Isaac Physics Programme

Isaac Physics (also The Rutherford Physics Partnership) is a major, national DfE-funded initiative to develop physics and maths problem solving skills at AS and A2 level in schools. It has recently widened to include GCSE Physics and also A-level Physical Chemistry.
Its directors are Dr Lisa Jardine-Wright and MW.

The twin, related aims are to give wider access to skills for A-level and GCSE students of all backgrounds in order
* to prepare students for the transition to A-level and to university courses in physics, maths and engineering, and thus
* to widen access to top universities.

The problem facing school students is the removal of the use of mathematics and of multi-step problem solving from A-level and GCSE level physics. This can be seen in the detailed to be found at an analysis of current and former A2, AS, O-level and STEP exams. However university STEM subjects still depend on these underpinning skills, and admissions often reflect fluency with maths and physics analysis.

Isaac Physics reaches students:
* through our OPAL , an Open Platform for Active Learning,
* through regionally-run face-to-face classes, and
* through residentials.

We also offer support, CPD and materials to teachers.

The Isaac Physics OPAL is at isaacphysics.org where problems, concepts sheets, hints, videos, and challenge/theme problems are found. Registration is free and allows students to have an individualised learning path, to have their progress tracked, problems and levels suggested to them, to be notified when new materials, classes etc. are available.

Teachers can set students work from isaacphysics, including problem sets that are already composed on isaac for targeted subjects. Student work is marked. Progress is analysed and returned to the teacher.

Isaac Physics skills and problem-solving books are available:
* go to the isaac skills book site for information about these isaacphysics resources,
* order individual books, or in bulk (20 copies or more) for £1 per copy
* Download samples of the books at the same site.
Included are the content pages, introduction and the starts of the AS and the A2 sections of Mastering Physics, and all of Developing Problem-Solving book. Similar samples of the GCSE and Physical Chemistry books are also available.
All problems in the books are online on isaacphysics.org (or isaacchemistry.org) and can be answered there for automatic marking - use the books in conjunction with these web resources.