Springwell Leeds Academy

Teacher of Music – South Site

Permanent Contract - required as soon as possible

Salary: MPS/UPS + SEN point 

Do you want to… 

• Make a real difference to some of the most vulnerable students in the city? 

• Work at a brand new bespoke SEMH school with new facilities and a fully equipped Music room? 

• Move away from some of the restrictions of a mainstream pathway?

• Teach children a subject for which you have a passion, without worrying purely about results?

Springwell Leeds Academy requires an exceptional, versatile teacher of Music who is passionate about providing the best possible education and care for vulnerable students. This post will involve teaching children up to GCSE level as well as supporting non-specialist teachers in delivering music to all students as required. You will be expected to seek out the most aspirational pathways towards music qualifications, to ensure our students get a varied and bespoke curriculum. As a specialist, you may feel that qualifications other than GCSE are more suitable for our children and you will have the autonomy to make those decisions. However, this post is equally about teaching children to play instruments, sing, create and enjoy music. Significant training time and support is given to ensure that staff are confident in delivering high quality learning. All of our sites operate in line with best practice in an SEMH provision, which is a nurturing curriculum model with significant investment in therapeutic and wrap-around support for our students. 

In this unique role, you will work with colleagues as part of a wider performing arts team, with specialists across the city. This post provides the opportunity to be part of a bespoke, creative programme of study for students who require something different from a mainstream offering. Whilst you would be the only music teacher on site, you would work closely as part of a team with the other teachers of music across our other sites. 

This position would suit a teacher with a proven track record of exceptional practice, who is able to work with vulnerable pupils with social, emotional and mental health difficulties (SEMH). It would suit an individual who is passionate about making a real difference to students’ life chances and supporting them in achieving their potential in essential life skills, which is a high priority for Springwell Leeds.  The ability to be creative and use imaginative flair to engage is essential, along with having resilience, drive and high expectations to inspire students to achieve. As we are a growing Academy it may also provide an opportunity of further leadership opportunities in the future. 

About us

Springwell Leeds aims to provide the best possible care and education that we can for children and young people with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. Unconditional Positive Regard is at the centre of what we do and we are creating an academy that is welcoming, caring, safe, warm and believes that all its pupils can be supported and empowered to succeed. We are creating individual and personalised pathways for our students that are built around their varied needs which will help them achieve positive outcomes and prepare them for their onward destinations into continuing education, work or training. In order to achieve this, we have developed a curriculum that provides opportunities for academic progression as well as vocational learning, whilst being engaging, creative, and innovative.

We see strong relationships as the key to our success – with students, parents, carers and the wider community and we ensure that our academies are welcoming safe places for children to learn and prosper. We believe in working closely with our families and carers and welcome their support, but also realise that at times they will need our support too. We work closely with other agencies and schools to make sure we do all we can to make learning and life the best it possibly can be.

Springwell Leeds places a huge emphasis on professional development and invests significantly in staff training at all levels. This means that, although experience of working in an SEMH setting would be an advantage, specialist support and training will be provided for outstanding teachers wishing to make the career-fulfilling move into special education. 

Please click here to find out what this job entails at Springwell Leeds Academy.

If you would like to discuss or find out more about this post, please contact Laura Reader, Principal, via email l.reader@springwellacademyleeds.org

Wellspring Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils. All posts are offered subject to enhanced DBS checks. References will be requested and an online search carried out for shortlisted candidates, prior to attendance at interview.

As you will be working with children, this post requires you to undertake regulated activity. It is an offence to seek to work in regulated activity with a group with which you are barred.

Further pre-employment checks, including prohibition from teaching, childcare disqualification and section 128 checks, if deemed relevant for the role, will be completed for the successful candidate upon acceptance of the post.

We are committed to equal opportunities and to promoting diversity. We want our people to reflect the diversity of our communities, and we welcome applications from people from all backgrounds, especially from under-represented groups, including those from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

If you are currently living overseas or have lived / worked overseas in the last five years please be aware that you will be required to provide an overseas criminal records check from the country/ countries you have resided in, if you are the preferred candidate for the post.