Why study physics?

Physics is a subject for the curious. If you want to know why things work the way they do, and are willing to put the hard work in to find out, you will find physics especially satisfying and interesting. Being able to use mathematics and think mathematically is a big advantage for physicists. Physics covers everything from the very largest things (the Universe) to the very smallest (sub-nuclear particles).

Physics impacts on every area of our lives:

• From the technology that enables your mobile phone to work to understanding how the human body works, physics and physicists are involved
• From designing buildings to understanding and seeking to minimise climate change, physics and physicists are involved
• From trying to find out if we are alone in the Universe to improving disaster relief, physics and physicists are involved
• From helping banks and governments to manage data securely to helping you manage your time better, physics and physicists are involved

What do I study in A Level Physics?

A Level Physics is a two year course which begins by building on and deepening the foundations laid during your GCSEs before then building on these to enable you to understand some of the more interesting areas of physics and prepare you for future study, should you choose to pursue it.

How is the course structured?

Year 12

• Mechanics
• Materials
• Electric circuits
• Waves and particle nature of light

Year 13

• Further mechanics
• Thermodynamics
• Electric and magnetic fields
• Space
• Nuclear and particle physics
• Nuclear radiation
• Gravitational fields
• Oscillations

Examinations

There are no AS exams anymore.

A Level Physics (end of Year 13) contains three exam papers, two with 90 marks covering all the physics from both years of the course and one of 120 marks covering experimental techniques from throughout the course and the physics underpinning them.

Practical work

Core practical and other experiments are embedded throughout the course and successful completion of them will lead to you gaining a practical endorsement alongside your A Level.

The A Level exams will also include an examination on experimental techniques.

What do I need to study A Level Physics?

To study A Level Physics you will need to have demonstrated that you have a suitable scientific and mathematical grounding at GCSE. This means that you need, as a minimum:

• Two Grade 6 Science GCSEs including Physics if taken
• A Grade 6 in Mathematics GCSE

What do students say about A Level Physics at School?

• "Physics helps you to look at everyday things in a different perspective"
• "The teachers all work really hard to make sure you can achieve the best you can"
• "Supportive teaching, frequent progress reviews and extra help provided for those who need it"
• "Really recommend physics! Very fun and yet quite challenging. Helps with other subjects (chemistry and maths) and gives you a new, weird perspective of the world around us"
• “Approachable teachers that are happy to help with any questions, and UCAS applications too!”
• “The physics teachers really care about their subject and do a great job of passing on their knowledge. The way they teach makes difficult concepts easy to understand and exciting to think about”
• "The teachers are friendly and approachable so you can always ask questions, even outside of lessons. I liked the fact that enough homework was set to help me really understand the topics, but not too much (so I still had free time to work on the topics I needed to)"
• "I like it when we discuss physics that is beyond A level"
• "We had regular testing throughout the course so we knew how we were progressing"
• "Good at explaining things - topics on the physics syllabus and beyond A Level physics"
• "The teachers know pupils’ abilities and set specific tasks based on their abilities"
• "Any help you need even outside of physics (i.e. extra maths) the physics staff will help where they can"
• "The teachers are really good at communicating with the pupils when answering questions and explaining ideas"
• "The department appears to care about my understanding of the course and gives me work to help me understand"
• "All the teachers are very good at explaining things – you all know your stuff which is really helpful! Very knowledgeable"

What enrichment opportunities are there in Physics?

• As a department we are affiliated to the Institute of Physics, which means that we receive Physics World each month which students can read. We also have a small physics library of books that students can borrow to read
• We have run various visits and trips, including to the Hallamshire Hospital Medical Physics Department and Manchester University physics department
• Each year some students enter the British Physics Olympiad Competitions which are designed to challenge more able students with a mathematical problem solving approach to physics
• We work in partnership with Cambridge University on the IsaacPhysic.org project which includes the website with loads of physics problems that students can work on, ranging from GCSE level to beyond A Level and occasional problem solving workshops

Who is A Level Physics suitable for?

Anyone with a curiosity about how things work, a willingness to work hard and who meets the entry requirements for the course.

Who teaches A Level Physics?

The Physics department currently has six members of staff who teach A Level Physics – Mr Baker, Mrs Gilbert, Mr Mansfield, Mrs Spooner, Mr White and Dr White.

Where can A Level Physics lead?

A Level Physics is a facilitating subject for university courses, especially at more competitive universities. This means that it is desirable for many different courses, not just ones directly linked to physics (See Russell Group, Informed Choices).

“One of the best ways to keep your options at university open is to choose your advanced level subjects from the list of facilitating subjects.” (p30)

Studying A Level Physics (and Mathematics) is a prerequisite for many physics and engineering degrees, but A Level Physics (when studied alongside other suitable A Levels) can also lead to many other courses of study post-18. A Level Physics also develops skills that employers are looking for including problem solving, logical and lateral thinking, being able to see the bigger picture and how details fit into it and good mathematical skills.

Students who finished A Level Physics in summer 2024 have gone on to the following university courses: