Ogborn's first role was as a Physics teacher at William Ellis School in Highgate, London.
Within a few years, Ogborn had progressed to Head of Science at Roan Grammar School in Greenwich before leaving to join the academic staff at Worcester College of Higher Education.
[1] While at Worcester College of Higher Education during the late 1960s, he was selected to develop the Nuffield Foundation A-Level Physics programme with Paul Black.
[5] In 1971, Ogborn returned to London to work as a Senior Research Fellow, then as Reader in Physics Education at Chelsea College of Science and Technology.
[1] In 2006 he won the ICPE Medal for his contributions to physics education, "which have been outstanding in their nature and international in their scope and influence".
[1] As a child Ogborn lived at Carbone Hill at Cuffley, with his brother David and sisters Ruth and Elizabeth, and father Maurice.