Assistant Cello Teacher

The Yehudi Menuhin School seeks an Assistant Cello Teacher. The successful candidate will be a musician (cellist) with the necessary skills to fulfil the responsibilities of this role and to command the respect of those studying and working in a world-renowned music school.

Job Specification/Key Areas of Responsibility

The main responsibilities are as follows:

• To work as an Assistant Cello Teacher, delivering one-to-one lessons in support of the work of the Principal Teacher, under the direction of the Director of Music.
• To assist, and liaise closely and regularly with, the principal instrumental teachers with regards to the musical needs and development of the pupils allocated to them.
• To monitor the practice of the pupils and to be readily available to help with any technical or musical problems which may arise.
• To deputise for Principal Teachers and deliver Second Study lessons as required.
• To assist in preparing pupils for concerts, both inside and outside the school, and to attend student concerts when requested by the Director of Music, including occasional evenings and weekends.
• To play an active role in the pastoral support provided to the pupils of the School.
• To actively support the School’s Outreach Officer in the creation and delivery of a successful outreach programme.

Person Specification 

Candidates must:

• Hold appropriate academic and musical qualifications and have prior experience of teaching to a high level.
• Be an outstanding musician and instrumentalist and have experience as a performer, with ongoing international activity (concert and/or educational) being highly desirable.
• Be a team player who is respectful of other’s needs and opinions, able to see the bigger picture and willing to contribute positively and efficiently to a culture based on a collaborative, collegiate atmosphere.
• Understand and be able to engage with the individual and specific musical and pastoral needs of highly gifted/talented pupils to bring out the best in them.
• Be proactive, open-minded and creative in supporting our aims to continually develop the musical life of the School and the pupils’ musical education.
• Be able to juggle a number of different competing demands simultaneously.
• Be a skilful communicator, both orally and in writing, who is able to deal sensitively with the pupils, their parents, the music teachers and other staff, thereby contributing towards a harmonious, forward-thinking department.
• Have excellent presentational skills, have a passion for creative music making, to be able to speak and perform confidently in public, and set professional standards to which the pupils can aspire.
• Be able to work and remain calm under pressure, have the stamina to work long hours and the resilience to deal with setbacks.
• Be comfortable working with a wide range of ages and ability – e.g. from an 8-year-old full of potential, to an 18-year-old preparing for an international competition.
• Be understanding of the pressures and challenges which young performers face in a high-performance learning environment and have the ability to support and engage with them through patience and empathy.
• Be confident and proactive in proposing new ideas and initiatives to support the musical and pastoral development of the pupils.

The School is registered with the DBS and successful applicants will be required to complete successfully the Disclosure Procedure at Enhanced level.  It is an offence for a person barred from working with children to apply for this post.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020.

Our full Safeguarding/Child Protection Policy can be found here.

The Yehudi Menuhin School is an Equal Opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sectors of the community.

For full details about the role, please download the Candidate Information Pack.

If you would like to apply for the role, please use the 'Apply Now' button at the top of the page and complete ourapplication form. The deadline for applications is Friday 25 September at 12 noon. We reserve the right to appoint sooner and encourage early applications.