Bryan Western has been an AST since 1999 and has been involved in supporting countywide initiatives since 2001 as an Associate Adviser for NYCC. His work can take him from Harrogate to Scarborough, working alongside other music teachers and helping them with their departments.

Here at KJS Bryan has been involved with staff on Accelerated Learning Techniques and Sharing Success initiatives as well as inset training and mentoring. He has given talks on the role of the AST at Headteachers' courses and has also spoken at NYCC courses. Since 2004 Bryan has led and organised a Secondary Music HoD courses, Music Mentor training and primary INSET courses at KJS.

Bryan works alongside colleagues in the classroom too. His recent experiments and action research on improving memory skills with Activ-8 in Year 7 have been significant and pupils are now using these techniques across the curriculum.

It is with his primary outreach work, that much of Bryan's time has been allocated. Each term, Bryan works alongside primary colleagues, not merely to develop music in the school, but to develop all kinds of Teaching and Learning initiatives. He also involves the primary schools in a Family Christmas Concert with adults and other Harrogate pupils every year and is involved in the Rotary Musician of the Year initiative.

One of Bryan's initiatives that has had great impact on the town and the school, has been the Family Learning Weekend. Now in its 5th year, the event that provides opportunities for all the family to get together for new experiences, has grown and grown, with over 40 activities taking place over the two days.

Bryan is the Musical Director and Conductor of the Harrogate Symphony Orchestra which has featured a number of students as soloists and participants from KJS.