The Ogden Trust

The Physics Factory aims to increase the appeal and take-up of physics in schools by helping GCSE and A-level delivery.  The project has drawn support from schools, local authorities and professional bodies such as the Institute of Physics and The Royal Society.

The core idea is to concentrate resources in one place, the ‘Factory’, rather than having them spread too thinly over all schools. The siting of the ‘Factory’ must be close to a sufficient number of schools where there exists a clear demand for improved physics teaching and a readiness to cooperate. Teachers will form mutually supportive teams and participating schools will not be deprived of their teachers and departments.

Two pilot projects have been launched: one with a focus on GCSE in King Edward VI Five Ways School in Birmingham, and the other in KESH Academy (formerly Sheldon Heath School) also in Birmingham. Strongly supported by the City of Birmingham Local Authority the factories will also be used as state-of-the-art teacher training facilities.

Both pilot projects hope to lead to an increased uptake of physics at GCSE and A-level with improved grades, and a higher percentage of students opting for physics at university level.

Contact details: Jim Whittell, jimwhittell@interstate.org.uk, Tel: 020 8788 5422

Link to Physics Factory Birmingham Blog