Overview
Music teaching is a peculiar field. You need to be a skilled musician, but that is not what gets you the job. Schools want someone who can teach a class of 30 Year 7 pupils to compose a piece using graphic notation, manage the noise and energy of a practical subject, and run the school choir, orchestra, and annual concert. Your musicianship matters, but your classroom craft matters more.
Sienna Patel completed a BMus in Music at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, followed by a PGCE in Secondary Music at the University of Exeter. She held placements in two comprehensive schools, directed a youth choir, and taught private piano lessons for three years. Her resume balances her performing background with clear evidence that she can plan, teach, and assess music in a secondary school setting.
What Makes This Resume Work
Classroom teaching leads the way. Sienna's placements describe her teaching whole-class music lessons to Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 groups, not just running instrumental lessons. She taught composition, listening, and performing to mixed-ability classes, which is the core of what a secondary music teacher does.
Extra-curricular contributions are substantial. She directed a school production, ran the Key Stage 3 choir, and organised a lunchtime ukulele group. Schools expect music teachers to contribute heavily to extra-curricular life, and Sienna demonstrates she is ready and willing.
Assessment is specific to music. She describes using Charanga and Sibelius with pupils, assessing compositions against the national curriculum, and moderating GCSE coursework with the head of department. These are music-specific details that show she understands the subject in a school context, not just on a stage.
Key Takeaways
Music teacher applications should show that you can teach the full curriculum, not just your instrument. Describe the year groups you taught, the topics you covered (composition, listening, performing, music technology), and how you assessed pupil progress. Highlight extra-curricular contributions because schools rely heavily on the music teacher for concerts, productions, and ensembles. Include your QTS, DBS, safeguarding training, and any performance qualifications (ABRSM grades, diplomas) that demonstrate your subject expertise.
