1. Future Physics Leaders
Paul McDonald
Project Officer, Future Physics Leaders
April 2018
Notes for first body slide

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’
Future Physics Leaders is focused on physics education in areas of social deprivations. One of the things we’re trying to do is encourage more physics NQTs into these areas. We’re doing that by asking schools to offer a matched timetable (with a high degree of repetition of physics and/or year groups) and then we will provide external subject specific

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.
Point 1 - Improving Science Teacher Retention: do National STEM Learning Network professional development courses keep science teachers in the classroom? Allen and Sims (2017) Education Datalab
Point 2 - Government Response to the Workload Challenge, Department for Education (2015)
Point 3 - The Price of Misalignment, Donaldson and Johnson (2010) EEPA
Point 4 - The Metlife Survey of the American Teacher, Markow et al (2006) Metlife
A teacher was reported to be 1.9 times more likely to leave their profession when assigned to classes they didn’t feel qualified in teaching

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.
The first new slide ‘What is a Matched Timetable?’ attempts to explain what the two fundamental differences are between a matched and an unmatched timetable and the ‘Case Study’ slide demonstrates that we up and running. Please stress that a matched timetable is not a reduction in teaching hours (This is 90% of a full teachers timetable for an NQT); instead it focuses on teaching more classes of the same year group and teaching a greater percentage of the time within their subject specialism.

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
Point 4 - thereby improving the quality of leaders at all levels and improving retention of high-quality teachers.2 Retired Teachers as Consultants to New Teachers: In service Teacher Training Model, Gold (1987)
ERIC

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:
Leicester, Coventry, Fenland, Norfolk, Milton Keynes, Reading, Swindon :
Point The Price of Misalignment, Donaldson and Johnson (2010) EEPA

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.
Point The Price of Misalignment, Donaldson and Johnson (2010) EEPA

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?