VISITING GUITAR TEACHER
HOURS: Dependant on number of children having lessons (currently 1 day). Days and times agreed in advance with the Music Co-ordinator and parents
SALARY: Visiting Music Teachers are self-employed invoicing parents directly at £45 per hour (rate set by the school and reviewed annually)
SCHOOL: Merton Court School, 38 Knoll Road Sidcup, Kent DA14 4QU
START DATE: February 2026
We are looking to appoint a suitably qualified, experienced, enthusiastic and committed Visiting Guitar Teacher to join our vibrant department in February 2026.
You will be required to teach guitar to individual pupils from year 2 to year 6, as required by the Head of Music, in addition to leading lunchtime guitar and ukulele clubs. You will be key in ensuring the highest possible standards of pupil achievement, personal development and wellbeing. You will give regular, informative feedback to the pupils and parents on their progress. You will write reports to parents or carers twice a year on each pupil’s progress. As a self-employed Visiting Music Teacher, there is a direct relationship with parents and the Visiting Music Teacher is responsible for invoicing parents directly in respect of their agreed tuition fees and the contract lies between the teacher and the pupil’s family
Please note that the school charges a small facilities fee for each block of lessons taught which the Visiting Music Teacher is responsible for paying at the start of each term.
Children will be required to give half a term’s notice of their intention to cease lessons. We therefore require Visiting Music Teachers to give the same half a term notice period to School.
An Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be required
Two references will be requested prior to interview, one from the present or previous employer
A Google check will also be carried out upon shortlisting
Please contact Ms E Cole, HR Assistant, for an Application Form,
Tel. 0208 300 2112 Email: e.cole@mertoncourtprep.co.uk
The welfare of our pupils is the school’s paramount concern. As a School we do all that we can to promote the welfare of pupils and to ensure that children are protected from harm both within the School and beyond our direct control. The School recognises that we have a duty to protect children at risk of harm and also those children who need extra help, including children in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
All posts involving direct contact with children are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the successful applicant will be required to apply for an enhanced DBS certificate. As the post will involve regulated activity with children, it is a criminal offence to apply for this post if you are included on the children’s barred list held by the DBS.
Amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975 (2013, 2020 & 2023) provide that certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’. These are not subject to disclosure to employers and cannot be taken into account. Guidance and criteria on the filtering of these cautions and convictions can be found on the Ministry of Justice website.
Shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide details of all unspent convictions and those that would not be filtered, prior to the date of the interview. You may be asked for further information about your criminal history during the recruitment process. If your application is successful, this self-disclosure information will be checked against information from the Disclosure & Barring Service before your appointment is confirmed.
Our application procedure:
It is an offence to apply for any role here if the applicant is barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.
The key information needed on our application forms is:
- Personal details – current / former names, current address, NI number
- Present employment and reason for leaving
- Full history since leaving school (education and employment or voluntary work) with explanation of any gaps
- Qualifications
- Referees
- Personal statement to meet person specification
- Information for applicants about legal basis and process for disclosing relevant criminal record
- Clear statement that it is an offence to apply for a role in regulated activity if the applicant is barred from engaging in regulated activity
- Signed declaration by candidate that all information is true
After shortlisting
Once shortlisted candidates have been identified we:
- Seek reference(s)
- Ask candidates to complete, sign and return a criminal history / suitability self-disclosure prior to interview
- Advise candidates that online searches will be undertaken
- Undertake an online search for each candidate
- Ensure our panel is advised of any relevant information, issues or concerns provided by the candidate, referees or found online so that the information can be discussed with the candidate at interview
References
These are an important part of our process of gathering information before interview:
- We must have a reference from current or most recent employer
- If not working with children now but you have done so in the past, a reference will be sought from your most recent employer where the role involved working with children
- A referee should be a senior person with relevant authority – in a school, Head Teacher / Principal should confirm the reference is accurate
- We will ask whether you are aware of any behaviour that might give rise to concern, including any disciplinary action
- We will ask specifically about allegations about your behaviour towards children
- We will seek specific confirmation of the details and responsibilities of previous post given by an applicant