The Stimulating Physics Network provides support for a limited number of schools (Stimulating Physics Network Partner Schools) to reinvigorate the culture of physics in the school. This support, delivered by Teaching and Learning Coaches, is outlined below. To find out if your school is eligible for this support, please contact your External Liaison Officer in your region, via the regions page.
Stimulating Physics Schools
The following support is available to Stimulating Physics Network Partner Schools:
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Teaching and Learning Coaches
The Teaching and Learning Coaches form a network of knowledgeable, experienced and enthusiastic specialists that work in partnership with selected schools to reinvigorate a culture of physics. In these schools there is support for teachers and some work directly with pupils. Developed as part of the Stimulating Physics pilot, Teaching and Learning Coaches will provide a bespoke programme of support based on the needs identified with the senior leadership team and the science department. This might consist of:
- In-school, intensive, tailored support for non-specialist teachers of physics based on the Supporting Physics Teaching (SPT) resources, to improve subject knowledge, pedagogy, confidence and enjoyment of the subject. A Stimulating Physics Network school may request a session, or a sequence of sessions, on a topic of their choice and arrange a time that fits in with their scheme of work (e.g. two sessions on forces a month before teachers are due to teach the topic to year 8).
- Follow-up support for teachers in the classroom by planning and co-teaching lessons.
- Guidance on establishing triple-science GCSEs.
- Access to existing support, such as Science Learning Centre courses.
- Direct teaching of pupils, through the Ever Wondered Why? Roadshow.
- Enrichment activities (e.g. Ashfield Music Festival).
- Support to encourage girls to engage with physics, including managing groups in the class for maximum pupil engagement, using contexts that allow physics to be seen as a socially relevant and applied subject, and using role models in an appropriate and timely way.
- Advice about how to integrate careers guidance into the curriculum.
- Online support for teachers.
- Summer Schools for teachers.
Summer Schools
Each year we run two residential Summer Schools: one at the National Science Learning Centre in York and one at Worcester College in Oxford. Each Summer School consists of four days of intensive hands-on workshops led by the Teaching and Learning Coaches. The programmes focus on developing subject knowledge and pedagogy and they are suitable both for first timers and for returners. Find out more on the summer schools page.
The Stimulating Physics Network provides support to all schools for Teachers through the Physics Network Coordinators, Pupils, Online Networking and Careers information.