Working For Us

Our Tutor Team

Essex Music Service has a team of over 200 music tutors who deliver music provision for young people across the county.

Who are our tutors?

Our tutors work with each child to enable them to realise their musical potential. This is alongside helping them develop their personal, social, academic and musical skills.

We have need of specialist tutors for a large amount of the work we deliver. Our team includes over 200 experienced professionals who offer a wide range of genres and styles. This includes DJ, music production, traditional orchestral and keyboard instruments, voice including rap, non-Western percussion, music technology, composition, musicianship, and rock band group performance.

Our music tutors deliver music provision:

  • in schools and education settings across the county of Essex,
  • in our Community Music Centres and Essex Music Schools in each District,
  • at Saffron Centre for Young Musicians,
  • for our County Youth Ensembles,
  • and in youth centre venues and other location across the county.

Recent new tutors include:

  • students from leading conservatoires and music colleges,
  • those from contemporary music/music business settings, and
  • local self-starters, for whom we have our Tutor Starter Programme (further details below).

How are tutors supported?

We support our tutors with experienced mentors on a peer-to-peer basis, a year-round support and development programme in music education. They work as employees of the County Council which gives them financial and employment stability. .

Our tutors are employees of Essex County Council, a continuous and curious learning organisation. Our staff undergo ESCB Level 2 Safeguarding and Child Protection training at least once every two years as part of our annual CPD and learning programme  They register with the DBS Update Service, and work within statutory guidelines set out by Essex County Council.

Tutor Starter Programme

As part of supporting pathways into and out of further and higher education institutions, we are keen to provide employment opportunities for those starting out as portfolio musicians. To support those new to teaching, we have our Tutor Starter Programme designed for those who are new to delivering music provision.

Launched in 2023, candidates shadow a lead tutor, observe practice, and team teach. This is supported by follow up discussions, and using a reflective journal to track development, and team teach. They then move to leading the provision and starting their career as a full tutor. Candidates for this are welcome to contact us at musichub@essex.gov.uk.

Joining the Music Service Tutor Team

What do we look for in a music tutor?

Our focus is beyond 1-to-1 teaching, and we rarely take on tutors who offer only 1-to-1 teaching. Our tutors are curious learners, are self-reflective in their practice, and embed inclusion and youth voice in their practice. We welcome applicants from non-traditional academic routes and a broad range of backgrounds and experiences as part of ensuring our workforce is representative of our young people and of our county. We look for staff with evidence of:

  • engaging young people in their musical journey through small-group teaching, ensemble, whole-class teaching,
  • offering a broad provision for young people in our county,
  • embedding inclusion and diversity at the heart of their teaching practice.

We look for tutors that will support each of our students in their musical journey, whatever their instrument, whatever their genre, whatever their ability.

Applying to Work with Us

Recruitment and pre-employment process

During the recruitment and selection process your application will is assessed against the selection criteria for the role. You are therefore advised to address these in your application, and no section must be left blank. If you are successful at interview stage, as part of Essex County Council’s pre-employment checks, we will require (this list is not exhaustive):

  • Receipt of two satisfactory references;
  • Verification of the candidate’s identity;
  • Successful (i.e. without information) a Disclosure and Barring Service Disclosure appropriate to the role (enhanced DBS to work with children);
  • Social Media checks
  • Verification of any relevant qualifications and professional status;
  • Evidence of right to work in the UK.

Our Application Form asks for:

  • full personal information, including any former names by which the person has been known in the past;
  • a full history of employment, both paid and voluntary, since leaving school, including any periods of further education or training;
  • details of any relevant academic and/or vocational qualifications.

How to apply:

At this time we are only taking applications for work at Saffron Centre for Young Musicians.

However, if you are a rap, DJ, and/or music production tutor able to undertake regular work in Essex, please complete the Application Form linked below. 

Having read the above, if you believe you have particular skills we and our young people would benefit from, and you wish to work for us, please click here for our Application Form. 

We reserve the right to interview and appoint particularly suitable candidates ahead of that deadline where appropriate.