Physics

PHYSICS IN THE REAL WORLD

From the earliest lessons in Lower College, girls will find topics are always related to the world around them. Pupils thrive when they can see the real-life relevance of a subject.

We have a focus on skills and content so that our students leave with good levels of laboratory confidence. Problem solving is an innate aspect of physics, so students always need to be ready to think on their feet and voice their opinions and ideas. Girls will thrive if independent thinking and creativity are nurtured.

a pupil looks through a microscope in a laboratory during a physics lesson

pupils laugh as they experiment with a van de graff machine

entrance wall sign to the physics department

students splatter paint on a sheet during a swinging pendulum experiment

SCIENCE IN ACTION

The Physics Department has five dedicated and well-equipped physics laboratories, which are used for lessons and clubs. Co-curricular physics activities include StarLab (hosted in our digital planetarium, the most high-tech one of its kind in Europe), Physics Society, Matchbox Radio, Wingardium Physiosa and Quark & Quill. There are also lots of competitions for students to get involved in, such as the UK Space Design Competition, the British Physics Olympiad and associated challenges and Cube in Space.

The department runs trips, such as to CERN, in Switzerland and to Orlando, Florida to explore the Kennedy Space Center and the physics of Rollercoasters. These are in addition to trips closer to home, such as the Oxford fusion laboratory or the Diamond Light Source synchrotron in Oxfordshire.

The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible.

Albert Einstein

Throughout Lower College, students learn a wide variety of topics through the exploration of ‘Big Questions’, with a focus on experimental skills and reasoning.

The Edexcel GCSE specification is followed with teaching beginning in UC3.