Early career mentor: Jim Henderson

All schools struggle to find and then to keep good physics teachers. Indeed, many schools have no physics specialists and ask other science teachers to deliver the physics part of the science curriculum. The two early career programmes delivered by the Ogden Trust are hugely important in helping schools deliver physics teaching well. 

The Teaching Core Physics programme helps biology and chemistry specialists to reassure themselves that the physics they are teaching is accurate and well-explained and gives many great suggestions for bringing physics to life in the classroom. The Developing Physics Specialism (DPS) programme can then act as a next step where the bespoke support allows early career teachers to become confident in developing themselves as teachers of separate science physics GCSE; whilst for new physics teachers, the DPS mentor gives them confidence in teaching A-level. 

I have seen teachers go from being very worried in September at having to teach physics to saying it has become the favourite part of what they teach by the following June. 

All teachers of physics need an experienced and friendly person to hold their hand and make them enjoy their work during the start of their career. And often they are working in schools with no other physics experts to provide that. The Ogden Trust programmes provide that friendship, guidance and support which helps to keep those teachers in schools teaching brilliant physics to the next generation. 

Jim Henderson
Ogden Programme Mentor
(March 2024)

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