Physics

Exam Board: AQA

In A Level physics students will make predictions, test them through observations and measurements and learn about the theories and laws which underpin the subject. Physics is the only subject in which students investigate phenomena from the smallest possible scale – quarks and neutrinos – to the largest conceivable distance, stretching across the entire Universe.

Course Content:

Year 12: Measurements and their errors, Particles and Radiation, Waves and Optics, Mechanics and Energy and Electricity

Year 13: Further Mechanics and Thermal Physics, Fields (Gravitational, Electric and Magnetic), Nuclear Physics and Astrophysics

Assessment:

Assessment will be via 3 examination papers covering theory, practical skills and data analysis. There is a separate practical endorsement, taken alongside the A Level.  This is assessed internally and is based on observations of student competency in a range of skills.

Entry Requirements:

GCSE Separate Science: Physics 7 (or grade 7 in Combined Science). GCSE grade 6 in mathematics.

Extracurricular Visits and Trips:

Students are able to attend an extra-curricular robotics club, which applies concepts learnt in physics and computer science to practical applications using Lego Spike equipment.

Students are also given the opportunity to visit CERN in Geneva, which is a cutting edge particle physics facility. It gives students an insight into STEM careers, as well as to be inspired by of the most important sites for physics research in the world.

Future Progression and Careers:

Top universities recommend physics as one of the most useful subjects to take at A Level. It has tremendous value in a wide range of further education subjects. This is particularly useful if you want to keep your options open. Physics broadens your horizons and provides thinking and reasoning skills which are highly valued by employers in many sectors, from accounting to zoology to engineering, or law and medicine