Vacancies

We are always on the lookout for new and enthusiastic tutors to join our scheme. We teach across the UK in many counties and welcome enquiries from anyone who plays (or has played!) any of our instruments. For more information about our recruitment process and what being a MfSF tutor entails, check out the section below.

WHAT QUALIFICATIONS DO OUR TUTORS NEED?

As our tutors come from a wide variety of backgrounds, we look at each individual's musicianship on a case by case basis. We ask that you can play your principal instrument to a Grade 8 standard and ask prospective tutors to prepare a performance piece as part of our interview process.

WHAT IS THE INTERVIEW PROCESS?

Our tutors are a multi-talented bunch and we do ask a lot of them, so it is important to make sure you are good fit with our scheme.

The recruitment process begin usually with a chat with a member of our Head Office team. We like to have an informal conversation that allows prospective tutors to ask questions whilst giving us an idea of who you are and what sort of work you are looking for.

Once we have received an application form, and assuming we like the look of you (!), the next stage is an interview with one of our Senior Tutors. Based locally, the Senior tutor will usually to come to your house for an informal interview. We do ask for a short performance on your principal instrument or instruments (!), along with a short piece of sight reading and there is an opportunity to try some of our other instruments. The interview is relaxed and is both an opportunity for prospective tutors to find out if Music for Schools is for you as it is for us to check if you would make a good tutor.

Following a successful interview, the final stage of the recruitment process is a tutor shadow. It is vitally important that not only are our tutors great musicians, but that they are able to pass this passion and enthusiasm on to pupils. The best way to get a sense of this is to send you along to one of our schools. We will always try to arrange a shadow as local as possible, with one of our experienced current tutors on hand to guide and support you.

WHAT TRAINING IS AVAILABLE?

We offer complete bespoke training to each new tutor before they begin teaching, covering everything from basic instrument repair to group teaching techniques and administration. This can be either with a local Senior Tutor, an instrument specialist or a member of Head Office team. Each tutor also has a dedicated Tuition Co-ordinator at Head Office who acts as a liaison between tutors, schools and parents. They are always on hand to guide new tutors through the paperwork and administration that is essential before teaching starts. They are also responsible for sorting out timetables with schools and parents.

The training doesn't end once you start teaching. We are proud to offer continued professional development for all our tutors including exams and bespoke courses in essential skills such as conducting and group teaching. This is in addition to any ongoing required training in key areas such as safeguarding. For more information about our safeguarding requirements, please click here.

We also know that being a music tutor can be a lonely job sometimes, which is why our Senior Tutor will also make sure new tutors are put in touch with other tutors in their area. Many of our tutors use a variety of methods to stay in touch and try to meet up a couple of times a year, to talk teaching, music and all things MfSF!

ARE THERE ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH BECOMING A MFSF TUTOR?

As with most peripatetic work, there are some essential checks and training which all tutors must complete before they can start teaching. These do come with a cost but we have worked hard to keep these to a minimum. We never ask tutors for payment for training, shadows or any other elements of the recruitment process.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM A TYPICAL DAY AS A MFSF TUTOR?

That there is no such thing! Every tutor is different, every school is different and in most cases, every pupil is different, so there is no such thing as a typical day.

We deliver 30 lessons over the course of an academic year but the rest is up to you. All our tutors are self-employed and so are free to take as much or as little work as they like. We have some tutors who teach at just one school, while others have a full Monday to Friday timetable. On the whole, you can choose when you work, the only constraint being schools often have very busy timetables and lessons sometimes have be squeezed between things like swimming and forest school. But our experienced Tuition Coordinators can be very persuasive in sorting a timetable which suits everyone!

Our tutors don't only teach their pupils in lessons. We also offer bands, ensembles, recorder clubs, enter pupils for exams and hold Fundays, so there is plenty of variety to keep tutors busy.

One thing our tutors don't have to do however is collect fees. Our Head Office team handle all of this, to allow our tutors to focus on what they do best - teaching.

WHERE ARE THE CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES?