Head of Brass and Woodwind

The role

To start in September 2026, we are seeking an exceptional Head of Brass and Woodwind who is able to develop and inspire our pupils, and who wishes to participate in and contribute to the life of the School as a whole.

We are seeking an outstanding musician and teacher to lead Brass and Wind at Oundle and to play a significant strategic role within a large and thriving Music Department. This is a senior, full-time post, with responsibility for the musical, organisational and professional leadership of Brass and Wind across the School. In return for your dedication and expertise, you can expect to be highly valued and offered ongoing professional development and support.

Oundle is a full boarding school with extensive opportunities beyond the curriculum, and music plays a central role in the life of the School. The role of a teacher usually involves a balance of teaching, co-curricular leadership and pastoral contribution. The Head of Brass and Wind will combine 1:1 teaching with responsibility for ensemble direction, staff leadership and the strategic development of these key departments, and we always do our best to match an individual’s interests and experience with their wider commitments.

The Head of Brass and Wind provides professional and organisational leadership for a large and diverse team of approximately fifteen Visiting Music Teachers, delivering specialist teaching across the full breadth of woodwind and brass, including pipes. The role works closely with colleagues responsible for large-scale ensembles, including the School’s 90-strong CCF Band, contributing to the strategic development and long-term sustainability of brass and wind provision across the School.

Oundle supports our Heads of Instrument with a 14-day annual professional allowance, which may be used flexibly for high-level musical and professional development, including specialist CPD, performing commitments, professional engagements and other opportunities that support continued artistic excellence. We recognise the importance of appointing outstanding musicians to these roles and are committed to supporting their ongoing development as performers, teachers and leaders.

For full details of an overview of the School, and further information about the responsibilities and requirements of the role, including the benefits on offer, please see the Information Pack available from our website.

The Music Department is led by the Director of Music and comprises a large team of full-time academic staff, including five Heads of Instrument, supported by two department administrators and a part-time Music Technician. The department is further strengthened by an extensive team of approximately forty-five Visiting Music Teachers, delivering specialist instrumental and vocal teaching across a wide range of disciplines.

The Head of Brass and Woodwind is one of five Heads of Instrument, providing leadership within a substantial and strategically important area of the department, working closely with colleagues across academic and co-curricular music to deliver a coherent and ambitious programme.

The department is housed primarily in the Gascoigne Building, located near the centre of the School and the town. The building provides an attractive and well-equipped environment for music education, including thirty teaching and practice rooms, a dedicated recital and rehearsal space, a music technology studio and a well-stocked music library. Larger rehearsals and concerts take place in the Great Hall and the School Chapel.

Nearly 1,000 individual instrumental and vocal lessons take place each week, and around sixty ensembles and musical activities are offered across the School. Pupils are strongly encouraged to participate in instrumental groups and choirs as soon as they reach an appropriate standard, and instrumental ensembles are carefully tiered to ensure clear progression from beginner to advanced level. Ensembles include Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, multiple Wind and Concert Bands, Chapel Choir, Schola Cantorum, two Jazz Orchestras, brass and wind ensembles, pipe band, steel pans, percussion ensembles,…