COURSE FACTSHEET
Advanced Level Foundation — Physics module Who is this course for?
Recognised by widest choice of quality universities
The Kings Advanced Level Foundation is based on A-level syllabuses, taught by A-level teachers, assessed against A-levels and moderated by an independent Advisory Board of external examiners. As such, it is one of the most highly academic and successful pathways to leading UK universities.
Kings does not work with a narrow range of university partners. This is because our Advanced Level Foundation is based on, and linked to, A-levels. It is therefore automatically recognised and accepted by the widest choice of universities. Out of the Top 25 universities listed in the Times and Sunday Times 2019 rankings, 20 have accepted Kings Foundation students.
Pearson assured
Benchmarking against A-Level grades
Key Facts
The Kings Advanced Level Foundation has Pearson assured status, awarded after an annual Pearson audit of quality assurance.
Typical top 30 university offers to students following the Programme are based on their normal A-level offers. The Programme is benchmarked against A-level grades as follows:
Start dates: 7 January, 8 April*, 1 July*, 9 September 2019; 6 January, 6 April*, 29 June*, 7 September 2020 (*Extended version) Locations offered: Oxford
London
Bournemouth Brighton
Level: Minimum IELTS 5.5 (standard version); IELTS 4.0 (extended version). Completed 11 – 12 years of schooling. Minimum age: 17 Length: 1 Academic Year (3 terms). Or Extended Advanced Level Foundation of 4 – 7 terms (including 3-term Advanced Level Foundation) Lessons: Average 21 hours per week (plus homework and private study) Class size: 8 – 12 Learning outcomes: à Raise academic qualifications to UK university entrance level à Raise English to university level à Develop learning and self study skills for degree level
Advisory Panel Standards for the Programme are set by an external and independent Advisory Board which meets three times each year to ensure best practice, moderate marks where required and hear appeals.
Assessment Paper
Weighting
Term 1 Assessment
30%
Term 2 Assessment
35%
Term 3 Assessment
35%
Typical A-level offer
Typical Kings Foundation offer
A*A*A*
80%
AAA
75%
AAB
70%
ABB
65%
BBB
60%
CCC
50%
Extended option Students with lower language levels can join an extended programme of 4 – 7 terms (including the 3-term Advanced Level Foundation), from IELTS 4.0. It offers practical content designed to provide a bridge into UK academic life. The main focus is developing suitable language proficiency for the Advanced level Foundation with concentrated IELTS lessons, but as the course is made up of English language classes and some 1:1 or small group study, it has the flexibility to also provide bespoke academic study skills and subject enrichment. The course can also include a Maths GCSE if required.
Advanced Level Foundation
Sept
Jun
Apr
Jan
Sept
Jun
Apr
Jan
Sept
Jun
Pathways
Vacation
Advanced Level Foundation IELTS 4.0
Extended Foundation IELTS 5.0 IELTS 4.5
Extended Foundation
Top 20 university
Vacation
Advanced Level Foundation
Vacation
Top 20 university
Vacation
Advanced Level Foundation
Vacation
Top 20 university
Advanced Level Foundation
Vacation
Top 20 university
Advanced Level Foundation (Science and Engineering Pathway)
Vacation
Top 20 university
Advanced Level Foundation (Science and Engineering Pathway)
Vacation
Top 20 university
Extended Foundation IELTS 5.0 IELTS 4.5
Top 20 university
Ext. Found.
COURSE FACTSHEET
Course structure and content The programme is highly flexible, and able to adapt to the needs and academic aspirations of each student. It does this through a combination of core modules and a series of elective modules which can be combined in different ways to create main subject streams: Main subject streams à Business à Engineering à Life Sciences and Pharmacy à A rchitecture à Media and Communications à Humanities and Social Sciences à Mathematics, Computing and Science
Core modules are: à Communication and Study Skills à Data Handling and Information Technology Elective modules are: à A rt and Design à Biology à Business Studies à Chemistry
à Economics à History à Human Geography à Law à Mathematics à Media à Physics à Psychology à Politics and Government
2018 – 19 Sample academic timeline September
October
November
December
January
February
September starters
10 Sept: term starts Student induction
20 – 28 Oct: half term
University fairs/visits
14 Dec: term ends CSS Assessment 1 (Written) End of term exams
7 Jan: term starts
14 – 17 Feb: half term CSS Assessment 2 (Presentation) University fairs/visits
January starters
—
—
—
—
7 Jan: term starts Student induction
14 – 17 Feb: half term University fairs/visits
March
April
May
June
July
August
September starters
22 Mar: term ends Assignments* End of term exams
8 April: term starts Assignments*
Assignments*
14 June: term ends CSS Assessment 3 (Listening and Reading exam)
—
—
January starters
22 Mar: term ends Assignments* CSS Assessment 1 (Written) End of term exams
8 April: term starts Assignments*
Assignments*
17 – 18 June: 2 day break CSS Assessment 2 (Presentation)
CSS Assessment 3 (Listening and Reading exam)
2 Aug: term ends
*students spend two weeks on each assignment and do three in total — one for each of their ‘elective’ modules. Please note that specific dates are subject to change.
Physics module structure and content Electricity à Current and Charge à DC currents à Ohm’s law à Kirchhoff’s Laws à Resistivity à Series and Parallel à Power and energy à EMF and internal resistance à Potentiometers à LDR, filament lamps, diodes à (V-I graphs) à AC currents and CRO
Term 1 Introduction to Physics à Fair tests à Order of magnitudes, accuracy, precision à Units and symbols.
Electrons and Photons à EM radiation à Atomic Structure à Photoelectric Effect à The electron volt à Ionisation and excitation
Mechanics à Vectors and Scalars à Motion in a straight line à Newton’s Three Laws à Projectiles à Work, Energy and Power à Conservation of Energy à Moments à Principle of Moments Term 2 Bulk Properties of Materials à Density (use of vernier, balance etc) à Hooke’s Law à Stress, strain à Young’s Modulus and Energy à Materials Vocabulary Waves Introduction à Media and Vocabulary
Continued overleaf æ
1233 07/15
Learning outcomes On successful completion of the Physics module students should: à have an appreciation of the physical laws which govern the universe à have an understanding of principles of Physics ready for further studies of physics in Higher Education à have experience of practical physics in a laboratory environment and conducted their own experiments à be able to apply their knowledge and skills at a standard equivalent to Physics A-level
COURSE FACTSHEET
Physics module structure and content continued à Transverse and Longitudinal à Polarisation à Reflection and refraction à “ Snell’s Law” à Total Internal Reflection à Superposition à Stationary Waves à Interference à Path Difference à Coherence à Double Slit à Diffraction Grating Further Mechanics à Momentum and force à Conservation of momentum à Elastic and inelastic collisions à Circular motion à Simple harmonic motion à Relation to circular motion à Resonance à Free and forced vibration
Gravitation à Gravitational fields à Newton’s Law à Field strength à Orbits of planets and satellites Term 3 Electric Fields à Coulomb’s law à Field strength à A nalogy with gravitational fields Capacitance à Capacitors à Q = CV à Energy stored à Parallel plate capacitors à Charging and discharging à Time constant Magnetic Fields à Flux density, tesla à Force on wire F = BIL à Left hand rule
à Force on charged particle F = Bqv à Electromagnetic induction (qualitative) à Transformers, motors and dynamos Nuclear Physics à Particles and radiation à Radioactivity, α β γ à Inverse square law à Radioactive decay à Carbon dating Electrons and Photons à EM radiation à Atomic Structure à The electron volt à Ionisation and excitation
COURSE FACTSHEET
Recommended reading
Sample enrichment activities
Below is a list of text books normally used on this course, as well as books which may help you prepare for your studies prior to arrival. In many cases the textbooks will be supplied by the school, and you may borrow them for the duration of your time at school. However, if you already know what three subjects you want to choose you may prefer to purchase one before you arrive.
à Bletchley Park visit à The Big Bang fair, NEC Birmingham à Science Club à Astronomy Club à Science in the News Club à The Royal Society, London à Google Science Fair
àA QA Physics A Level Student Book Authors: Jim Breithaupt Publisher: Oxford University Press (including Nelson Thornes) àA QA GCSE 9-1 Physics Revision Guide (Collins GCSE 9-1 Revision), CGP Books àN ew Grade 9-1 Edexcel International GCSE Physics: Revision Guide
Alumni who took the Physics module Below is a selection of degree courses some of our most recent alumni have gone on to study: Student name
Advanced Level Foundation Modules
University
Course name
Adenike Olufunmiayo Abimbola
Physics/Mathematics/Geography/CSS/Data
University of Leeds
Geological Science
Alba Barjami
Physics/Business/Mathematics/CSS/Data
Coventry University
Advertising and Marketing
Kwan Long Dai
Physics/Chemistry/Mathematics/CSS/Data
Queen Mary University of London
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Abdulrahman Elgalassi
Physics/Chemistry/Mathematics/CSS/Data
Aston University
Chemical Engineering
Amr Faour
Physics/Chemistry/Mathematics/CSS/Data
University of Nottingham
Pharmacy
Thibault Fievez
Physics/Chemistry/Mathematics/CSS/Data
University of Bath
Civil Engineering
Fisnik Fsahzi
Physics/Economics/Mathematics/CSS/Data
University of Bath
Civil Engineering with Architectural Studies
Nina Hasebe
Physics/Mathematics/Government and Politics/CSS/ Data
King’s College London
Robotics and Intelligent Systems
Sina Jibraeli
Physics/Art & Design/Mathematics/CSS/Data
Oxford Brookes University
Architecture
Euiwan Jung
Physics/Chemistry/Mathematics/CSS/Data
University of Bristol
Aerospace Engineering
Akina Arteans Allegre Lukoki
Physics/Business/Mathematics/CSS/Data
University of Exeter
Mining Engineering
Jingoo Park
Physics/Chemistry/Mathematics/CSS/Data
University of Birmingham
Mechnical Engineering
Constantin Tombroff
Physics/Business/Mathematics/CSS/Data
Liverpool University
Engineering
“
When I started the foundation I was quite determined that I wanted to do chemical engineering, but they helped me a lot with the modules I should do. They recommended Physics even though it wasn’t required and I can see the results now — a lot of students didn’t do Physics and since it’s not required, they didn’t think they should do it at A-level. I think I’m at an advantage having done it though. It’s a lot easier.
Abdulrahman Elgalassi, now studying Chemical Engineering at Aston University
1800 09/18
”