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School Biology Teacher of the Year Award

The 2025 award has now closed.

The School Biology Teacher of the Year Award seeks to identify the UK’s leading secondary education teachers, recognising the invaluable role they play in educating and inspiring the next generation of biologists.

The award rewards teachers who:

  • Demonstrate outstanding and inspirational teaching of biology at secondary school or college.
  • Contribute to the development of science throughout the school.
  • Influence the teaching and learning of biology beyond their own institution in other schools or educational settings.

The award is open to all teachers who are working with students aged 11-18 years old, teaching pre-university level biology programmes of study, and currently employed in a UK based school or college.

The award process has two stages: an initial detailed nomination, which is followed by a shortlisting of up to three candidates who are assessed in further detail through submission of a case study report and a school visit.

Please read the award's guidance document before nominating a teacher.

Teachers can nominate themselves or be nominated by a colleague using the nomination form for teachers and their colleagues.

Students, their parents or guardians, or a teacher’s colleagues can also suggest a teacher for the award by completing a short form — the teacher being nominated then will fill in the full nomination form.

The winner will receive:

  • £500 from Oxford University Press to spend as they wish,
  • £500 of Oxford Education resources for their school,
  • One year’s free membership of the Royal Society of Biology at the appropriate grade (MRSB or FRSB),
  • One year’s membership of the RSB’s Teaching Policy Advisory Group.

Two runners up will each receive: 

The winner and two runners up will be announced online in July of the award year. The winner and two-runners will also be invited to the Royal Society of Biology’s Annual Awards Ceremony during Biology Week to receive their certificates and prizes.

  • Dr Mark Winterbottom CBiol FRSB, University of Cambridge
  • Dr Melissa Glackin MRSB, King’s College London
  • Charles Gill MRSB, teacher and School Biology Teacher of the Year Award winner 2022
  • Gemma Singleton, Deputy Headteacher and School Biology Teacher of the Year Award winner 2019

  • 2024: Dr Ali Bune MRSB from Bishop’s Hatfield Girls’ School, Hatfield. 
  • 2023: Dr Andy Love from Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre, Reading 
  • 2022: Charles Gill MRSB from Alcester Grammar School, Alcester | Case study 
  • 2021: Paul Downie FRSB from Hyndland Secondary School, Glasgow | Case study 
  • 2019: Gemma Singleton, The Beacon School, Surrey | Case study 
  • 2018: Dr Richard Spencer MBE CBiol FRSB, Middlesbrough College, Middlesbrough | Case study 
  • 2017: Leah McClure, Colton Hills Community School, Wolverhampton | Case study 
  • 2016: Rob Walker, High Tunstall College of Science, Hartlepool | Case study 
  • 2015: Dr Paul Weeks MRSB, Oxford High School, Oxford | Case study 
  • 2014: Catherine Russell MRSB, Altrincham Girls' Grammar School, Manchester | Case study 
  • 2013: Bev Goodger CBiol MRSB, Sir John Deane's College, Northwich

The Royal Society of Biology wishes to thank Oxford University Press for its continued support of this award and offering a prize to the top winner.

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