Altrincham Grammar School for Girls

Introduction

Physics is the most fundamental of all the Sciences; at its heart it is about finding the laws that govern the Universe, from the unimaginably small (the bits inside atoms) to the distant Universe.

If you like asking questions, such as

• "Just how does the sun keep shining?"
• "Why, when glass is transparent, do cracks in it look black?"
• "How are rainbows made?"
• "What is everything made from?"

then you will enjoy Physics. It’s even better if you like carrying out experiments that help you work ideas out, too.

These ideas about how the Universe works are really useful; every time you use a computer, a mobile phone, an aeroplane, then you are depending on ideas developed through Physics to do things undreamed of 100 years ago.

In Physics you will find out how applying scientific principles can help us to prepare for a changing future. We need to use our non-renewable resources of energy wisely; we need to develop new renewable resources and technology for the future. Studying Physics should help all of our pupils have a rational basis from which to decide on their energy and resource use. Some of our girls go on to study Physics or Engineering at University and so are able to use their skills and knowledge to help in many spheres of human activity, such as:

• Designing low energy buildings for the future
• Developing new materials, for instance for sports equipment
• Improving the both diagnosis of cancer, with new forms of imaging, and its treatment with techniques developed at CERN.

Key Stages

GCSE

At AGGS Physics is taught as a separate subject from Y9 (all of our Physics staff have degrees in the subject), and our GCSE courses begin during that school year. Almost half of our students take Triple Science at GCSE (Separate Physics, Chemistry and Biology); the rest take GCSEs in Science and Additional Science.

A levels

Each year we have two or three groups taking AS and then A2 Physics. Many of the girls in our Physics groups intend to study medical subjects at University, (we offer the Medical Physics option at A2), but increasingly girls are drawn to careers in Physical Sciences and Engineering.