Curriculum Intent
At SHSG our students journey through a rigorous and challenging physics curriculum that will enable them to uncover and explore the most fundamental laws governing our universe. We meet the ambitions of the National Curriculum, but go beyond this, challenging our students in the context of a high-performing grammar school.
In physics lessons, students will learn about matter and energy and will examine their behaviours in contexts such as electricity, magnetism, and waves. As our students progress through their studies, they will develop a deeper appreciation for how physics permeates their life, gaining an awareness of energy resources, the mechanics of everyday interactions and the underlying nature of matter in the world around them. In their studies they will utilise and refine both critical thinking and high-level numerical skills that will prepare them for whichever future aspirations they so choose. The super-curricular opportunities afforded to our students, including a robotics club and trip to CERN, allow them to delve into the applications of physics beyond the classroom. Our students will learn to rationally approach and investigate new hypotheses and develop a thorough grasp of logical processing and scientific method, which will set them apart as exceptional innovators and problem-solvers. The skills they gain in studying physics at SHSG will give them the conviction to approach life boldly, confident in their ability to coherently and effectively tackle any problem that they might encounter.
What does it feel like to be a student in the Physics Department?
Studying Physics at Southend High School for Girls will inspire you to become insightful, enquiring citizens of the world with highly sought-after skills. During lessons, you will be encouraged to dig deep, to examine the origin of the physical laws which govern our Universe, and to apply these laws to a variety of real-life contexts; to accomplish this, you will utilise your mathematical skills, apply your own knowledge of the real world and your imagination to both visualise and fully understand the behaviour of matter and energy. You will collaborate with other students to investigate physical laws in practice, forming hypotheses, then developing and refining your practical and analytical skills in our Physics laboratories.
Students at SHSG are not passengers in their own learning. You will take the driving seat, working towards success with our specialist teachers and with specialist equipment in our fully equipped Physics laboratories. Peer mentoring is encouraged, as well as providing teacher support between lessons at our weekly lunchtime Physics Open House. We have carefully selected and embedded the use of monitored online platforms which are proven to support student progress, including Kerboodle, Tassomai and Isaac Physics. We have long-standing links with companies offering work experience and the Engineering Development Trust (EDT) who offer industrial placements and university-based taster courses. Numerous opportunities for trips and activities beyond the classroom are available each year, including competing in the national Physics Olympiad competitions, engineering lectures, Robotics Club, and our flagship trip to the largest science experiment in the world: CERN, in Geneva, Switzerland. There are also opportunities for leadership roles within our Science Captain team, to work together to promote Physics across the wider school community, as well as arranging competitions and Science Week activities.
Students who study Physics at SHSG build a secure foundation on which to successfully progress to a variety of post-18 pathways. In recent years, we have prepared students to study a variety of degrees, including Physics at the University of Oxford, as well as a variety of Engineering pathways, Physics with Quantum Technologies, Computer Science and Architecture.
We are extremely proud of our alumni and work closely with them, expecting our current students to aspire to the same success. Through investigative practical work, our students leave having gained an insight into the evidence-based ethos which underpins the wider scientific quest to improve our understanding of the universe in which we live. It is our sincere hope that our Physics students continue on as life-long learners, making positive contributions with their hard-earned skills and knowledge.