jats:titleAbstract</jats:title> jats:pShort videos are widely used in secondary level physics classes, part of a portfolio of strategies for teaching and learning. However, research into how they are used, why they are used and the optimum design for learning is in its infancy. This paper seeks to examine how videos are used in UK physics classrooms for the communication of physics ideas and for practical work. It features the results of a small survey of physics teachers and the results of a search through the relevant literature.</jats:p>