School support

Leading physics improvement 

Designed for senior leaders and trust leaders who are committed to improving physics education across their organisation. The programme helps schools and trusts strengthen physics teaching and learning by building leadership capacity and fostering a strong, sustainable physics culture. 

This three-year tailored improvement programme takes a capacity-building approach rooted in distributed disciplinary leadership, working across organisational, departmental and subject leadership to support sustainable improvement. 

Participating schools and trusts benefit from: 

• An evidence-informed diagnostic framework to evaluate physics provision across six leadership domains and identify strengths and areas for development.  

• Targeted improvement planning focused on a small number of high-impact, manageable priorities informed by diagnostic findings and evidence of effective practice. 

• Dedicated implementation support from an expert consultant team, acting as critical friends to support reflection, planning, implementation, monitoring and refinement. 

• Access to networks, expertise and funded professional development aligned to identified priorities. 

Who can apply

Each year, up to 10 secondary schools in Ogden-identified priority areas* and two large school trusts in England are selected to participate in the programme (subject to meeting eligibility criteria). This year, our priority areas are Hull and Swindon.

We aim to work with schools that demonstrate: 

• An appetite for improving physics teaching and learning 

• An open and honest collaboration with The Ogden Trust 

• A commitment to evidence-informed practice 

• An enthusiasm for improving students’ experience of physics 

• An alignment with Ogden Trust values 

What next?

Expressions of interest are now open. Please review the eligibility and application criteria before making your application. You can read or download the pdf to prepare for your application.

Schools in priority areas of Hull and Swindon can apply until 28 February 2027: eligibility and application for priority areas (pdf).

Large school trusts in England can apply until 31 March 2027: eligibility and application for large school trust (pdf).

Please confirm your eligibility and complete the online expression of interest which can be accessed using the links below.

• Priority areas
• Large school trusts

Eligible expressions of interest will be reviewed by the School Engagement team, who will consider programme fit, readiness to engage, and alignment with programme priorities. 

The programme begins in Summer 2027. 

Evidence-informed

Our school support programmes are guided by the EEF three key elements of successful implementation: 

• A structured process to enact implementation. 
• Behaviours that drive effective implementation. 
• Contextual factors that facilitate implementation. 

* Priority areas are identified using data from the Sutton Trust, the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI), the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), and information from partner organisations monitoring the availability and uptake of secondary physics opportunities. 

** Trusts must have a minimum of eight secondary schools with Key Stage 4 (or above) physics provision.