Schools Music Curriculum Officer

Permanent, Full Time

Up to £43,299

Location: Chelmsford

Closing Date: 03/02/2021

Job Purpose

Essex County Council (ECC) operates one of the largest Music Education Hubs in the
UK through a grant from Arts Council England and has undergone significant
transformational change recently to broaden and improve its offer to the young people
of Essex.

The Music Curriculum Officer will operate as a countywide subject specialist, leading
the music service's remit (from OFSTED, DfE and Arts Council England and the
National Plan for Music) for music-related school improvement. This will involve
challenging schools to ensure they provide and offer a suitable music curriculum,
planning and overseeing the delivery of training, oversee the provision of e-learning
resources to support classroom delivery and work with a wide range of partners to
develop and manage the delivery of extension projects. These projects may also link to
community provision, and this whole role will be expected to operate under tight
financial constraints.

This role will also work closely with Music Service Senior Management to co-create
and deliver training to Essex Music Service tutors, to drive continuous improvement
within the whole service delivery.

Service/Functional Accountabilities

Utilise specialist music skills, knowledge and experience, to ensure the effectiveness of
school music standards and provide expert knowledge and advice to Senior Leaders.

Responsible for creating and delivering an ambitious Continuing Professional
Development programme for teachers across Essex, ensuring a skilled workforce who
are responsive to the ever-changing education landscape.

Work closely with district leaders to ensure schools are challenged regarding the need
to offer diverse, high-quality and inclusive music education, and are provided with the
support needed to develop their offer.

Ensure that primary network meetings are offered termly to share best practice and to
drive up the school engagement with the Music Service provision.

Ensure ongoing awareness of government policy and strategy to inform service
development, including liaising with organisations including Music Mark, Arts Council
England, OFSTED, DfE, and exam boards, where appropriate.

Support school-led improvement through work with Teaching School alliances, crossphase initiatives, and Arts Council England's Cultural Education Strategy, including supporting a number of Local Cultural Education Partnerships.

Strategically oversee Music Education Hub partnerships and support for schools,
including training, e-learning resources, partnership extension projects, and creative
interventions for disadvantaged or vulnerable pupils, ensuring clear outputs and
outcomes.

Ensure training opportunities and projects are delivered within budget, support funding
applications, and seek partnership investment and match-funding.

Work collaboratively with stakeholders, partners and music service personnel to assess
need and develop strategy, ensuring effective delivery of the Core and Extension roles,
as laid out in the National Plan for Music Education.

Contribute regularly to external facing communications, and lead on communications to
schools from both across the Council and from within the Music Service.

Dimensions

Budgetary responsibility (direct or indirect impact): This role will be directly
responsible for a resource budget of over £100k

People management (including direct reports): None

Breadth of role: Key internal interfaces are with music service officers and music
tutors, ECC Education teams. Key external interfaces are with Heads of Music, music
coordinators, Headteachers, academy chain CEOs, other ECC teams, and funders.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Professional qualification Honours Degree or equivalent in music and professional
• teaching qualification.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Thorough knowledge and understanding of the requirement of the National Plan for Music Education
• Evidence of successfully delivering outcomes in school curriculum provision.
• Experience of budget management.
• Experience of project management.
• Experience of high-quality curriculum provision.
• Experience of managing change in a complex environment.