Future Physics Leaders

1. Future Physics Leaders Paul McDonald Project Officer, Future Physics Leaders April 2018 paul.mcdonald@iop.org

2. What is Future Physics Leaders? • National education project funded by the Department for Education (DfE) and managed by the Institute of Physics • Provides a programme of professional development and support for specialist physics teachers, Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) and non-specialist physics teachers • Available to schools in areas of England identified as a priority in need of education support • Encourage more physics NQTs into these areas by asking schools to offer a ‘matched timetable’

3. Matched Timetabling • Six out of ten newly-qualified teachers (NQTs) leave the profession within the first five years with physics and engineering NQTs more likely to leave their profession compared to other teachers. • Workload has been highlighted as one of the key reasons for attrition with higher workloads particularly for NQTs. • Teaching across multiple subjects increases a teacher’s likelihood of leaving teaching with 50% of teachers with multiple-subject assignments estimated to leave teaching within 2.31 years, compared to 2.64 years for those with a single subject • Most significant factor behind teachers leaving (Metropolitan Life study, 2006) was being assigned to classes they did not feel qualified to teach.

4. What is a Matched Timetable? Unmatched Timetable – Focus across subjects in key stages 3 and 4 and less blocking. Matched Timetable – Focus on subject preference and includes blocking.

5. Mentoring Support • Provide personalised support to NQTs to help them make the transition into their early career • Focus on subject specific mentoring to enhance physics pedagogy and continue to build upon skills developed in the training year • Gives mentees an opportunity to express ideas and concerns outside of their performance management chain • Involves NQTs in a network of local physics teachers and provide a valuable link with the physics community in their area

6. Hub & FPL Mentor Locations Blackpool Oldham Liverpool/Wirral Warrington Kirklees Stoke Wolverhampton Nottingham Leicester Coventry Fenland/East Cambridgeshire Norwich/Norfolk Milton Keynes Swindon Reading/Bracknell

7. NQT Recruitment • Development coaches currently working with FPL partner schools to identify employment opportunities to be filled by physics specialist NQTs. • If any of your students are thinking of working in schools in these areas, please encourage them to get in touch. • Blackpool, Oldham, Merseyside, Warrington, Stoke, Kirklees, Wolverhampton, Nottingham: daisy.fox@iop.org • Leicester, Coventry, Fenland, Norfolk, Milton Keynes, Reading, Swindon : jessica.rowson@iop.org

8. Case Study • First NQT recruited at Penketh High School in Warrington • They going to embrace a matched timetable after the IOP ‘shone a light’ on the evidence for it. • This is still a 90% timetable but focus will be on matching to NQT’s skillset.

9. Further project information • Operated on a ‘hub’ model, with lead school hosting termly afternoon sessions for specialist teachers of physics • Half-termly ‘twilight’ sessions for NQT’s and teachers whose specialism isn’t physics • Regional days for further CPD and networking opportunities with teachers from other FPL hub locations

10. Questions?