
2024 Teachers of Physics Awards: Dr Katharine Bridge
Haberdashers School For Girls
For teaching expertise, passion and enthusiasm for the subject, inclusive teaching, and outstanding leadership of professional development within the school and local area.
Within and beyond her role at Haberdashers School for Girls, Dr Katharine Bridge is known for her warm approach with students of all ages as well as colleagues at all stages of their career. Her students are encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities, from excelling in the Physics Olympiad to working with primary school science clubs. A key to her success is to help them see physics as an exciting way of life that is all about problem solving. She models this by reflecting on her own teaching approaches and challenges students to build their own confidence through improved understanding.
As well as leading INSET for colleagues, Bridge supports individual development with planning and pedagogy, building capacity within local schools through the partnership programme. She has also had an impact far beyond her own school, between mentoring early-career and non-specialist teachers, presenting at conferences and leading continuing professional development in physics and inclusive practice. This has involved work with other organisations, including the Chartered College of Teaching, Physics Partners and the Association for Science Education, among others. From journal clubs to incorporating sustainable development approaches across subjects, she has been able to demonstrate the potential reach and impact of physics teaching excellence.