Head of Science

Job Overview
HIKSVS, the sister school of Sutton Valence School in South East England, is a co-educational independent day school located in Tianjin, China's fifth largest city. It brings together two outstanding educational partners - Sutton Valence School and HIK, Tianjin's premier education group - allowing HIKSVS to offer an exceptional education drawing on the best of Chinese and International pedagogy. Hence, during 20 successful years, HIKSVS has established itself as a leader in international education in a city of 14.7 million people.

Tianjin, whilst a modern, international centre in itself, is just a 35-minute train ride from Beijing. HIKSVS teachers therefore gain all the benefits of being located close to the capital city, with its globally renown sights and easy international connectivity, whilst also enjoying the lower living costs, high air quality and more relaxed environment which come from being based in Tianjin.

The school itself benefits from an outstanding campus, located in a pleasant residential area on the southern side of the city. There is a large, newly opened international mall just two minutes' walk from the campus, as well as multiple shopping and eating opportunities within a stone's throw. The school therefore provides excellent lifestyle opportunities for international teachers.

As Our Secondary School Grows, We Now Seek An Outstanding Head Of Science To Join Our Strong Team Of International Educators. The Successful Applicant For This Post Will

• Teach Science to students in Year 7 and above, with the opportunity to prepare students for IGCSE and A level in one of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Combined Science and Computer Science.
• Lead and manage our team of Science teachers, encouraging the highest levels of teaching and learning in every classroom, whilst supporting high wellbeing for all.
• Work collaboratively with secondary and primary school colleagues, to ensure a smooth passage of Science learning throughout the wider school.
• Support the individual needs of students in the development of their Science skills.
• Be responsible for the processes of assessment, recording and reporting for the department.
• Assess pupils' work frequently in line with departmental and school policy and use the results to inform future planning, teaching and curricular development;
• Enhance the quality of teaching and learning at HIKSVS through sharing resources and good practice, lesson observation, collaborative teaching, mentoring and active participation in continuing professional development.
• Set high expectations for all pupils to deepen their knowledge and understanding and to maximise their achievement;
• Use positive management of behaviour in an environment of mutual respect that allows pupils to feel safe and secure and promotes their self-esteem.
• Play an active role in the co-curricular life of the school, including contributing to the holistic activity sessions which are built into the school day.
• Undertake other reasonable tasks as directed by the school leadership.

Experience of teaching GCSE/IGCSE and A level/International A level in a science subject will be a significant advantage.
We welcome applications from candidates who could join in January 2026 but are pleased to consider later start dates, through to August 2026.
HIKSVS is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment.

Please note that early application is advised. Applications will be processed in the order in which they are received and the position may be filled prior to the closing date.

About HIKSVS International Bilingual School
The Package
HIKSVS offers a very strong salary and benefits package to its teachers. This allows significant saving potential, an excellent international lifestyle, and exceptional professional development opportunities, through the school's strong connection with the education faculty at the University of Buckingham in the UK, its membership of the Council of British International Schools (COBIS) and other internal and external CPD opportunities.

The school therefore offers the following salary and benefits package:

• An internationally competitive salary;
• Comfortable, international-style accommodation in the vicinity of the school (which is provided without rental charge);
• A generous annual flight allowance for teachers and their families;
• Private medical insurance;
• An annual CPD allowance for each teacher, with further support available for additional course attendance.

The School
HIKSVS, which was founded in 2003, offers 'dual track' provision. Pupils within the international track build towards sitting international examinations through Pearson Edexcel and Cambridge, ultimately sitting International A levels in Year 13, whilst also meeting Chinese curriculum requirements which run through to the end of Year 10. The vast majority of international track pupils will move on to highly regarded global universities and colleges after completing their secondary education at HIKSVS. Many pupils in the domestic track will target the same international universities and colleges. They are prepared to do so by an intensive and highly regarded additional English language programme, whilst also preparing for examinations based on the Chinese National Curriculum.

Initially a primary school, with students through to Year 6, HIKSVS launched its secondary section in 2023, hence extending the opportunity for an HIKSVS education to students aged 11 upwards. By August 2025 the school was therefore supporting students from Year 1 (5 years old) to Year years old), with the opening of a magnificent new secondary school building, where students all the way through from Year 7 to Year 13 will in due course be housed.

The school values highly its strong engagement with Sutton Valence School in Kent, UK. The connections are very strong – the Head Master of Sutton Valence visits Tianjin regularly, along with a wider team which includes the International Director and UK based governors; new teacher induction takes place at Sutton Valence School each year, teachers in Tianjin engage regularly with their counterparts in the UK. In the coming years this connectivity will be further enhanced through teacher and student exchanges. HIKSVS Tianjin therefore blends the Sutton Valence School 'journeys' of Academia, Enrichment, Community and Service with the energy of modern China, offering an exceptional educational experience. We seek, then, to offer a world-class academic programme but to also turn out young people with high standards, an international perspective and an awareness of China's ever-growing importance in the global community, as well as an appreciation of Chinese culture and heritage.

Our pupils learning is further enhanced by studying in a superbly equipped, modern campus in one of China's most international cities. Yet it is our intention that they should develop personal attributes and characteristics which will hold them in good stead for the future, as well as achieving strong academic qualifications, with the support, resource and expertise of two well-established and well-respected educational brands.

Living in Tianjin
Tianjin is a thriving Chinese city with a population which has grown by some 20% over the past ten years to around 15 million. It benefits from outstanding infrastructure, with an extensive metro (underground) grid of 11 lines (with more under construction) and an excellent road network. The cost of living is significantly lower than in other major cities, yet the city is well supplied with excellent food and shopping options. In particular the area immediately around HIKSVS, on the south side of the city, benefits from a huge, newly opened international mall, where can be found many familiar brands from the UK and US, as well as good value local shops and restaurants.

Within easy reach of Tianjin are coastal resorts, numerous points on the Great Wall and the many cultural attractions of Beijing, which can be the destination for a day trip or a longer weekend away. China's amazing internal transport network means that, as well as being in Beijing after a 35-minute train ride, one can easily explore across the country. Bullet trains criss-cross the country from the main railway station and Tianjin has its own international airport, with daily flights to over 50 destinations within mainland China, as well as direct flights to South Korea, Japan, Singapore and many other global destinations.

Combined with the superior air quality which Tianjin enjoys as a coastal city, the excellent health care options, and the many parks and recreation spaces across the city, Tianjin allows international teachers to immerse themselves in China at the same time as enjoying the familiarity presented by a modern, international city.