Event for teachers
Staff and volunteers from the University of Oxford and British Physics Olympiad Trust will provide guidance and resources on helping you to support your students to develop problem solving skills in physics. The day will cover extending able students and interview type questions, to providing extension classes to help them explore their interest in physics.
Past British Physics Olympiad questions will be explored along with simple demonstrations that are designed to challenge your students into ways of thinking and observation. Teachers with experience in stretching students in physics will be present to offer advice, suggestions, ideas and answer questions. The session will also include insight into what top universities are looking for when selecting a candidate, and how to develop those skills that are required for further study.
Who is the event for?
This event is for teachers who are less familiar with using more advanced questions in the classroom, at the level of those presented in the British Physics Olympiad. The event would also be useful for physics teachers from schools where there is less tradition of students progressing to top universities. Teachers attending these schools will be given priority.
Refreshments
Lunch and refreshments will be provided thanks to the generosity of BPhO sponsors.
The British Physics Olympiad
The British Physics Olympiad was founded in 1982 with the aim of selecting and coaching a team to attend an International Physics Olympiad. Last year there were some 40,000 school students in the UK engaged in the competitions from Year 10 upwards, with the dual aim of building student’s confidence in physics through their participation in national physics competitions, whilst challenging the problem solvers through the challenge competitions. For more information on these, past papers and resources visit: www.bpho.org.uk(link is external).
Contributors
- Mr Robin Hughes; Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge.
- Dr Jenny Barnes; Department of Physics, University of Oxford and Queens College, Oxford
- Dr Kathryn Boast; Department of Physics, University of Oxford
- Dr Kevin Ralley, King’s College School, Wimbledon
- Dr Anson Cheung, Quantitative Methods Lead, LIS & Affiliated lecturer, University of Cambridge
- Dr Sian Tedaldi; Department of Physics, University of Oxford
- Mr Iain Holmes; Kettering Buccleuch Academy
Mr Robin Hughes
Robin Hughes was Head of Physics at King’s College School in London, is currently Chairman of the BPhO and is a member of the team of teachers preparing the UK team for the IPhO. Robin is engaged in the Isaac Physics project, based in Cambridge, and teaches at Corpus Christi College
Dr Jenny Barnes
Jenny Barnes is Teaching Laboratory Manager in the Physics Department at Oxford, helping to organise the students and demonstrators for the many practical sessions which students take each term. Jenny also lectures the 1st year Data Analysis course and tutors Physics and Materials students at The Queen's College. Jenny also wrote the Maths and Mechanics content for the MPLS bridging course.
Dr Kathryn Boast
Kathryn Boast has been the Physics Access Officer since September 2019 and has transformed Oxford Physics’ access work in that time. She created a data-led Access Strategy, before establishing and organising a programme of well-received events to meet those aims.
Dr Kevin Ralley
Kevin Ralley is currently in his eighth year of teaching and has taught in two academically selective secondary schools in the south-east of England. He is currently a teacher of physics and STEM enrichment, research, and projects co-ordinator at King’s College School, Wimbledon. Kevin was formerly a post-doctoral research fellow in theoretical physics with the university of Birmingham.
Dr Anson Cheung
Dr Anson Cheung was on the UK team before studies at Trinity College, Cambridge, a Fellowship, several years experience in school teaching, training the UK IPhO team and is currently an associate professor at the London Interdisciplinary School as well as continuing to lecture in Cambridge.
Mr Iain Holmes
Iain Holmes is a former trustee of the BPhO and has been involved with the organisation since 2010. In 2000 Iain was part of the undergraduate team which helped to run the International Olympiad which was hosted at the University of Leicester. Iain has taught A level physics for the last 17 years and has held posts as Head of Physics and Head of Science. Iain is currently a Vice Principal at Kettering Buccleuch Academy.
Dr Sian Tedaldi
Dr Siân Tedaldi is the Outreach Programmes Manager at Oxford Physics and has 20 years of experience in engaging students from disadvantaged backgrounds.