New Music Teacher Handbook for 2022-23

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The reputation of our school relies heavily on the quality of the instrumental tuition. You have an enormous impact on your students’ lives, and you are crucial to the success of the school as a whole. I hope that you will feel part of the school community: whether you teach here full-time or for a few hours a week, your work is vital to us.

I am very proud of what students achieve at Purcell, and delighted to have had this recognised in an outstanding Ofsted report in June 2022. Inspectors found the School to be wholly compliant in all aspects of safeguarding (including the suitability of staff), the quality of education provided, health and safety, student welfare, the handling of complaints, and the quality of leadership and management. In the two categories of Educational Quality, Inspectors found ‘the quality of pupils’ academic and other achievements is excellent’ (the highest ISI grading), and ‘the quality of pupils’ personal development is excellent’.

“Pupils’ attitudes to learning are exemplary; the standards of musicianship achieved by the pupils are outstanding; pupils achieve high standards in their other academic work; the School’s provision for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and English as an additional language (EAL) is highly effective, ensuring that these pupils also make excellent progress in line with their peers.”

This only inspires me to look for further opportunities to improve what we do, and make your teaching even more rewarding - together we should have very high expectations.

As an employee, you have a contract of employment. This document is intended to provide more practical help. You will find more information on the school website and intranet, including policies, a staff list, and the Code of Conduct.

We try to be a forward-looking organisation, open to new ideas, imaginative suggestions and constructive criticism. Please don’t hesitate to contribute.

I am proud to have such a fantastic team, and wish you well for the coming year.

Paul Hoskins Director of Music

The Purcell School Aldenham Road Bushey Herts WD23 2TS www.purcell-school.org School Office & General Enquiries: Tel: 01923 331 100 Fax: 01923 331 166 Email: info@purcell-school.org OR schooloffice@purcell-school.org Principal’s Office: Tel: 01923 331 104 Email: head@purcell-school.org Bursar: Tel: 01923 331 127 Email: a.wroblewski@purcell-school.org Page | 2

1. CHILD PROTECTION

4

2. COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS

5

3. ARRANGING YOUR LESSONS

5

4. ATTENDANCE & REGISTERS

5

5. REPORTS

6

6. WHO’S WHO

7

7. FACILITIES

8

A) TEACHING ROOMS

8

B) STAFF ROOM

8

C) SCHOOL OFFICE

8

D) PARKING

8

8. ADMISSION TO THE SCHOOL AND ALLOCATION OF TEACHERS

8

9. REMAINING AT THE SCHOOL IF PROGRESS IS NOT SATISFACTORY

9

10. TEACHING TIME

9

11. ACADEMIC MUSIC

9

12. COMMUNICATION WITH THE SCHOOL

11

13. CONCERTS AND COMPETITIONS

11

14. EXAMINATIONS

12

15. PRACTICE AND PRACTICE SUPERVISORS

12

16. INTERNAL ASSESSMENTS

12

17. SHEET MUSIC AND SUPPLIES

12

18. FINANCE

12

19. KEY DATES FOR ORCHESTRAL CONCERTS

13

20 TEACHING IN THE HOLIDAYS

13

21. SCHOOL COMPETITIONS AND PRIZES

15

APPENDIX 1: CHILD PROTECTION – GOOD PRACTICE GUIDE

17

1. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

17

2. WHAT TO DO IF A STUDENT STARTS TO DISCLOSE ABUSE

17

3. WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE CONCERNED

18

4. GOOD PRACTICE BY INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC TEACHERS

18

5. PHYSICAL CONTACT

18

6. HOW TO RESPOND TO INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR FROM A STUDENT

19

7. SEXUAL OFFENCES (AMENDMENT) ACT 2003

19

FURTHER ADVICE

19

APPENDIX 2: MAPS OF SCHOOL

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1. CHILD PROTECTION Our first priority, and yours, is to ensure that students and staff are safe, healthy, and as far as possible, happy!

All teachers in schools are required by law to receive child protection training as part of their induction, and then at three-yearly intervals. In addition, teachers are required to read the annual update to legislation. We will not permit any teacher to work who has not yet fulfilled the statutory training requirements, no matter what the reason.

As a one-to-one teacher at a music school, you are in a particularly vulnerable position. Allegations of improper conduct are rare, but not unknown here; they will always result in an investigation, and this can be enormously distressing for all concerned. The following procedures must be followed: ● E-mails to students must be sent from your Purcell School email address, to their Purcell School e-mail address. Never use your personal e-mail account or their personal e-mail account. ● Do not contact students by text or phone. The office staff on duty at Reception, or houseparents, can do this for you in emergency. ● Do not take mobile phone numbers from your students, or give them your numbers. ● Do not engage with students through social media e.g. they must not be your friend on Facebook and you must not be theirs. ● Under no circumstances may a student visit you at your home, or vice versa, without the permission of their parents and the school. Guidance on teaching in the holidays, which is not encouraged, is included in this handbook. ● Lanyards must be worn at all times on site, and you must please scan the barcode to sign in and out.

This system generates lists to let the school know if you are on site in case of fire. ● Teaching external students in school is not permitted except with the specific permission of the Principal.

We can provide students with physiotherapy and counselling on site, and we encourage open dialogue about good health, both physical and mental. Students should be reminded regularly about the five common causes of muscular-skeletal injury in musicians (sudden increase in playing time, stress, sudden change in technical demands of repertoire, growth spurt, poor posture); and encouraged to have more than one adult member of staff in mind to whom they can confide any feelings of anxiety. Any concerns you have about a student’s well-being, however minor, should be registered on the website myconcern.education; the school provides all staff with a login.

A Good Practice Guide for safeguarding for instrumental teachers can be found in this handbook under Appendix 1. Full child protection procedures and guidelines covering all staff are contained in the Staff Handbook (on the school website, under School Life). You will also find copies of School policies on Anti-bullying and Self-harming as well as access to all the current statutory legislation from the Department for Education: Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018), Keeping Children Safe in Education (2020). You will find most colleagues are good sources of advice and experience, and all staff are encouraged to operate in an open safeguarding culture.

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2. COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS It is likely that you will find it helpful to contact parents, and you may already know some parents before their child joins the school. This is an area that can be difficult to manage. Use your school email, and if you feel that you are getting involved in areas that may conflict with the interests of the school, or you are simply having more contact than is reasonable, please ask for advice. If in any doubt, avoid unnecessary contact, and copy in your Head of Department to potentially difficult communications. Should you ever need to email the parents of more than one student together, always use bcc to avoid disclosing e-mail addresses between families.

If you find that for any reason your loyalties are divided between the family and the school, please don’t forget your obligations to support the school: if there are things that we are doing badly, please raise them with your Head of Department or the Director of Music at the earliest opportunity, to avoid being “caught in the middle”. An early phone call with parents from a senior member of staff is often all it takes to diffuse a situation that otherwise can get messy. Encourage your students to talk to adults in school about problems, rather than phoning their parents, which is often their first instinct.

3. ARRANGING YOUR LESSONS The timetabling of instrumental lessons is complex and done one week in advance. Fiona Duce, our Instrumental Timetabler, manages to accommodate your own professional schedule, against the set class timetable, the students’ many academic and musical commitments, and other instrumental lessons. As far as possible, Fiona uses students’ free time or puts them on a rota which prevents them from missing the same class lesson two weeks in a row.

We therefore ask that you adhere to the following process: ● Fiona Duce needs to know your availability for teaching by 10.00am on Monday of the previous week. ● Your timetable will be emailed to your Purcell email account on Fridays for the following week. ● You must not allow students to swap or change their lessons, and please do not change or swap rooms. ● All lessons must finish on time, ideally five minutes early if the student is going on to other classes. ● Absent students must be chased up immediately, initially by contacting Reception 202 / 01923331102.

For further information on the procedure for Missing Students (instrumental lessons) visit the Staff Handbook ● It is good practice to know which house your students are in, what subjects they are doing, and how they are progressing generally. We are a small enough school that each student’s progress can be supported individually, and you have an important role in a chain that includes houseparent, head of department, tutor, other teachers and pastoral staff. Any communication about a pastoral concern, however brief, is useful.

4. ATTENDANCE & REGISTERS Your register is a crucial document: it is a record of student attendance, therefore a vital part of safeguarding; it also enables you to be paid accurately, as it is reconciled with pay-roll. We use electronic Google registers, and you will receive a link; please ensure that you complete the register every week with the information presented as requested.

Your HoD is your first point of contact, and must be consulted if you wish to be absent for any length of time.

Please also give Fiona Duce plenty of warning. If you are unable to re-arrange your teaching hours you must complete an Absence Form (available in the Staff Handbook) and return it to Fiona Duce. If you are unclear about managing an absence from work please refer to the Staff Handbook or contact Fiona Duce.

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5. REPORTS Formal reports are completed on SIMS for all students (both first and subsidiary studies) twice a year in the Autumn and Summer terms. We will inform you of deadlines in plenty of time; guidance can be provided in the electronic process. Please always write comments that will help the student to improve further by focussing on clear targets for the future.

Reports should not come as a surprise to parents or colleagues. If there are serious issues with progress at any point, you must flag these up to HoD or DoM as soon as possible. Practice notebooks are encouraged, They can be a place for written comments about repertoire, practice tips, forthcoming performances, deadlines and key dates. They can be written in and read by teachers, students, parents, tutors, house staff and practice supervisors in whatever way is helpful.

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6. WHO’S WHO Below is a list of some of the staff who you are most likely to meet. The email address of any member of staff is initial.surname@purcell-school.org, e.g. t.burns@purcell-school.org. To telephone direct, dial 01923 3311-- and add the last two digits, e.g. to call Fiona Duce, dial 01923 331148. † = part-time JOB TITLE

NAME

TEL. EXTENSION EMAIL

Principal

Paul Bambrough

205

p.bambrough@purcell-school.org

Vice-Principal

Tom Burns

241

t.burns@purcell-school.org

Bursar

Adam Wroblewski

227

a.wrobleswski@purcell-school.org

Director of Music

Paul Hoskins

234

p.hoskins@purcell-school.org

Director of Sixth Form

Ziggi Szafranski

213

z.szafranski@purcell-school.org

Director of Boarding

Kate Cayley

216

k.cayley@purcell-school.org

Director of Operations

Emma Bantock

203

e.bantock@purcell-school.org

Director of Teaching and Learning

Michael Long

237

m.long@purcell-school.org

Head of Keyboard

William Fong

233

w.fong@purcell-school.org

Head of Strings

Charles Sewart

235

c.sewart@purcell-school.org

Assistant Head of Strings

Richard Jenkinson †

235

r.jenkinson@purcell-school.org

Head of Percussion, Brass, Harp and Voice

Ryan Hepburn †

282

r.hepburn@purcell-school.org

Head of Woodwind

Joy Farrall †

234

j.farrall@purcell-school.org

Head of Academic Music

Andrew Williams

282

a.williams@purcell-school.org

Senior Leadership Team

Music Department

Head of Jazz, Head of Popular Simon Allen † and Contemporary Music

s.allen@purcell-school.org

Head of Composition

Alison Cox †

268

a.cox@purcell-school.org

Head of Music Technology

Aidan Goetzee

229

a.goetzee@purcell-school.org

Concerts and Events Coordinator

Bethany Wright

209

b.wright@purcell-school.org

Concerts and Events Assistant Charlotte Lee

236

c.lee@purcell-school.org

Instrumental Lesson Coordinator

Fiona Duce

248

f.duce@purcell-school.org

Librarian

Ryan Bunce

264

r.bunce@purcell-school.org

School Office Administrator

Elisabeth Stemson †

0

schooloffice@purcell-school.org

School Office Administrator

Linda Griffiths †

0

schooloffice@purcell-school.org

School Office Administrator

Marie Lynch †

0

schooloffice@purcell-school.org

Music Technician

Troy Kartarahardja

229

t.kartarahardja@purcell-school.org

IT Network Manager

Simon Kingsbury

225

s.kingsbury@purcell-school.org

Technology Technician

Tom Bell

225

t.bell@purcell-school.org

School Office

Support Staff

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Executive Assistant to the Principal

Sarah Graham

204

s.graham@purcell-school.org

Executive Administrator

Natasha Vallance

207

n.vallance@purcell-school.org

Assistant Bursar

Sue Pickard

206

s.pickard@purcell-school.org

Data and Payroll Specialist

Jane McGuinness

253

j.mcguinness@purcell-school.org

Director of Development

Chris Harbour

226

c.harbour@purcell-school.org

Development Officer

Charlotte Buck

226

c.buck@purcell-school.org

PR & Communications Manager

Susannah Curran †

251

s.curran@purcell-school.org

New Boarding House (NBH) Houseparent

Lorna Griggs

255

l.griggs@purcell-school.org

Sunley Houseparent

Rachel Price

242

r.price@purcell-school.org

Avison Houseparent

Margaret Brookes

222/245

m.brookes@purcell-school.org

School Medical Team

Hilary Austin, Carol Morgan

220

medical@purcell-school.org

Physiotherapist

Sarah Upjohn †

221

s.upjohn@purcell-school.org

Boarding and Pastoral Staff

7. FACILITIES A) TEACHING ROOMS You will be allocated a teaching room by Fiona Duce. Where possible, she tries to allocate first study piano teachers to rooms with grand pianos, but this is not always possible.

B) STAFF ROOM The Staff Room is located on the ground floor of the main building. You are welcome to use the Staff Room at any point during your day. The instrumental teachers’ pigeon holes are also located in the Staff Room - any post or messages for you will be left here so you should check it regularly.

C) SCHOOL OFFICE The School Office staff will be happy to help you with any general questions about students and the school.

D) PARKING Please park in the Car Park behind Avison House (nearest to Bushey Mill Lane). Spaces elsewhere in school are for residents and visitors only.

8. ADMISSION TO THE SCHOOL, ALLOCATION OF TEACHERS Entry to The Purcell School is at any age from 10-16, and students can join the school in any year 7-12 except Year 11.

The choice of instrumental teacher is determined by the relevant HoD. Every effort is made to choose the right teacher to match the needs of the individual student. No changes of instrumental teacher can take place without prior consultation with the relevant HoD. Internal instrumental teaching staff will be notified of their student allocation for the year in advance of the commencement of the Autumn Term.

Lesson Duration and Additional Lessons The normal expectation for most students is that they will receive between two and three hours per week tuition in total, one-to-one. The Music Department decides how much tuition is appropriate for each individual student, and the distribution between different studies, according to students’ musical and academic needs, timetable and Page | 8

other activities. No student has any automatic right to three hours’ tuition: each individual will be offered a programme appropriate to them.

In exceptional cases, in consultation with parents and subject to the approval of the relevant HoD and DoM, students may receive in excess of three hours a week. The excess lessons may be recharged to parents (at cost) on the following term’s bill. Arrangements for excess instrumental lessons will not be put in place unless parents have given their permission in writing to the appropriate HoD. 9. REMAINING AT THE SCHOOL IF PROGRESS IS NOT SATISFACTORY For some students, Purcell may not be the right school, and their place is not guaranteed the following year. If you are worried about the progress of any of your students, please speak to your HoD or the DoM immediately.

You should put a programme of targets in place for any student who requires them at any point, and ask HoDs for support in holding the students to them. We may choose to assess a few students formally during the Spring term, if there are doubts about their continuing at the school. Parents need to be given good notice of this, and concerns should be raised no later than Christmas if a place is in doubt for the following year.

10. TEACHING TIME Instrumental teachers are expected to provide 30 weeks’ of lessons during the full academic year. If you wish to be absent, for example to go on tour, please discuss with your HoD at the earliest opportunity so that all implications can be discussed. HoDs will try to be flexible if they have enough notice.

11. ACADEMIC MUSIC A) PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR IGCSE AND PRE-U QUALIFICATIONS All students take iGCSE and Pre-U or A-level in Music, and are required to perform on at least one instrument as part of their examinations. Teachers are asked to help students prepare suitable repertoire.

Year 10 Students All students in year 10 work towards Cambridge iGCSE Music (0410).

Students are required to submit two performances, one as a soloist and one as part of an ensemble. For the solo performance, students invariably perform on their first study instrument (2nd study for 1st study composers). For the ensemble performance, students usually perform as part of their regular chamber group, although other combinations are possible if desirable. The ensemble may include students from other year groups.

The solo performances may be recorded at any point in the year, and the ensemble performances mostly in March 2023.

Year 13 Students All students in the sixth form work towards Cambridge Pre-U Music (9800). There are two performance elements one compulsory and one optional.

All performances take place in year 13.

Performing (all students) The performance paper comprises two compulsory elements. i) Recital 15-20mins ii) Extended Performance 6-10mins Page | 9

The above are performed to a visiting examiner during the spring term of year 13. Students may play as a soloist or as a member of an ensemble for the above performances. Improvisation (all styles) is also an option for the Extended Performance. However, students must present a different musical discipline for the two elements. (See examples below) Further Performance (optional) Recital 25-30mins Performed and recorded in school between November and April of year 13.

If students choose the above option, they may not repeat the same discipline for the Recital or Extended Performance of the compulsory paper. Teachers of students who have choose this option will receive an email from the Head of Academic Music.

The usual chosen combination is Further Performance – 1st Study, Recital –Ensemble (1st Study) Extended Performance – 2nd Study. If students do not choose Further Performance (other options are Dissertation, Music Technology or Further Composition), then the usual combination is Recital – 1st Study, Extended Performance – Ensemble.

B) MUSICIANSHIP IN THE ACADEMIC MUSIC CURRICULUM Musicianship lessons are a core component of the wider Academic Music curriculum. Dedicated Musicianship classes are available to all students in the lower and middle school, and are offered to sixth formers on an opt-in basis. You can find a brief overview of the classes available at each level below. If you would like to discuss a particular student’s progress in aural and/or theory, you can contact Andrew Williams (Teacher with Responsibility for Musicianship Programmes) at a.williams@purcell-school.org .

Lower School (Years 7 – 8) At this level, students are grouped by ability and attend a dedicated Musicianship class twice a week. These classes primarily focus on developing aural and theory skills, with students typically working towards a graded theory exam in the summer term. The wide-ranging aural programme is not limited to the skills assessed in ABRSM exams, but these will be covered during the year. Lower school students will also have opportunities to develop practical musicianship and keyboard harmony skills.

Middle School Musicianship (Years 9 – 11) In years 9, 10 and 11, students attend a weekly aural class. Here again, students are grouped by ability to ensure that they can make the best possible progress during the course of the year. Groupings are reviewed regularly and formal assessments take place each summer. In addition to the core aural class, middle school students have the opportunity to choose an elective class. Elective courses, delivered weekly across one academic year, include higher theory grades (ARBSM 6 – 8), Keyboard Harmony, Music Tech and Jazz Musicianship.

Sixth Form Although musicianship skills are incorporated into all Pre-U Music classes, there are a number of additional opportunities available to sixth formers. These classes, in advanced aural and higher level music theory grades, are all offered on an opt-in basis.

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ABRSM Aural Component Although it is expected that instrumental teachers entering students for exams will cover the aural component in their lessons, additional support is available if needed. If you feel that any student would benefit from additional practice in this aspect of the exam, please contact Andrew Williams. Where possible, additional lessons, focusing on the specific exam content, will be allocated on a temporary basis.

12. COMMUNICATION WITH THE SCHOOL The school’s normal form of internal communication is email. All staff are provided with Purcell School email addresses and are expected to use them.

13. CONCERTS AND COMPETITIONS One of the school’s main purposes is to provide suitable performing opportunities for all students. Please therefore support the school by putting your students forward for school concerts.

Lunchtime concerts take place four days a week, with a registered audience attending. As a guideline, all students should expect to perform in at least one lunchtime concert each term, ideally more often. Students should plan repertoire and dates with their teacher. Lunchtime concerts are managed by Charlotte Lee, who works in the Music Office. There are forms to complete with details of the programme, and students must arrange rehearsals with one of the school accompanists, Debbie Shah and Daniel Swain, or a fellow student, unless they are playing unaccompanied.

Evening concerts take place most weeks, and students are invited to take part. Any student who feels that s/he is not being given enough opportunities to perform, should discuss with their teacher and the Head of Department.

External Concerts arranged by the school There are a lot of concerts outside school, some more formal and high-profile than others. These are programmed by the Director of Music and Heads of Department in consultation with instrumental teachers.

Outside Concerts independent of school Students are encouraged to take part in musical activities outside School, particularly at the weekend and during school holidays. Events that clash with school days are not encouraged, because our terms are short and our days are busy, and we already manage a complex timetable of clashes between music lessons and academic lessons.

Permission must be requested, and will only be given when the pros and cons have been considered by the Director of Music. This is even more restricted than usual, while the corona provisions are in place.

If a student wishes to miss school for any reason, a parent or guardian must make a detailed absence request by email, 14 days in advance, to studentabsence@purcell-school.org When playing anywhere, students are asked to acknowledge The Purcell School in concert programmes; for example, “Sam Smith holds a scholarship under the Government’s Music and Dance Scheme at The Purcell School”.

Nobody may use the school’s name or logo to advertise an external private concert without the Principal’s permission.

Competitions Competitions are sometimes a good idea, but not always, and they should be undertaken only very exceptionally in term time. You may need to ask us for support in turning down requests for competitions from parents or students. Students may only apply for competitions after they have the agreement of their teacher and Head of Department. As with external concerts, permission for absence will only be given after consideration by the Director of Music.

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14. EXAMINATIONS The school hosts Associated Board exams every term. Ryan Bunce will email deadline information. The entrance fees are paid by the Music and Dance Scheme.

15. PRACTICE AND PRACTICE SUPERVISORS All teachers are expected to help students to practise effectively by setting clear instructions and targets each week. The amount of practice time should be monitored and HoDs informed if students do not seem to be practising enough or effectively (or too much).

The school employs Practice Supervisors (young graduate musicians) to supervise timetabled practice sessions for students in the lower school.

16. INTERNAL ASSESSMENTS Assessment should be continuous throughout the year, with particular successes as well as concerns shared with Heads of Department. Formal assessments are set and managed by HoDs, and different departments can have slightly different approaches, in order to suit their particular students, as cohorts change. An additional informal assessment by the DoM can be arranged at any time when extra motivation or support is required.

17. SHEET MUSIC AND SUPPLIES In the past, sheet music and other musical sundries would be ordered for students via the Library; whilst this is still possible, in practice most students can order online themselves. Any cost of items and music supplied by instrumental teachers can be added as ‘extras’ to the parent’s next bill. Where parents do not wish to purchase a particular piece of music and it is not currently available from the Library, then a request can be made for it to be ordered for the Library to where it must be returned after use.

18. FINANCE All instrumental teachers are paid in monthly instalments over twelve months (September to August) according to your allocation of students and based on the thirty week teaching year. Any queries about pay should be directed to Jane McGuinness. Please use the email address payroll@purcell-school.org

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19. KEY DATES FOR EVENTS AND EXTERNAL CONCERTS Post pandemic, we are finding it more difficult to secure London venues far in advance, and also exercising more caution about announcing programming plans. Details will be shared when confirmed. The following events are in the diary: DATE

EVENT

Thursday 29th September 2022

Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival Concert

Saturday 1st October 2022

Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival Concert

Wednesday 5th October 2022

Concert for Friends of Purcell

Sunday 9th October 2022

Open Morning

Thursday 13th - Friday 14th October 2022

Organathon! 24 hour organ recital by Paul Bambrough

Saturday 12th November 2022

Wigmore Hall

Monday 14th November 2022

Benslow Music Trust

Tuesday 15th November 2022

St Bride’s Church, Fleet Street

Wednesday 23rd November 2022

Middle School Concerto Competition

Thursday 1st December 2022

Queen Elizabeth Hall

Monday 6th February 2023

Cadogan Hall

Thursday 2nd March 2023

Leicester International Music Festival

Wednesday 8th March 2023

Leeds International Concert Season

Friday 21st April 2023

Barber Hall, Birmingham

Sunday 23rd April 2023

Senior Concerto Competition Final

20. TEACHING IN THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS The School acknowledges that teachers often get requests from students and parents to continue lessons as a private arrangement during the holidays. As a general rule, the School does not encourage off-site teaching out of term, but it does recognise that it may be the preferred choice for some families and there may be some benefits for some individual students.

Should a member of staff receive a request to continue teaching during the school holidays, they should inform their Head of Department who will provide advice and guidance (see below). Staff are under no obligation to respond positively to such requests and the School can provide support in the event of insistent parents.

Under no circumstances should staff make unsolicited offers of additional teaching to students or parents nor place students under pressure to continue lessons out of term time. Evidence of such conduct will be treated as a serious disciplinary matter.

Guidance for Instrumental Staff wishing to provide private tuition to students during the holiday periods The School recognises that some families may wish to enter into a private arrangement with teachers for the continuance of lessons during a school holiday. This might involve teaching the student at the teacher’s private studio, home or online. As a general rule, the School does not encourage off-site teaching out of term, but it does recognise that it will be the preferred choice for some families and there may be some benefits for the student.

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Where a teacher agrees to undertake such teaching, it is a private arrangement between the teacher and the parent and has no impact on the School’s provision in term time and should not interfere with your usual duties under your contract.

However, for the protection of staff and students alike, some general principles should be observed in the conduct of the teaching: ● ● ● ● ● ●

Students should not be given the private telephone numbers of staff. Arrangements should be made directly between the parent and the teacher.

The School expects staff to maintain the highest professional standards and expects such private lessons to be conducted in the same manner as they are in school.

Where lessons are to be taught online, the School’s guidance on teaching safely online (issued during lockdown) must be followed.

As this is a private engagement outside term-time, school facilities and premises should not be used.

The School requires any safeguarding concerns and/or disclosures that may arise during the course of the private lesson to be reported to the School via MyConcern.

The School requires any concerns about progress to be shared with the relevant Head of Department.

Staff should not feel obliged to agree to any requests and should report any undue pressure to provide lessons to the School who will support staff. Equally, staff may not offer or seek teaching opportunities to students where it has not been requested nor apply pressure on families to agree to additional lessons.

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21. SCHOOL COMPETITIONS AND PRIZES For all competitions, the repertoire is to be requested by the teacher and signed off by HoD and DoM. The suggested duration is a maximum, but shorter programmes will be accepted. Winners of competitions will be programmed, in consultation with HoDs and teachers, in concerto and recital opportunities the following year, where the repertoire performed may be different. Students may apply for more than one competition, but only with the agreement of their teacher and HoD, and are advised to pick just one. *Where there is a stipulation for repertoire pre-1800, this does not apply to clarinets, saxophones, brass, harps and percussion, whose HoDs will advise suitable alternatives.

COMPETITION

YEAR GROUP

REPERTOIRE

Lower School Solo Competition

7–8

Two contrasting pieces, including one piece pre-1800*

Middle School Concerto Competition

9- 11

Solo Piano Prize

1st ROUND

MAX DURATIO N 10 – 12 minutes

ENTRY DEADLINE

One or two movements from a concerto or similar work pre-1800*, HoDs may set required works

10 – 14 minutes

October Half Term

November

November, concert in the Spring

10 - 13

A varied recital programme

20 – 25 minutes

End of March

May

June

String Sonata Prize

10 – 13

A complete sonata

20 – 25 minutes

End of March

May

June

Wind & Brass Sonata Prize

10 – 13

A complete sonata

15 – 20 minutes

End of March

May

June

Harp, Voice, Percussion Solo Prize

10 - 13

A varied recital programme

15 minutes

End of March

May

June

Senior Piano Concerto Prize

11 - 13

A complete concerto

40 minutes

February

5th March

13th/14th March Piano Final

Senior String Concerto Prize

11 - 13

A complete concerto

35 minutes

February

5th March

13th/14th March String Final

Senior Wind & Brass Concerto Prize

11 - 13

A complete concerto

30 minutes

February

5th March

Senior Percussion Concerto, Harp Concerto and Solo Aria Prize

11 - 13

A complete work for solo harp, percussion or voice, and orchestra or smaller ensemble

20 – 25 minutes

February

5th March

13th/14th March Wind & Brass Final 13th/14th March Perc, Harp, Voice Final

Senior Concerto Competition

11 - 13

Up to 5 senior concerto prize-winning students will be selected

by HoDs to play complete concerto in a grand final

Easter

FINAL Summer Term

Sunday 23rd April

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Music Prizes 2023 Senior Piano Prize Junior Piano Prize Second study piano Eric Houston Prize for Strings Second study string Junior String Prize Woodwind Prize Brass Prize Harp Prize Percussion Prize Commercial, pop and audio production Prize

Jazz Prize Rance Singing Prize Tim Stevenson Prize for Composition North Norfolk Community Music Awards John Wills Shield for Outreach David Cox Prize for an outstanding piece of creative work Rosemary Rapaport Prize for Outstanding musical contribution

Additional Prizes Nominations for these can be made to the Director of Music by instrumental teachers and any member of staff throughout the year, up to mid June. Nominations will be shortlisted, and shortlisted nominees may be asked to perform in lunchtime concerts at the end of the year. All shortlist nominees will be mentioned in an awards ceremony final assembly.

Piano Accompanist Prizes Piano Duo Prize Contemporary Music Performance Prize

Awarded to student pianists who have accompanied other students in any of the above prizes, or in concerts Awarded for exceptional performances during the year to any piano duo (piano four hands or two pianos) Awarded to a solo performer or chamber group for best performance(s) of music by a living composer

Early Music Prize

Awarded to a solo performer or chamber group for an exceptional historically informed performance of music written before 1750

Musical Creativity & Innovation Prize

Awarded to a group of students who have made an innovative collaborative work, presentation or arrangement

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APPENDIX 1: CHILD PROTECTION – GOOD PRACTICE GUIDE All music teachers at The Purcell School receive child protection as part of their induction, and then at three yearly intervals. This guide is intended only as an aide memoire - it does not remove the need for full training.

1. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (a) All adults All adults in school have a role to play in relation to: ● Protecting children from abuse ● Promoting the welfare of children ● Preventing children from being harmed This will include acting in the appropriate way if a child or young person makes a disclosure (see section 2) or if you feel concerned (see section 3). (b) The School The school is responsible for ensuring that all action taken is in line with Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (HSCP) procedures. The role of the school is to contribute to the identification, referral and assessment of children in need including children who may have suffered, be suffering or who are at risk of suffering significant harm.

The role of the school in situations where there are child protection concerns is NOT to investigate but to recognise and refer. Every school is required to nominate a Designated Safeguarding Lead (the DSL) who is responsible for: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Co-ordinating child protection action within school.

Liaising with other agencies.

Ensuring that locally established procedures are followed including reporting and referral processes.

Acting as a consultant for staff to discuss concerns.

Making referrals as necessary.

Maintaining a confidential recording system.

Representing or ensuring the school is appropriately represented at inter-agency meetings in particular Child Protection Conferences.

Organising training for all school staff.

Liaising with other professionals.

At The Purcell School, the DSL is Ziggi Szafranski. There are several deputy DSLs, including Debbie Shah (Accompanist), Paul Hoskins (Director of Music), Sally-Ann Whitty (SENCo), Tom Burns (Deputy Principal) and Paul Bambrough (Principal).

2. WHAT TO DO IF A STUDENT STARTS TO DISCLOSE ABUSE (a) Strategy ● Reassure the student that s/he is right to tell and is not to blame. ● DO NOT promise not to tell anyone else; explain that you have to make sure the student is safe and you may need to ask other adults to help you to do this. ● DO NOT question the student; let her/him tell you what s/he wants to tell you and no more; s/he may need to have to disclose to a specialist later, and too much detail now may interfere with later investigations. ● When the student is finished, make sure s/he feels secure, and explain what you are going to do next. ● Write down notes, including the date and time of the interview and sign them; record as much as you can remember, using the student's own words.

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(b) Record Keeping It is important that records are factual and reflect the words used by the student. Opinion should not be given unless there is some form of evidence base which can also be quoted. Records must be signed and dated with timings if appropriate. Staff all have a login to MyConcern.education where all concerns are logged in confidence.

Information to be recorded: ● Student’s name and date of birth ● Student in normal context, e.g. behaviour, attitude (has there been an extreme change?) ● The incident(s) which gives rise for concern with date(s) and times(s) ● A verbatim record of what the student has said. ● If recording bruising/injuries indicate position, colour, size, shape and time on body map. ● Action taken.

3. WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE CONCERNED Concerns for a student may come to the attention of adult members of the school community in a variety of ways, for example through observation of behaviour or injuries or disclosure. Very often, staff have unconfirmed worries about students, but little real evidence, and so feel unsure about how to proceed. Many cases have shown that these unconfirmed worries are in fact the tip of the iceberg: that if the teacher's information were placed alongside that of, say the School Medical Officer, or a PE teacher, it all added up to a serious cause for concern.

It is important that even vague "worries" are passed on at the earliest stage to the DSL team, via the MyConcern.

4. GOOD PRACTICE BY INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC TEACHERS When teaching one-to-one, remember that you are a professional who is there to teach. Teachers should ensure that their relationships with students are appropriate to the student’s age and gender, and take care to treat all students with respect. ● Always sign in and out each time you visit using the lanyard barcode, and wear your lanyard at all times. ● Keep blinds and curtains open, and try to ensure that you can be seen through the door. ● Do not lock a door from the inside. ● Avoid affection, favouritism or displays of over-friendliness. ● Do not discuss one student with another, or share communications with parents ● Avoid inappropriate language and terms of endearment ("darling", "my dear", "love" etc.). Never shout or swear – it constitutes verbal abuse. ● The use of insensitive, disparaging or sarcastic comments is unacceptable. Do not make comments about your students’ personal appearance, or refer inappropriately to their own private concerns. ● Avoid physical contact unless it is essential (see below). Physical restraint should only take place if it is absolutely necessary to protect the student or others from significant harm.

5. PHYSICAL CONTACT It is sometimes necessary to make physical contact with a student. For example, it can be a lot easier for a student to learn how it feels to have a correct hand shape (left hand or bow hold), how it feels to make a correct movement (fingering, bowing, shifting, vibrato), if the teacher can actually take hold of the appropriate part of the hand or arm and mould it or move it in the right way.

Touching a student in this way should be done very sparingly, and perhaps only as a last resort. Always ask the student first, for example: “Do you mind if I put your finger in the right place on the string?”, “Would you find it helpful if I moved your arm for you to show you how this movement should feel?” If you do touch, do it positively and in a professional manner with no embarrassment or hesitation. Be aware of the limits within which such contact should properly take place. Having made your physical demonstration, move immediately back out of the student’s body space.

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All other touching is completely unnecessary and inappropriate: tousling hair, patting a student's back, a friendly touch or putting an arm round a student could be misinterpreted and lead to wrongful accusations.

Think about “body space”. Remember that, in a one-to-one situation with an adult, especially an adult outside their family, some students (especially younger ones) may require a bigger space around them than others.

6. HOW TO RESPOND TO INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR FROM A STUDENT Any incident where you feel that you or a student may have behaved inappropriately or improperly must be reported immediately to the relevant person in authority (Principal, Deputy Principal or Director of Music) and confirmed in writing.

If any unusual, perhaps accidental, physical contact occurs between you and a student, report it immediately the lesson ends and make a note of the events.

If, as very occasionally does happen, a student makes some kind of advance towards you or makes suggestive remarks, make it very clear to the student that this kind of behaviour is unacceptable. The incident must be reported immediately to the Principal, Deputy Principal or Director of Music and confirmed in writing.

It should be borne in mind that, in an attempt to cover up such an occurrence, the student may decide to recount the incident at home or to friends, or to another adult, but reversing the roles so that it is you who is accused of making the advances. Remember that students have a right to be listened to when they complain that a teacher has behaved improperly. Whilst it is possible for students to exaggerate or lie, all allegations are rightly investigated. It is therefore essential that you follow the steps in this document, in order to protect yourself.

7. SEXUAL OFFENCES (AMENDMENT) ACT 2003 All teachers should be aware that the Sexual Offences Act 2003 makes it an offence for those in a position of trust to have a sexual relationship with a young person between the ages of 16 and 18 years who is currently being cared for or educated by the individual.

FURTHER ADVICE The Musicians’ Union, in association with the NSPCC, has produced a series of short video clips, specifically for instrumental teachers, on how to deal with student protection issues. They can be found on the Musicians’ Union ‘You Tube’ Channel (go to www.youtube.com/user/TheMusiciansUnion and click ‘Browse videos’ or follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB1B1F0F678120BCF)

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APPENDIX 2: MAPS OF SCHOOL

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