Head of Biology

ST MARY’S CATHOLIC SCHOOL

Newcastle upon Tyne

Headteacher: E Patterson

NOR c.1450

Head of Biology

Full Time and Permanent

Main or Upper Pay Range + TLR 2a (£8,611)

Required from September 2026

The Governors wish to appoint an excellent Head of Biology. This post should appeal both to candidates seeking their first leadership post, as well as to more experienced candidates already in a leadership role, looking to develop in an outstanding school, which is totally committed to Biology and Science. This is a wonderful opportunity for someone wishing to join an outstanding department and a highly successful and forward-thinking school. Ideally, applicants would be able to teach at least one other Science to GCSE level and be able to teach up to A Level Biology. We simply want the best candidate, therefore, we would strongly encourage teachers at all levels of experience to consider this post.

The successful candidate will be an outstanding teacher and will build on the existing strengths of our Biology department, to ensure that achievement, teaching, the curriculum and leadership and management, all remain first-class, at each Key Stage. In addition, we would like the successful candidate to continue to develop the extra-curricular opportunities for all students to develop their gifts and talents. We are a school that highly values Biology and the successful candidate will have unstinting support to further develop our exceptional provision, both within the classroom and more widely.

The successful candidate will require the necessary skills and experience to develop the practice of staff within the department by providing leadership, motivation and training. St Mary’s is a great place to work and provides excellent job satisfaction, as it is a very supportive environment. We are a school that prides itself on ensuring excellent support and development for leaders at all levels. There will also be many professional development opportunities both within school, within our Trust and more widely. St Mary’s is a beacon within the BBCET, and therefore, professional development and career progression opportunities are plentiful.

St Mary’s is a very popular and happy school, rated Outstanding by the Diocese and Ofsted. We have outstanding facilities and a relatively new building, which opened in 2011. We joined the Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust in June 2020. We are also very popular with parents and are one of the most over-subscribed schools in the North-East. The roll has grown from around 1100 to over 1450 by September 2026, with 5-year groups of around 240. The Sixth Form currently has approx. 300 students and has seen significant growth in recent years as most of our students chose to stay with us for their post 16 education.

At St Mary’s, Science is a well-established and highly respected department with excellent results. Recent highlights include:

Biology

• 74% of GCSE Biology students achieved Grade 7+ in 2025, with 100% getting at least a 5.

• Part of a successful Science department where 67% of all pupils achieved at least 2 grade 5’s over the last 4 years.

• 81% A*-C in A Level Biology in 2025

• 36% of pupils achieved an A* or A over the last 4 years

Science

• Over 75% of GCSE Physics pupils achieved a Grade 7 or higher across the last 4 years, with 100% at Grade 5+

• 67% of pupils achieved at least 2 Grade 5’s in Science GCSE’s over the last 4 years, compared with 47% nationally.

• GCSE Science has a Value Added score consistently ranked in the top 5 schools in the North East.

• 33% of A Level Physics students achieved an A* or A over the last 4 years, with 58% A*-B – well above the national average.

Leadership, teaching and the climate for learning in Science are all outstanding, as they are across the whole school.

Above all, the Governors wish to appoint a leader with:-

• A clear commitment to nurturing and promoting the school’s distinctive ethos

• A passion for providing the best possible holistic education for all students

• A commitment to maximising achievement through excellence in teaching and learning

• An excellent track record as a classroom teacher

• The ability to promote a love of learning Science in our students

If you would like to discuss this post further or if you would like to visit our school, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Danielle Largue, Deputy Headteacher. Closing date is 9.00am on Monday 30th March 2026, with interviews held shortly after.

The school is fully committed to safeguarding and the welfare of children and young people. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check and an online search for shortlisted candidates, as part of our due diligence.