Curriculum Intent and Rationale

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Physics is all about understanding the world around us. It involves the study of the Universe, from huge galaxies to the smallest subatomic particles. The subject leads to great discoveries and technologies which change our lives – from treating cancer to developing sustainable electricity generation.

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As a department we endeavour to provide a high-quality Physics curriculum to engage students and instil a sense of excitement and curiosity about physical phenomena.  Our intent is to develop the students’ skills and knowledge so that they can question the world around them, provide reasoned responses to unfamiliar concepts and so that they have the possibility of one day making their own future discoveries.

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We deliver the fundamentals of Physics during the KS3 course, which is continually revisited, reflected on, and knowledge developed throughout KS4 and KS5. The revisiting of the fundamental concepts in Physics is essential to ensure that students can access a wealth of information to secure their knowledge of how and why things work as they do. Opportunities are provided at the start of each topic to find out what students already know from the previous Key stage or topic, so that the class teacher can respond to prior knowledge, ascertain if there are misconceptions and develop lessons accordingly.

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We incorporate historical scientific discoveries into our curriculum so that students can see how scientific understanding has been building throughout the centuries and relate the studied topics to everyday examples and careers so that they can clearly see how Physics fits into everyday life.

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Physics is taught by subject specialists from Year 7 onwards. Experienced staff help students to understand concepts using diagrams, photographs, video clips, calculations, explanations, demonstrations and practical work. Alongside the subject content students have many opportunities to plan, observe, analyse and evaluate scientific data in our very well-equipped, modern and attractive labs. We focus on enhancing students' ability to solve problems, improve numeracy and literacy and create an environment which allows for discussion, questioning, independent study and group work throughout all Key Stages.

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We offer students the opportunity to take part in numerous extracurricular activities such as a Science Club which meets once a week, The British Physics Olympiad, University Lectures.