Teacher of Biology

Teacher of Biology (Maternity Cover)

Fixed term ( until 24 October 2027 or the return of the substantive post holder)

Salary: £32,916 - £51,048 per annum, pro rata actual £26,341 - £40,851 per annum depending on relevant teaching experience and in accordance with the Teachers' Pay and Conditions

25.96 hours per weeks (4 days per week)

Required from 2nd November 2026

The Governors wish to appoint an excellent Teacher of Biology for this maternity cover. This post is part-time and equivalent of 4 days per week. This post should appeal to both recently qualified teachers or to more experienced candidates, looking to develop further in an outstanding school. 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. We simply want the best candidate, therefore, we would strongly encourage teachers at all levels of experience to consider this post.

St Mary’s is a great place to work and provides excellent job satisfaction, as it is a very supportive and nurturing environment. We provide excellent CPD for ECTs and recently qualified teachers, as well as on-going high-quality training for more experienced teachers. There are opportunities for teachers at all levels to help develop teaching and learning across the school, working collaboratively with teachers from other departments and with colleagues in other schools across our Trust. The working environment is, therefore, a very stimulating one for all staff and is an added attraction of this post.

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:

• Over 75% of GCSE Biology 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 Biology 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 teacher 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

To apply, please complete the CES application form via Eteach. Please ensure that you also complete the 'Supporting Statement' section in full and address this to Miss Patterson (Executive Headteacher) outlining the qualifications, experience, skills and attributes which you will bring to the post. Your letter should be no more than the equivalent of 2 sides of A4. 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, Head of School.

Closing date: 9.00am on Tuesday 29th September 2026. Interviews will take place shortly after.