Subject Leader Biology in City of London

St Paul’s Way Trust School is an outstanding ‘through school’ with a record of accomplishment and innovation. Drawing extensively on academic research, the school provides a unique curriculum experience. Our award‑winning new building is situated in the heart of East London. At SPW we provide an environment where you can deliver a transformational education.

To do this we have crafted an approach to teaching and learning in which:

• Staff use whole class feedback models instead of written marking combined with just two data drops a year.
• We run a centralised behaviour system.
• Teaching staff enjoy the highest proportion of timetabled planning and preparation time in the Borough.

Beyond this, collaboration underpins a staff development model in which every teacher benefits from fortnightly coaching, in addition to timetabled subject specific training during the school day. We also appreciate that delivering excellence requires flexibility. We have adapted to include online parents evening meetings and having fortnightly PPA time from home where timetabling allows.

This is an excellent career opportunity for a colleague who is passionate about the entitlement of young people to a rich and challenging curriculum. Working within a supportive and collaborative faculty, you will be an outstanding classroom teacher with a passionate commitment to the progress of all students in our heavily oversubscribed school. The successful candidate will have an unwavering belief in the potential of every student. They will do what it takes to ensure that students achieve their best and will have the contagious enthusiasm for the subject, which excites and motivates students.

They will be committed to developing the co‑curricular experience of every student by teaching excellent personal development sessions and getting involved in running clubs, trips and seeking new cultural experiences. At SPWT we are aligned with the statement from Dylan Wiliam: “Every teacher needs to improve, not because they are not good enough, but because they can be even better.” This belief means all teachers are coached fortnightly using an instructional coaching model. The instructional coaching program forms part of our individualised and bespoke component of our CPD offer for every teaching member of staff. This is part of our universal teacher CPD offer, which includes fortnightly subject specific CPD sessions alongside our whole school training.

We believe all teaching should be evidence informed so teachers can focus on high impact methods in their practice. Planning of lessons is based on principles derived from cognitive science and distributed through the department to drive collaboration. Using the best evidence available to develop our feedback policy, we focus on whole class feedback rather than written comments. The faculty aims for all teachers to have sensible workload with our curriculum and systems are continuously reviewed to ensure we are spending our time on the highest impact activities.

Please note we reserve the right to close this advert early. Interview Date: Interviews on a rolling basis for successful applicants.

Skills Experience

• Experience of working with young people at secondary level.
• Relevant experience/training in teaching at all Key Stages and confidence in delivering the curriculum.

Experience/Knowledge

• Experience of using information systems including computerised systems in an administrative environment.

Personal Attributes

• Teamwork.
• Passionate belief in the success of young people in the subject and in teaching and obtaining high standards.

Welcome to St Paul’s Way Secondary School. Thank you for your interest in joining St Paul’s Way Secondary School. We are delighted that you are considering becoming part of a community of educators, leaders and professionals united by purpose, professionalism and pride.

Our Purpose

At SPW, we believe education can transform lives and communities. As an all-through school rooted in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and part of University Schools Trust, our work is driven by ambition, social justice and a commitment to excellence for every child.

Our Culture

Joining SPW means becoming part of a unified staff community with clear cultural norms. We value professionalism, preparedness and reflection, and we work within a culture of psychological safety where staff feel confident to innovate, ask questions and learn from one another.

Developing Our People

We invest heavily in our staff. Through high-quality CPD, coaching, mentoring and collaboration across UST, colleagues are supported to grow, refine their practice and take ownership of their career development. Everyone’s contribution matters, and success is a shared responsibility.

Working Together

Collaboration sits at the heart of our success. We work closely with families, partners and the wider community to ensure high standards, strong relationships and meaningful impact. Our staff are the heartbeat of this work, and we are committed to creating a workplace where people feel valued, supported and inspired to do their best.

Your Journey with Us

As you explore opportunities at St Paul’s Way, we encourage you to discover our values, our culture and our commitment to continuous improvement. We look forward to welcoming colleagues who align with our ethos and want to help shape the future of education at SPW.

All posts involving direct contact with children and vulnerable adults are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975 (2013) provide that certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’. These are not subject to disclosure to employers and cannot be taken into account. Guidance on the filtering of these cautions and convictions can be found on the Disclosure and Barring Service website.

In line with Safer Recruitment guidelines and legal obligations to ensure that safeguarding is a paramount consideration in recruitment processes, employers are required to carry out an enhanced DBS check for this role. To supplement this, we ask you to confirm whether or not you have ever been convicted of a criminal offence which is not ‘protected’. If you answer ‘yes’, you will be asked to supply details of all relevant convictions at a later stage, should your application be progressed. Information given in response to this question will not be used during the shortlisting process. The data will only be referred to if your application is progressed, informing the pre‑employment checking process. Successful candidates will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS Check.

In accordance with our Company Policies and KCSIE guidelines set out by the Department for Education, a background check will be carried out on your online digital presence.