Graduate Organ Scholar

Summary

King's Ely & Ely Cathedral are looking to appoint a Graduate Organ Scholar on a one year placement.

Detail

An introduction to King’s Ely

Purpose, Ethos and Values

King’s Ely exists to make the most and best of childhood, and in particular to give the very best education, opportunities and pastoral care to as diverse a community of children as we can. In doing so we aim to prepare each one to live positive, productive, successful and fulfilled lives, for the betterment of themselves and the world around them. We achieve this through the operation of a family of schools centred around a 2-19 co-educational day and boarding school in Ely, aiming to draw fully on our exceptional environment, history, physical, cultural, spiritual and human resources in doing so.

History

King’s Ely can trace its origins from at least 970AD, making it one of the oldest schools in Europe. The School was first established to educate the choristers of the worshipping community of Ely and throughout our history we have maintained strong links with Ely Cathedral.

In 1541, King Henry VIII founded a College of Canons at Ely Cathedral to replace the monks whose monastery has been dissolved in 1539 and the School received its Royal Charter, later becoming known as “The King’s School”.

King’s Ely Today

In recent years King’s has expanded rapidly, becoming co-educational in 1970, and today educating around 1100 children aged 2-18 at Ely, including 185 boarders.

The school is divided into three sections: King’s Ely Senior (age 13-18) and King’s Ely Prep (age 7-13), which occupy adjacent campuses and benefit from shared facilities, and King’s Ely Acremont and Nursery (ages 2-6) which have their own self-contained campus about 400m from the main site. Additionally, Fairstead House School in Newmarket (for pupils aged 1-11) joined the King’s Ely family of schools in 2022.

The main campus extends to around 75 acres and contains buildings spanning the thirteenth to twenty-first centuries, including many of the historic monastic buildings adjacent to Ely Cathedral as well as more recent, purpose-built facilities and almost 40 acres of playing fields.

King’s Ely plays a key role in the local community. We are one of Ely’s largest employers and contribute greatly to the local economy, and we also continue to educate the choristers of Ely Cathedral. King’s Ely also offers a number of bursaries to enable pupils from all walks of life to benefit from the education it offers.

In its recent ISI Inspection (March 2025), King’s Ely was found to meet or to exceed all regulatory standards. In addition, the Inspectors judged the School to have a significant strength in the way in which its high quality pastoral care is interwoven with a dynamic enrichment programme. This enables “pupils of all ages to develop their independence, intellectual curiosity, creativity and socialization particularly well”.

The School is rightfully proud of the Inspection. It is testament to the community spirit of King’s Ely and the commitment and respect shown each day by pupils, staff and their families.

King’s Ely is affiliated with the HMC, Society of Heads, IAPS, the Boarding Schools’ Association and the Choir Schools’ Association.

Job Description

The post-holder will report to the Director of the Girls Choristers, Sarah MacDonald, and through her, to the Principal of King's Ely, John Attwater. Final responsibility for all matters relating to music in the Cathedral falls to the Canon Precentor, the Revd Canon James Reveley, and to the Cathedral's Director of Music, Edmund Aldhouse.

The post-holder will accompany the Cathedral Choirs as agreed by the Director of Music and Director of the Girl Choristers, and to assist with the musical education and training of the choristers, and the Sixth Form Choral and Organ Scholars, in the context of their function within Cathedral worship. Specifically, the appointee will be expected to:

• accompany cathedral services
• play for school services in the cathedral or other school venues;
• accompany rehearsals of the choristers and the sixth form choral scholars;
• assist in the training of probationers;
• assist in the teaching of music theory to the choristers;
• prepare the sixth form choral scholars for services;
• maintain the girl choristers' library;
• assist with the organisation of concerts, tours, broadcasts, and recordings;
• attend cathedral and school music department meetings as required;
• accompany school music department events (e.g. rehearsals, concerts, recitals, exams)

This description is not exhaustive and may well be subject to change over time. The intention is to offer candidates an accurate impression of the expectations commensurate with the post and an outline of the role as it is envisaged at this time.

Person Specification

For this early-career post, we seek a musician of proven ability and skill who will relish the opportunity to enhance cathedral worship in Ely, and who will immerse themselves in the vibrant musical community of King's Ely and the cathedral. The successful candidate will have completed an undergraduate degree (as of 1 September 2027) and should be of at least ARCO standard, with demonstrable experience of choral accompaniment, choir training, and an understanding of good vocal technique. The possession of a good sense of humour, a love of teaching and working with young people, the ability to be patient with children and young teenagers, and excellent organisational and communication skills are also necessary. The post-holder must be in sympathy with the ethos and mission of the Church of England.

Remuneration and Hours

This is a full-time post, with an expectation that the post-holder will work 32 hours per week during term time. Christmas and Holy Week duties occur every year, in which the post-holder would be expected to take an active role. The successful candidate will be expected to work a flexible schedule, including early mornings, evenings and weekends, which is required of anyone who plays a full part in the life of a cathedral and school. The post-holder will also be encouraged to develop their playing by accepting opportunities to play recitals in other venues as long as they do not conflict with duties in Ely, and by completing RCO diplomas (if relevant).

The salary is £16,631 per year. Single accommodation in the historic and beautifully renovated Thomas Parsons Court alms-houses a three-minute walk from the cathedral will be provided free of charge with no charge for utilities and council tax; school meals will be provided free of charge during term time. There are opportunities for further remuneration by taking on limited extra musical work at both the school and cathedral, as well as beyond Ely, within clearly defined hours and subject to the agreement of the post holder’s line manager. The post-holder will be expected to have one organ lesson per month, with a teacher of his/her choice, chosen in consultation with the Director of the Girl Choristers and the Cathedral’s Director of Music. The cost of these lessons will be paid for by the school up to a total of £550 per year. It is expected that the successful applicant will remain in post for one year, with an option of renewal for one further year by mutual agreement. The school will also provide assistance towards the cost of RCO diploma examinations. The post becomes available on 31 August 2027.

Terms and Conditions

• Enrolment in the statutory auto-enrolment pension scheme. The employer and employee contribution rates for the auto-enrolment pension scheme are currently: Employee contribution 5% and Employer contribution 3%.
• Members of staff may educate their own children in any of the three parts of the school or at Fairstead House, subject to availability of places and successful admissions procedures. Staff currently enjoy a discretionary discount on fees for children in Reception year onwards, details of which will be provided upon request.
• The School offers a private healthcare insurance scheme, which staff may opt to join, at their expense, shortly after the start of each academic year (the policy starts on 1st November each year). The scheme can only be joined at the start of the policy year, not part-way through the year.
• School lunch provided when at work over lunch time and tea and coffee throughout the day.
• Limited use of school gym facilities (during specific times) and use of the school swimming pool at specific times (during summer school holidays – small fee applies)
• Limited free on-site parking.
• Employees and their dependants have access to a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Access to Salary Sacrifice Schemes such as: Cycle2Work, Home and Tech Scheme and Local Gym Membership.
• Members of staff are entitled to 10% discount on all King’s Ely school uniform ordered for their own children from Schoolblazer.
• Discounts at local businesses including Poet's House, The Almonry Kitchen & Tearoom, Ely Grazing Company, Sushi and Salad, Griddle Bar and Meathouse, and The Pantry (Newmarket).

• King’s Ely is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure & Barring Service.

• If you are selected for interview, you will need to provide and bring with you photographic proof of identity (eg passport or photo driving license), birth certificate, documentation confirming your National Insurance Number or your right to work in the United Kingdom, proof of address (eg recent bank statement/HMRC correspondence/utility bill) and certification of declared qualifications

We appreciate your effort in completing this application and for your interest in working for King’s Ely.

Documents

• GOS Further Particulars 2026 PDF Document