Ruth Massey started as a singing teacher at Ranby House four years ago and has been in the role of Director of Music for nearly two years.

"After university, I worked in publishing, starting out as an editorial assistant. I became Managing Editor of an independent publishing house in London after four years and following that I joined Faber to head up their vocal music department. During my publishing career, I worked with many of the country’s leading composers and published over 300 books and pieces of music.

Throughout that time I sang professionally ‘on the side’, and after several years of sitting behind a desk, I decided it was time to take the practical side of music more seriously. I spent several happy years travelling the world with groups such as The Sixteen, The Tallis Scholars and the BBC Singers, performing all kinds of music from Renaissance to crazy modern stuff in the world’s finest cathedrals and concert halls. I sang regularly on Radio 3, performed at the BBC Proms many times, and recorded more CDs than I can remember. I also sang on several Hollywood soundtracks, including a couple of Harry Potters and Pirates of the Caribbean. I also worked extensively on educational projects involving music, which led me to get the teaching bug.

Ranby House is a superb place to work. The culture is intimate and nurturing, and the network of staff members is hugely supportive.

Our pupils are happy, energetic and a constant source of joy. It’s difficult to have a ‘bad day’ at Ranby because there is always something going on that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

The school is hectic and a whirlwind of activity. It is exhausting at times, as a busy school should be for any teacher involved in many aspects of school life. There is a true family atmosphere at the school, which I love: the staff and children eat together, worship together and play sport together. The staffroom is a hive of chatter and laughter, and we are constantly learning from each other."