Ogden Partnership

The Ogden Trust School Partnerships programme supports partnerships of schools working together to enhance physics teaching and learning, enriching young people’s physics identity.

Primary partnerships aim to raise the profile of science in the curriculum; enhance teachers’ confidence in science; and create sustainable, supportive networks. Secondary partnerships aim to support physics teaching and increase the numbers of students taking physics at GCSE and beyond.

Our North East Partnerships

The Ogden Trust North East schools’ partnerships involve around 150 schools across the region, many in areas identified as facing multiple indices of deprivation. The partnerships work with many different organisations, running a huge variety of programmes and events including Science Ambassador programmes for KS1 to 3; subject-specific CPD; competitions and multi-school festivals of physics.

The Durham Ferryhill & Chilton Partnership is an active, highly collaborative cluster of six primary schools with a Phiz Lab at the heart of the partnership.

The Durham Central Partnership is heading into its fourth year – partnership co-ordinator and Headteacher at Durham Gilesgate Primary School, Mark Turner has taken some time to reflect on a few of their achievements over the past 12 months – which have included the official opening of the partnership Phiz Lab.

Phiz Labs

The Ogden Trust recognises the positive impact of a dedicated science teaching space within a primary school on pupils, staff and the wider community. As such, each partnership with primary schools has the opportunity to open a Phiz Lab, creating an environment to support teachers and engage pupils.

A Phiz Lab is a dedicated teaching space for primary science, supporting and encouraging well-resourced science lessons. A Phiz Lab supports the teaching of physics and encourages students to develop a physics identity through hands-on practical science investigations.

The first North East Phiz Lab was launched in 2019 at Chilton Academy, Chilton, County Durham. The new facility will be used by the Ogden Trust Primary Partnership schools: Chilton Academy, Cleves Cross Primary, Dean Bank Primary, Ferryhill Station Primary, West Cornforth Primary and Broom Cottages Primary. The launch of the Lab was front page news in the Ferryhill and Chilton Chapter.

For more information, contact Dr Lorraine Coghill, Deputy Director of Science Engagement, who manages the North East Primary Partnerships.