School partnership: Kensington West

Avonmore Primary is the hub school for the Kensington West Partnership. As a partnership we have been able to substantially raise the profile of physics in all our schools. We have done this through many different events, trips, visits and the introduction of lots of new resources.

The funding from Ogden has allowed us to hire scientists to visit the children and perform experiments that they otherwise would never have been able to witness. We’ve used funding to put together a science fair that involved all of the schools in our partnership coming together to model, take part in, discuss and generally surround themselves with science!

An Ogden grant has also enabled us to transform an unused, derelict cottage at Avonmore into a Phiz Lab – a purposeful learning environment where pupils can feed their curiosities and be inspired to become the scientists of tomorrow. For a school like ours with children from very diverse backgrounds and varied starting points, this Lab has been truly monumental. There is such a buzz around the wider school community and within the partnership to use all the amazing resources in the Lab.

All the schools in partnership have reported that the profile of science has gone through the roof! Children now talk about science regularly and pride themselves on having an outstanding scientific knowledge and a strong ability to practically work scientifically. We now work closely together on our curriculum planning and share ideas and resources at joint planning get-togethers.

Being part of the partnership has given us all contacts that we can all use. Being in a one-form entry school, it is common for staff to be a little isolated when planning, creating resources, moulding their subject, etc. However, we now have other people we can turn to for advice and to share best practice.

I work with some extremely creative, passionate teachers who are dedicated to bringing outstanding scientific experiences to their schools both separately and collectively. The partnership CPD that myself and other members of staff have been lucky enough to take part in has been outstanding. The impact that the training and the Ogden resources have had on our curriculum has been huge.

As partnership co-ordinator, my subject knowledge has increased greatly, and I now feel that I am in a much better position to drive this subject forward at my school. I have had so much fantastic training and going to the Ogden partnership conference was such a worthwhile experience – it made me feel so valued as a co-ordinator of science and as the leader of our partnership.

Through my involvement with the Trust, I have also been able to get involved with an upcoming research project on science capital, which promises to be very interesting and something that will help me to keep the scientific spark alive in my school and those in the partnership.

Working with The Ogden Trust has completely revolutionised the way that this school teaches science and the way that the children experience it.

Dan Brown, Assistant Head and Science Lead
Avonmore Primary School
(August 2019)

Back to case studies