Ellis Whitmore — Teacher of Physics and Second in Science
Leeds, West Yorkshire
Physics teacher with six years in 11-18 comprehensives, following two years as a design engineer. Rewrote a Key Stage 4 physics scheme of work that took grade 5+ from 58% to 74% over three cohorts, and grew A-level physics from 19 students to 34.
Experience
Teacher of Physics and Second in Science, Ashcombe Academy · September 2023 – present
11-18 comprehensive, 1,450 on roll. Leads physics across Key Stages 3 to 5 within a science faculty of 14.
- Teaches 22 periods a fortnight across Key Stages 3 to 5, including two A-level physics classes and a Year 11 triple science set.
- Rewrote the Key Stage 4 physics scheme of work around the required practicals, taking GCSE physics grade 5+ from 58% to 74% across three cohorts.
- Set up a Year 12 bridging programme in maths for physicists, which grew A-level uptake from 19 students to 34 and girls from 4 to 13.
- Mentors two early career teachers through the ECF, observing fortnightly; both passed induction on schedule.
- Organises the fortnightly practical audit that ended a two-year run of equipment shortages reported on lesson-observation forms.
Teacher of Science, Northgate High School · September 2020 – August 2023
- Taught five GCSE combined science sets a year; the lowest prior-attainment set in 2022 finished a grade above target on the department tracker.
- Built the practical assessment tracker adopted by all nine science teachers, cutting the marking each required practical needed from 90 minutes to 25.
- Delivered the Year 9 options talk for science, after which triple science uptake rose from 41 pupils to 63.
Graduate Design Engineer, Vantis Instrumentation · September 2017 – July 2019
- Tested pressure sensors for industrial gas rigs and wrote the calibration procedure still followed on the 400-series line.
- Ran the schools outreach programme, reaching 600 pupils across nine schools, which is what led to retraining as a teacher.
Education
- PGCE Secondary Science (Physics) · University of Leeds · September 2019 – July 2020
- BSc (Hons) Physics · University of Sheffield · September 2014 – July 2017
Skills
- Curriculum: AQA GCSE Physics, A-level Physics, Key Stage 3 science, Required practicals, Scheme of work design
- Teaching practice: Retrieval practice, Worked examples, Adaptive teaching, Live marking, Behaviour for learning
- Department leadership: ECF mentoring, Data analysis and targets, Exam board moderation, Parental engagement, Technician liaison
Certifications
- Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) — Teaching Regulation Agency
- NPQ in Leading Teacher Development — Department for Education