Head of Biology

About the School – Manuel Marañon

1415 students | 56 nationalities | 6 sites | 1 school

Hastings School, founded in 1971, serves students aged 2‑18 from a diverse community and is nestled in the heart of Madrid, Spain. We are a prestigious, premium international school, within the Cognita family of schools. Our holistic educational approach delivers outstanding academic results. In the last two years, our graduates have been accepted to many of the best universities worldwide, including University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, UCL, Duke University, University of Edinburgh, King’s College London, KU Leuven, LSE, University of St Andrews and Delft University of Technology, to name a few.

We want students of all ages to enjoy their educational journey at Hastings, starting from their first day. We want them to fulfil their academic potential and develop the knowledge, understanding, skills and attributes they will need in the future. We utilise a series of learning habits as part of our learner power approach:
Collaboration, Creativity, Curiosity, Empathy, Reflection, Resilience, Responsibility and Thinking. At Hastings, as part of the Cognita group, we explicitly design our approach to education to help students develop these attributes and emerge ready to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.

This is a remarkable time to join a remarkable school. The school now has an exciting opportunity for an experienced Head of Biology to join our fantastic team.

Cognita is a global leader in independent education. Founded in 2004, we are a growing community of 90 schools in 21 countries – in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East – serving more than 100,000 students. Each of our schools is proudly unique, but our collective purpose is to create an environment where everyone can thrive in a rapidly evolving world.

We nurture each student’s distinct personality and strengths and support them academically, socially, and emotionally wherever they are. We protect what’s special about them while offering rich knowledge, opportunities, and best practices, giving them the chance to be part of something bigger. Our approach empowers every school, teacher and student to focus on what they do best and thrive.

As Head of Biology, you will lead a dynamic department and inspire both students and colleagues to develop a genuine passion for the subject. You will deliver outstanding teaching, set high expectations and use data and assessment to drive student progress and achievement. Alongside your classroom responsibilities, you will lead the planning and development of the Biology curriculum; line‑manage team members and foster a collaborative, high‑performing culture.

You will play a key role in promoting excellence in science education, support students with university pathways, and contribute to the wider life of the school through pastoral care and extracurricular activities.

This is a permanent, full‑time role, with a start date of 31/08/2026.

You are an experienced and qualified Biology teacher able to teach up to A Level and ideally IBDP. You bring strong organisational skills, a passion for teaching, and a commitment to raising academic standards for all students. You thrive in a collaborative environment, lead with initiative, and manage change effectively. You have a clear understanding of outstanding teaching, learning and assessment practices and a genuine enthusiasm for working with young people.

A strong commitment to safeguarding and student wellbeing is essential, as is your ability to inspire, motivate, and develop others within your team.

Cognita Schools are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff, volunteers and other third parties to share this commitment. Safer recruitment practice and pre‑employment background checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed. We are an equal opportunities employer committed to diversity and treating all employees with dignity and respect regardless of background.