourteenth century. In 1943, the School expanded by forming the Under School, educating boys aged from 7 to 13 years old, first in Eccleston Square and then in its present site overlooking the beautiful Vincent Square, which allows unrivalled opportunities for sport or just for a relaxing lunchtime’s rest. The School has expanded again several times: in 2011 with new dining facilities, magnificent art studios and a new state-of-the-art theatre; and in 2012 when the School’s massive Sports Centre opened in nearby Lawrence Hall, allowing for indoor sport of all descriptions, from and table tennis to fencing and year-round cricket.

Boys come to the School who have an intrinsic love of learning and enjoy a busy day. While academic excellence is almost a given, central to the School is nurturing our boys in a wide variety of ways: fostering intellectual debate, focusing on their wellbeing and encouraging a wide gamut of extra-curricular interests. Many of our boys speak at least one other language and almost all play a musical instrument. We place a particular emphasis on drawing out individual talent wherever it lies, whether this be in a specific subject, a hobby or interest or in Music, Drama, Sport or Art. The majority of our boys go on to Westminster School in Year 9, with some boys each year going to, amongst others, Winchester College and .

Job Description – Music Gap Student

Line Manager: Director of Music

The Music Gap Student will assist in all areas of the day-to-day running of the Music Department. Typical, non-exhaustive, roles performed in this role are:

• Supervise pupils taking electronic music lessons via Zoom or Teams, ensuring they are well set up for their lesson, ensuring instruments are tuned, ensuring communal equipment is cleaned between uses, etc. • Assist with the recording of choirs and ensembles, editing soundtracks or videos where necessary. • Assist with the general administration of the Music Department. • Any other roles reasonably requested by the Director of Music or the Senior Management Team.

Gap Students typically work from 8 - 4.30pm Monday to Friday during term time including an hour’s break. Assistance for occasional evenings and Saturdays may also be required. The role comes with paid holidays for part of the time that School is not in session. Pay is £10.76 per hour and lunch is provided each day. There is no accommodation with this role.

This role suits people who are confident, mature, self-directed and who like working with younger people - the role may be particularly beneficial for someone who is considering a career in education or music administration, though this is not essential. Competence in the main Office software, video editing software and similar, is an advantage. Any particular strengths or specialisms in different areas can usually be accommodated.

Applications by email, including a CV and a fully completed application form, which is available from the School’s website, should be sent by email to [email protected]. Applications should be received on or before noon on Friday 19th February 2021. Interviews with shortlisted candidates will take place by Zoom shortly afterwards. The starting date for the position is from Monday 1st March 2021 onwards, though a short delay in this can also be accommodated.

Westminster Under School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service.

For further information on Westminster Under School, please visit our website: www.westminsterunder.org.uk.

Any additional questions should be directed in the first instance to the School’s Director of Music, Jeremy Walker, by emailing [email protected]