Application process

Application Process


How to apply

Associate individuals or organisations can specialise in one or more of the following areas of delivery, working either in schools, or outside of schools in community or private settings:

  • Peripatetic Tutor / Music Leader
  • Clubs / Bands / Groups / Ensembles
  • Participatory activities / projects

We particularly welcome applications from disabled people and from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic heritage and Wiltshire’s Gypsy, Traveller, Roma Boat people communities.

We also welcome applications from individuals and organisations from outside of Wiltshire – including from across the world – who may have music education specialisms and be available to work in Wiltshire by interacting online or hybrid – or at specific times of the year.


1. Read through all the information in this section of the site and decide

  • Which Associate category (or categories) you or your organisation want to be
  • Which closing date (and related interview date) you’re aiming for – note the surgery dates below

NOTE: Interviews include a practical demonstration of your teaching approach, checking your other documents, plus several questions relating to DBSsafeguarding, child protection and lesson/session planning.


If you become an Associate, you should be aware that we require you to share information and data about your work in Wiltshire through our annual data return.


2. Contact us by email so we can arrange a ‘surgery’ slot for you over the phone or Zoom – this is compulsory and the chat is a good way to raise queries.  It’s fine to start drafting your application before a surgery slot.

Spring 2024

  • Last date for surgeries – Friday 24 May
  • Application deadline – noon on Monday 10 June

3. Write your application – please make sure you refer to the checklist within the application form:

Download and complete the Application Form


4. Arrange your public liability insurance – unless you already have appropriate cover in place.


5. Decide whether or not you need a DBS certificate –  If you need us to do a DBS check for you (cost approx. £65) then you must indicate that when you have your surgery slot and you’ll need to arrange to do the DBS before the closing date.

If you already have a DBS check in a relevant field of work, then you’ll need to send us a photo of your certificate.

Please note

  1. If you teach from home then you need to make sure that you declared this when you did your DBS check. If not, you will need to do one again.
  2. We require all individual Associates to be registered with the Update Service

6. Do your Safeguarding training, you’ll need to send us your training certificate.


7. Adopt a suitable Child protection / safeguarding policy – unless you already have one.


Once you’ve completed steps 1 -7 you can submit your application and supporting documents by the chosen closing date by WeTransfer using the guidance link in the appliction form.

Please don’t send us anything until you’ve got all documents ready.

  • We will look at your application once the closing date has passed.
  • If you meet the criteria and your application is complete, you will be invited to complete your online profile and attend an interview on one the specified date(s), see above.
  • Interviews include a practical demonstration of your work.
  • We try to inform you of the outcome of your interview within one working week.

Once your application has been submitted and the deadline has passed, we will check the applciation over and, in most cases, invite you to an interview.

At that point we will: