Illuminating learning
Ogden Phizzi Light and Sound CPD is being delivered to teachers at our partnership primary schools.
Published: 16 November 2021
After last year’s Phizzi CPD was disrupted by COVID restrictions, our trainers are out and about again this year delivering Phizzi Light and Sound to teachers at our partnership primary schools.
Phizzi Light and Sound is part of our four-year professional development programme for primary teachers in Ogden partnerships. The Phizzi CPD includes enquiries and resources for children in KS1 and KS2 and can bring immediate benefits to classroom science. The enquiries are designed to support children in developing their substantive (conceptual) knowledge of the topic, as well as their working scientifically skills. The Phizzi CPD builds teacher confidence in delivering hands-on classroom science and in sharing their knowledge with other teachers at their schools.
Lorraine Coghill, Ogden consultant for the North-East, has delivered her first Light and Sound training session to eight teachers from the Durham City partnership.
“The session went really well,” enthuses Lorraine. “All the teachers were eager to get involved and we had some fantastic conversations about light and sound and the vocabulary needed to explore and understand the topic.”
The Trust has been working hard to ensure the training, enquiries and resources are as inclusive as possible, and special education needs were a consideration throughout the training: “We had a few teachers with experiences of working with pupils with additional needs including teaching sound to pupils who are deaf,” says Lorraine. “They were able to contribute their experiences, thoughts and ideas, and we had some really informative discussions about adaptations and things that had worked well with their pupils.”
The sunglasses experiment from Phizzi Light and Sound CPD.
This week, Durham will be hosting Lumiere, the UK’s largest light festival (Visit their website to find out more). The festival’s Head of Learning and Participation, Louise Dennison, was able to join the Phizzi CPD and help the teachers explore the links between light and sound in space-based art. This gave the teachers opportunities to look at how their new learning could immediately be brought to life, creating their own mini-Lumiere artworks and being part of this exciting regional event.
“I feel much more confident” said one participant, “lots of new ideas to take back to school and use immediately.”
Teacher CPD provision is at the heart of the Ogden partnership programme, providing sessions to support teachers from Early Year Foundation Stage through to secondary school physics. The CPD programme has been developed to help improve the teaching and learning of physics; empowering teachers so they can inspire their students to take physics further.
Lots of fantastic ideas; fantastic, open, supportive atmosphere; chance to try out enquiries (not just read about them). I feel much more confident!
Applications are now open for new partnerships starting in September 2022.
The deadline to apply is 1 February 2022. Visit our partnership pages to find out more and to make your application.