Cryptiensis
The Crypt Physics Department PoS KS4 2023-24
Our primary aim is to instil a genuine love of the sciences and the confidence to question our understanding of the natural and physical world. The programme of study aims to develop inquisitive minds into critical thinkers through acquiring theoretical knowledge, practical skills and scientific literacy. Students will understand how science continuously builds upon previous advancements and understanding; linking the topics studied with realworld application ensures that our pupils develop key investigative, analytical and evaluative skills to prepare for their life ahead.
In years 7 and 8, our bespoke curriculum embeds the key foundations of biology, chemistry and physics whilst allowing students’ natural enthusiasm and curiosity to flourish. From year 9 onwards, the three science strands are taught separately through challenging and enriching lessons which build students’ resilience. Additional opportunities beyond the classroom at all key stages further strengthen the curriculum and reinforce the key role science and its applications have in understanding contemporary issues, future developments and the challenges of the modern world.
Autumn 1 Autumn 2 Spring 1 Spring 2 Summer 1 Summer 2 End Points
Year 9
AQA GCSE Physics
Topics: Waves 1 (Properties)
Topics: Waves 2 (Electromagnetic Spectrum), Energy 1 (Energy, Work, Power)
Topics: Energy 2 (Energy Resources)
Topics: Energy 2 (continued) Forces and Motion
Topics: Forces and Motion
Topics: Forces and Motion
- Use strategies for learning and recalling the key equations
- Rearrange and use the equations to make calculations, showing clear working and writing the units
Key Skills: Calculations, learning equations, units, significant figures, standard form, prefixes, practical skills, key words
Key Skills: Calculations, learning equations, units, significant figures, standard form, practical skills, extended writing, literacy, key words
Key Skills: key words, comparing, evaluation, discussion, research, ethics, Calculations, units, significant figures, standard form, prefixes
Key Skills: Graph drawing and interpretation, calculations, learning equations, units, significant figures, standard form, prefixes
Key Skills: calculating resultant forces, scale drawings
Key Skills: Extended writing, explanation, application
- carry out experiments appropriately, having due regard to the correct manipulation of apparatus, the accuracy of measurements and health and safety considerations
- Confidently use prefixes and powers of ten for orders of magnitude and express answers in both decimal and standard form.
- Convert between units
MP1: Wave Equation GAT
MP2: Properties of Waves Test
MP3: Mid-year Exam
MP4: Motion Test
MP6: Year 9 Exam
- Understand that energy can be transferred from one store to another. Describe the energy stores and pathways for a variety of scenarios. Apply the principle of conservation of energy to make calculations.
- Evaluate the use of renewable and nonrenewable energy resources and understand the economic, environmental, social and ethical issues surrounding energy resources.
- Understand the difference between scalar and vector quantities; explain the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of objects and draw and interpret motion graphs.
- Describe the properties of waves and understand the uses and dangers of the waves in the electromagnetic spectrum.
Year 10
Triple
AQA GCSE
Physics
Topics: Heating, Static Electricity
Key Skills: Calculations, practical skills, analysing, explaining, predicting
MP1: Y10 Equations GAT
MP2: Heating Test
Topics: Circuit Electricity
Topics: Household Electricity, Radioactivity
Topics: Nuclear, Revision
Key Skills: Calculations, application of knowledge, practical skills
MP3: Static Test
Key Skills: Calculating, working safely, analysing
Key Skills: Calculating, practical skills, modelling, literacy, extended writing
Topics: Pressure Key Skills: Ethics, explaining, modelling, interpreting diagrams
Topics: Magnets and Electromagnets, Space
Key Skills: Practical skills, explaining, application of knowledge
- Use scientific theories to develop hypotheses and plan and carry out investigations to test hypotheses, make observations and explore phenomena - interpret observations and other data, including identifying patterns and trends; make inferences and draw conclusions
MP4: Mid-year Exam
MP5: End-of-year exam
MP6: Pressure Test
- Evaluate data in terms of accuracy, precision, repeatability and reproducibility and identify potential sources of random and systematic error
- Design and build circuits that can be used to investigate the I-V characteristics of different components
Year 10
Combined
AQA GCSE
Combined Science:
Trilogy
Topics: Heating
Key Skills: Calculations, practical skills, analysing, explaining, predicting
Topics: Circuit Electricity
Key Skills: Calculations, application of knowledge, practical skills
Topics: Circuit Electricity
Key Skills: Calculations, application of knowledge, practical skills
Topics: Household Electricity
Key Skills: Calculating, working safely
Topics: Radioactivity
Key Skills: Calculating, practical skills, modelling, literacy, extended writing
Topics: Radioactivity
Key Skills: Practical skills, explaining, application of knowledge
- Solve circuit problems to determine the current through and pd across components in series and parallel; define current and pd
- Explain how energy is used in the home and define power
MP1: Y10 Equations GAT
MP2: Specific Heat Capacity GAT
MP3: Heating Test
MP4: Mid-year Exam
MP5: End-of-year exam
MP6: Radioactivity Test
- Investigate the magnetic fields of permanent magnets and electromagnets and explain their applications in everyday life
- Explain the link between electricity and magnetism and how this is used in motors, generators (triple only) and transformers
- Use the particle model to explain density, changes of state and pressure. Calculate the energy changes when substances are heated or change state.
- Explain how scientists’ understanding of the atom has changed over time, and how models are constantly being developed as new evidence is discovered; the importance of publishing results and peer review
- Understand radioactive decay and the importance of nuclear fission and fusion as energy resources
Year 11
Triple AQA GCSE Physics
Topics: Triple Electromagnetism
Newton’s Laws and Momentum
Key Skills: Practical skills, explaining, application of knowledge
MP1: AQA End-of-Year 10
Assessment
MP2: Triple Electromagnetism Test
Topics: Light
Topics: Light, Triple Momentum
Topics: Space, Revision
Topics: Revision
- Understand how the skills developed in Physics lessons can be used in a range of careers
- See connections between topic areas, particularly through big ideas like the particle model and energy changes.
Year 11
Combined
AQA GCSE
Combined Science: Trilogy
Topics: Magnetism and Electromagnetism
Key Skills: Calculating, application of knowledge, explaining, Practical skills
Key Skills: Calculating, application of knowledge, explaining, Practical skills
MP3: December Mock Exam (Paper 1)
Key Skills: Calculating, application of knowledge, explaining, Practical skills, analysing, modelling
Key Skills: Revision strategies, exam technique, application of knowledge
MP4: March Mock –(Paper 2)
Key Skills: Revision strategies, exam skills, application of knowledge
MP5: Practice Paper 2
- Critically evaluate data, information and claims through critical analysis of the methodology, evidence and conclusions, both qualitatively and quantitatively
- Suggest and verify mathematical relationships between variables
- Apply knowledge to a range of unfamiliar contexts
- Rearrange and use complex equations with four or more variables
- Express answers to an appropriate number of significant figures
- Use strategies to learn and recall the 23 key equations
Topics: Newton’s Laws and Momentum, Paper 1 Revision
Key Skills: Calculating, application of knowledge, explaining, Practical skills
Topics: Newton’s Laws and Momentum, Paper 2 Revision
Key Skills: Calculating, application of knowledge, explaining, Practical skills, exam technique, revision strategies
Topics: Revision of Paper 2 Topics
Key Skills: Calculating, application of knowledge, explaining, Practical skills, exam technique, revision strategies
Topics: Revision
- Apply Newton’s three laws to explain the effects of forces on the motion of an object
MP1: AQA End-of-Year 10
Assessment
MP2: Magnetism and Electromagnetism Test
MP3: December Mock Exam (Paper 1)
MP4: March Mock (Paper 2)
Key Skills: Revision strategies, exam skills
- Apply the conservation of momentum to make calculations about collisions and other events (triple only)
- Explain how gears and levers are used in machines to multiply forces and gain a mechanical advantage (triple only)
- Understand the life cycles of stars and how the elements are formed (triple only)
MP5: Practice Paper 2
- Understand the Big Bang theory for the beginning of the universe and the evidence that supports this theory (triple only).
Year 12
OCR A Level Physics (A)
T1: Module 3
Topics:
2.Foundations
3. Motion
T2: Module 4
T1:
T2:
T1:
T2:
T1:
T2:
T1:
T2:
T1:
T2:
Key Skills: Calculating, using a lab book, interpreting data, application of knowledge, explaining, practical skills
Topics:
1.Practical Skills
8. Charge and Current Key Skills: Calculating, interpreting data, application of knowledge, explaining, practical skills
Topics:
4. Forces in Action
5. Work, Energy and Power
Key Skills: Research, referencing, presenting
Topics:
9. Energy, Power, Resistance
10. Electrical Circuits
Key Skills: Calculating, interpreting data, application of knowledge, explaining, practical skills
Topics:
6. Materials
Topics:
11. Waves 1
Topics:
7. Newton’s Laws and Momentum
Topics:
12. Waves 2
Topics: Revision
14. Thermal
Topics:
13. Quantum 25. Radioactivity
Topics:
15. Ideal Gases
Topics:
25. Radioactivity
- Be able to give the units for all quantities, naming the SI base units and deriving all others
Key Skills: Calculating, interpreting data, application of knowledge, explaining, practical skills
Key Skills: Calculating, interpreting data, application of knowledge, explaining, practical skills
Key Skills: Calculating, interpreting data, application of knowledge, explaining, practical skills
Key Skills: Calculating, interpreting data, application of knowledge, explaining, practical skills
Key Skills: Calculating, interpreting data, application of knowledge, explaining, practical skills
Key Skills: Calculating, interpreting data, application of knowledge, explaining, practical skills
Key Skills: Calculating, interpreting data, application of knowledge, explaining, practical skills
24. Particle Key Skills: Calculating, interpreting data, application of knowledge, explaining, practical skills, logarithms
- Rearrange and use all the key equations to make calculations, using the data booklet appropriately to look up equations and constants
- Derive selected equations from first principles
- Determine the resultant of two or more vectors and resolve vectors into components
- Interpret graphs accurately, including determining gradients and areas
- Plan experiments, collect valid results safely using a range of apparatus and methods, critically evaluate results and suggest improvements.
MP1:Foundations
Test
MP2: Motion Test
MP1: Practical Skills GAT
MP2: Charge and Current Test
MP3: Forces in Action Test
MP4: Mid-Year Exam
MP3: Midyear Exam (Electrical Circuits)
MP5: Y12 Exam (Paper 1)
MP6: Thermal Test
MP4: Y12 Exam (Paper 2)
MP5: Radioactivity Test
- Apply Newton’s laws and the principles of moments, conservation of momentum and conservation of energy to different situations qualitatively and quantitatively
- Build complex circuits from diagrams and make measurements
- Apply Kirchhoff’s laws to make calculations about circuits
- Use ideas of proportionality to make calculations
- Explain wave behaviour and the experiments that provide evidence for both the wave and particulate nature of light
Year 13
T1: Module 5
OCR A Level Physics (A)
Topics: 15. Ideal Gases 16. Circular Motion
Key Skills: Calculating, practical skills,
T2: Module 6 Topics: 24. Particle 26. Nuclear
T1: Topics: 18. Gravity 17. Oscillations
T2: Topics: 21. Capacitance 22. Electric Fields
Key Skills: Calculating, analysing,
Key Skills: Calculating, analysing,
Key Skills: Datalogging, calculating,
T1: Topics: 19. Stars Key Skills: Literacy, extended
T2: Topics: 23. Magnetic Fields
Key Skills: Calculating, application
T1: Topics: 20. Cosmology Revision
Key Skills: Literacy, calculating,
T2: Topics: 27. Medical Physics
Key Skills: Calculating, logarithms,
T1: Topics: Revision Key Skills: Revision strategies,
T2: Topics: Revision Key Skills: Revision strategies,
EXAMS
- Understand how the skills and knowledge gained through study of Physics A Level can be used in a range of different careers and industries
- Make connections between topic areas, using big ideas like kinetic theory, energy changes and fields
- Use logarithmic functions confidently, including plotting and interpreting log graphs
Key dates
analysing data, extrapolating, explaining changes, application of knowledge, exam technique
application of knowledge, explaining, exam technique
practical skills, Datalogging, interpreting data, application of knowledge, exam technique
practical skills, interpreting data, logarithms, application of knowledge, exam technique
response, explaining, researching, referencing, exam technique
of knowledge, explaining, exam technique
conversion of units, literacy, researching, referencing, exam technique
explaining, exam technique
exam technique
exam technique
- Identify exponential change and explain how this is modelled mathematically, specifically in the context of radioactive decay and capacitor charging/discharging
- Apply knowledge in a range of unfamiliar contexts
- Derive selected equations from basic principles
- Derive all the commonly used units using SI base units
MP1: Thermal and Ideal Gases
Test
MP2: Circular Motion Test
MP1: Particle Test
MP2: Nuclear Physics Test
MP3: November
Exam (Paper 1)
MP3: November
Exam (Paper 2)
MP4: March Mock (Paper 1)
MP4: March Mock (Paper 2)
MP5: Cosmology Test
MP5: Mock Paper 3
- Use kinetic theory to explain changes of state and the behaviour of ideal gases qualitatively and quantitatively
- Use mathematical equations to explain the motion of simple harmonic oscillatorsand objectsmovingincircles
- Understandthe similarities and differences between gravitational, electric and magnetic fields and their applications
- Understand the past, present and future of our universe and the evidence we have for this
- Understand how the standard model has developed over time, the nature of radioactive decay and the importance of nuclear physics in the development of energy resources
- Understand how different topic areas come together when designing, building and using machines for medical physics
- Understand the importance of Physics in cultural, economic, moral and social change, but the limitations of scientific fact in decision making.
PRACTICAL ENDORSEMENT RESULTS TO EXAMS OFFICE
Cultural Capital - Throughout their GCSE and A Level studies, students will continually revisit the nature of the development of scientific models – how science builds upon the evidence and discoveries of previous generations of scientists and the importance of publishing results and peer review.
- They will develop the mathematical skills needed to analyse data and make calculations, enabling them to manage their finances
- They will use a range of technologies for researching, analysing data and presenting their findings, allowing them to succeed in an increasingly technological world.
- They will learn to critically evaluate data, observations and claims to identify false claims and misleading data
- They will evaluate the social, ethical, environmental and economic issues surrounding energy resources, generation of electricity and medical physics and understand the important role played by scientists in advising governments. Scientific fact is important in decision making but is not the only factor.
- Students will be given opportunities to see how the knowledge and skills they are developing through studying physics can be used in a variety of industries and careers so that they can make informed decisions about their futures