News

BUCKING THE TREND

Tuesday 20 March 2007

Professor Alan Smithers and Dr Pamela Robinson

The third in a series of reports from CEER on physics education funded by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation is a good news story. In Bucking the Trend Professor Alan Smithers and Dr Pamela Robinson compare comprehensive schools in which physics is thriving with those where there are few or no students taking the subject at A-level.

The main way in which high-physics schools differ from low-physics schools is that in them physics is taught as a recognisable subject from Year 9 onwards by expert and enthusiastic teachers. For this to happen a number of things have to come together: wanting to do it, good physics leadership, a core of well-qualified teachers, a focused and fun curriculum, good results and a critical mass of able pupils.

Bucking in the Trend is about comprehensive schools, not grammars or independents. Some were true comprehensives, being the only school in town or their part of town catering for the most able through to those who struggle academically. The third highest for A-level physics had an overall intake a bit below the national average for five good GCSEs.

The top physics school in the study had turned itself around by appointing a clear-sighted and determined head of physics who had restructured the curriculum and brought together a strong team of staff. In contrast, another school, with hardly any pupils doing A-level physics, prided itself on its performing arts, and pupils were continually being taken out of science lessons for drama and music rehearsals.

For there to be a major revival of school physics, teacher shortage must be addressed. Physics specialists could also be better deployed. Sixth-form and tertiary colleges tend to have well-qualified physics lecturers but few students since the 11-16 schools below them cannot get the staff. Professor Smithers and Dr Robinson suggest that the colleges and schools should work in partnership beneficial to both.

Report by the Web Team