Abingdon News No.51

20 Why study Physics? Students enjoy the practical and investigative nature of Physics and the problem solving. It’s interesting, stimulating and can be challenging! It’s also a very well regarded subject by universities and a prerequisite for studying many engineering and computer science related degrees. The career prospects and earning potential of physicists are also very good. In 2019, 26 Abingdon leavers went on to study Physics related subjects. What makes a good physicist? The ability to apply what you’ve learnt to new situations. That’s often why it’s looked on favourably by employers; it’s the ability to solve problems using the knowledge you’ve learnt. Can everyone be good at Physics? Everyone at Abingdon has the ability to do Physics. It can be challenging but that’s what’s good about it. You need to apply yourself and be prepared to work at it – you won’t understand everything immediately but with staying power and effort you’ll be fine. A good understanding of maths and strong analytical skills help. You can take Physics at A-level as a stand-alone subject but we strongly recommend doing Maths alongside it. What are the results like? Results are excellent. In 2019 students gained 79% of all Physics A-level passes at A*-B grades and at GCSE, 75% of passes were awarded a grade 8/9 and in Electronics GCSE 96% of passes were grade 8/9. Academically the department is very strong with extension classes teaching undergraduate standard Physics to some of our sixth form students. Our equipment and facilities are also excellent, again university standard in places with for example tensile testing rigs for teaching materials science topics. How popular is Physics at Abingdon? Very popular. We have over 100 students in the Lower Sixth taking the A-level and for the first time this year we are offering a Computer Science A-level too, with 24 boys taking it up. Physics is compulsory through either Triple or Double Award Science at GCSE and boys can also opt to take Computer Science or Electronics GCSEs which are increasingly popular. The numbers of boys choosing to study Physics related subjects is continuing to grow. We are lucky to have fantastic teachers and technicians that make this possible. What about Physics outside the classroom? Besides Physics, Computer Science and Electronics you can also take GCSE Astronomy as part of your Other Half or join the Electronics Club. In a typical year we have around 14 trips ranging from exploring the Physics hub of Geneva to discussing topical issues with the All Parliamentary Engineering Group at the House of Lords. And to sum up – what does Physics mean to you? Physics is challenging, frustrating and inspiring all at the same time. I like the fact that you can never get to a point where you know the answer to everything and you can always ask why. New developments in Physics are constantly on the horizon and it is great to keep up with these; last summer I really enjoyed spending two weeks on the International Teacher Development program at CERN updating my knowledge along with teachers from around the world. Taking a look at … Physics at Abingdon Ben Simmons has been at Abingdon for seven years and begins his third year as Head of Physics and Electronics this September. The Department has 10 full time and 2 part time teachers and 2 technicians.