Embarking on the Edexcel A-Level Physics course is to begin a two-year exploration of the universe, from the familiar thrill of a rollercoaster's motion to the mind-bending puzzles of quantum physics. It’s a journey that can feel both exciting and a little overwhelming, but it’s designed not just to fill your child's head with facts, but to forge the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that will light up their future.
Your Child's Journey Through A-Level Physics
The prospect of A-Level Physics can stir a mix of pride and apprehension in any parent. You see your child’s incredible potential and naturally want to give them the best possible support as they tackle one of the most demanding, yet deeply rewarding, subjects available. That feeling of wanting the best for them is what this guide is all about.
Think of this as your map. We'll walk you through the entire Edexcel A-Level Physics syllabus, piece by piece, so you understand exactly what this journey involves for your child, and how you can be their biggest champion along the way.
Why This Syllabus Matters to Your Child
This isn’t about rote learning equations; it’s about making sense of the world in a way that sparks wonder. Imagine your child flicking on a light switch. The syllabus connects that simple, everyday action to the invisible dance of electrons in a circuit, the nature of the light waves flooding the room, and the incredible energy transformations happening in a split second. It’s about linking abstract concepts to the real, tangible world they live in.
The real goal of A-Level Physics is to nurture your child's innate curiosity. It encourages them to ask 'why'—why does a ball fall, why does a star shine, why do magnets push away from each other? Finding the answers builds a foundation for lifelong confidence and discovery.
We’re here to demystify the topics, lay out the exam structure, and show you how practical, hands-on skills are woven right into the fabric of the course. For parents, getting to grips with how A-Levels work is the first real step in supporting their child’s academic path. This syllabus is far more than a checklist; it's a launchpad for your child's brilliant mind.
To give you a clearer picture, here’s a quick overview of what the qualification involves.
Edexcel A-Level Physics at a Glance
This table breaks down the core components of the Edexcel A-Level Physics qualification, showing how each part contributes to the final grade.
| Component | Description | Focus Area |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Advanced Physics I, a 1-hour 45-minute written exam | Covers Core Physics I content from Year 12 topics. |
| Paper 2 | Advanced Physics II, a 1-hour 45-minute written exam | Covers Core Physics II content from Year 13 topics. |
| Paper 3 | General and Practical Principles in Physics, a 2-hour 30-minute exam | Synoptic paper testing all specification content and practical skills. |
| Practical Endorsement | Non-exam assessment reported separately on the certificate | Assesses competency across 12 core practical activities. |
As you can see, the course is structured to build knowledge logically while continuously reinforcing practical, hands-on skills, ensuring no child is left feeling overwhelmed.
A Student-Centred Approach to Learning
Every child learns differently. A busy classroom can be overwhelming for some, while others might not feel comfortable raising their hand to ask a question that feels 'silly'. We firmly believe in putting your child and their individual needs at the very centre of their own education.
For us, this means:
- Building Confidence: We start with the foundational concepts and build up complexity step-by-step, making sure every child feels secure and understood before moving on.
- Making it Relatable: We lean on practical, exciting examples to make learning stick—like explaining forces through the physics of a roller coaster, or understanding waves by looking at how their favourite music reaches their ears.
- Providing Unwavering Support: Small class sizes and one-to-one attention mean our teachers can spot where a student is struggling and offer immediate, gentle, and targeted help.
This guide will show you how this approach makes physics accessible, supportive, and genuinely inspiring. It’s about helping your child build not just knowledge, but true, lasting confidence in their own abilities.
Deconstructing the Edexcel Physics Syllabus
To really get behind your child and cheer them on, it helps to see the bigger picture of the Edexcel A-Level Physics syllabus. It’s a two-year journey, with the first year (AS) laying the groundwork for the more complex ideas they'll tackle in the second year (A2). This structure is deliberate; it’s designed to build confidence step-by-step and prevent that heart-sinking feeling of being overwhelmed.
Think of it like building a house. The first year is all about pouring a solid, reliable foundation. Your child will get to grips with the tangible, visible world of Mechanics, figuring out why a car accelerates or what forces keep a bridge standing. For a child who loves sports, this is where physics feels most connected to their life, like understanding the perfect arc of a basketball shot.
From there, they’ll move into Electric Circuits. We don't just throw abstract theory at them; we make it real. It's like helping them understand the wiring of their own home—how current flows to power their games console, what resistance does, and why a fuse is so critical for keeping their family safe. This hands-on, practical feel is what makes tricky concepts finally click into place.
Year 1 Core Topics: The Foundation
The first year of the Edexcel A-Level Physics course is built around five core areas. Each one is a crucial piece of the puzzle, setting your child up perfectly for the more advanced topics down the line.
- Working as a Physicist: This isn't a standalone topic but a skill set woven through everything they do. It’s about helping them learn to think, question, and experiment like a real scientist, nurturing their natural curiosity.
- Mechanics: Students dig into motion, forces, energy, and momentum. A great practical example is analysing the forces acting on a theme park ride to understand exactly why it’s both thrilling and safe. This makes the physics feel real and exciting.
- Electric Circuits: This covers the fundamentals: current, voltage, resistance, and power. It’s about answering questions your child might actually have, like how a simple dimmer switch works or why their phone battery seems to drain so fast.
- Materials: Here, students investigate the properties of different materials—why is the rubber in their trainers stretchy while the steel in a skyscraper is rigid? This often involves stretching springs and wires to see exactly how they behave under stress, making the learning active and memorable.
- Waves and the Particle Nature of Light: This topic explores everything from the ripples in a pond to the light from their phone screen. It introduces the wonderfully strange idea that light can act as both a wave and a particle, a concept that flings open the door to modern physics and a sense of awe.
Understanding how an educational path is put together, much like learning how to outline a course, gives you valuable insight as a parent. It helps you see the logic behind the syllabus and appreciate the incredible journey your child is on.
Year 2 Core Topics: Building the Structure
With the foundation secure, the second year is all about building the intricate upper floors. The ideas become more abstract, but they’re built directly on the principles learned in Year 1. It’s a genuinely rewarding phase where your child will start to see just how interconnected the universe really is, which can be an incredibly empowering feeling.
The beauty of the second year is seeing your child have that 'aha!' moment when they realise that seemingly separate ideas—like gravity and electricity—are described by similar underlying principles. It’s the moment they stop just learning physics and start truly thinking like a physicist.
This is where the awe of the subject really kicks in, moving from everyday mechanics to the fundamental forces that shape reality itself. For more detail on our course structure and teaching approach, feel free to explore our complete guide to A-Level Physics at Queens Online School.
The topics your child will tackle in the second year of the Edexcel A-Level physics syllabus include:
- Further Mechanics: This builds directly on Year 1, introducing circular motion (think of a satellite orbiting Earth, enabling their favourite TV shows) and simple harmonic motion (like the comforting swing of a pendulum).
- Electric and Magnetic Fields: This dives into the invisible forces governing everything from the magnets holding pictures on your fridge to the Earth’s protective magnetic shield that keeps us all safe. An analogy we often use is to compare an electric field to the invisible pull of gravity—you can’t see it, but you can definitely feel its effects.
- Nuclear and Particle Physics: Students take a journey into the heart of the atom, learning about radioactivity, fission, and fusion. They discover the fundamental particles that make up, well, everything in their world.
- Thermodynamics: This is the physics of heat and energy. It explains how car engines work and gets to the bottom of why a hot cup of tea always cools down.
- Space, Time, and Gravitational Fields: This exciting topic covers Newton's law of gravitation and delves into the life cycle of stars, connecting the microscopic world of particles to the mind-boggling vastness of the cosmos they see when they look up at the night sky.
Having this clear, topic-by-topic roadmap allows both you and your child to see the path ahead, turning what might seem like a daunting syllabus into a series of manageable and exciting steps.
How the Edexcel A-Level Physics Exams Work
The word ‘exam’ can make any student (and their parents) feel a bit nervous. But the best way to tackle that anxiety is to know exactly what’s coming. When your child understands the structure, the timing, and what each paper is designed to test, that fear starts to turn into quiet confidence.
So, let's pull back the curtain on the three exam papers that make up the final grade for Edexcel A-Level Physics. This isn't just about recalling facts; it’s about helping your child learn to think like a physicist under pressure. Each paper has its own unique focus, testing everything from core knowledge to applying complex ideas to brand-new problems.
The course is cleverly structured, building from the foundational concepts in Year 1 to the more advanced, mind-bending topics in Year 2.
As you can see, the first year lays the essential groundwork, giving your child the confidence and tools they need for the bigger theories they will grapple with in their second year.
To give you a clear overview, here’s how the three papers compare side-by-side.
Edexcel A-Level Physics Exam Paper Breakdown
| Exam Paper | Duration & Marks | Weighting | Topics Covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Advanced Physics I | 1 hour 45 minutes 90 marks |
30% of A-Level | Year 1 Core Content: Mechanics, Electric Circuits, Further Mechanics, Waves & Particle Nature of Light, Materials. |
| Paper 2: Advanced Physics II | 1 hour 45 minutes 90 marks |
30% of A-Level | Year 2 Core Content: Thermodynamics, Space, Nuclear Radiation, Gravitational & Electric Fields, Oscillations. |
| Paper 3: General and Practical Principles in Physics | 2 hours 30 minutes 120 marks |
40% of A-Level | Synoptic Paper: All topics from Years 1 and 2, with a major focus on practical skills and data analysis. |
Let's dive a little deeper into what each one really entails for your child.
Paper 1: Advanced Physics I
First up is Paper 1. This is all about testing the strength of those Year 1 foundations. It covers the core topics that everything else is built on, like Mechanics, Electric Circuits, Materials, and Waves.
Your child will have 1 hour and 45 minutes to tackle 90 marks' worth of questions. The paper is a real mix, with multiple-choice questions to test quick thinking, short-answer questions for explaining concepts, and longer, meaty calculation problems. For instance, they might be asked to calculate the forces on a braking car—a direct application of their mechanics lessons that connects to their own experiences of travel.
Paper 2: Advanced Physics II
Next is Paper 2, which mirrors the format of the first: 1 hour and 45 minutes for 90 marks. This time, the spotlight is on the more advanced topics from the second year of the course. We're talking about areas like Further Mechanics, Electric and Magnetic Fields, Nuclear Physics, and Thermodynamics.
The questions here demand a much deeper conceptual grasp. A student might need to explain the physics behind a particle accelerator or analyse the colossal energy changes happening inside a star. This paper really probes their ability to handle more abstract ideas with confidence, showing how far they have come on their journey.
Paper 3: General and Practical Principles in Physics
The final paper is often what separates a good grade from a great one, and it's where your child's hard work truly shines. Paper 3 is the longest exam at 2 hours and 30 minutes, and it's where everything comes together. It’s a synoptic paper, which is a fancy way of saying it can draw on any topic from the entire two-year course.
The real challenge of Paper 3 is its focus on making connections. It tests a student’s ability to see the bigger picture—how a concept from electricity might link to an idea in waves, for instance. This is where true mastery and confidence are demonstrated.
This paper also puts the practical skills developed throughout the course under the microscope. A typical question might provide a set of experimental data and ask your child to plot a graph, calculate a final result, and critically evaluate the uncertainties in the measurements. It's a direct test of their scientific thinking and hands-on experience, proving they can think and act like a real scientist.
Understanding how performance on these papers translates into a final grade is crucial. You can learn more by exploring our detailed guide on A-Level grade boundaries.
Bringing Physics to Life with Practical Skills
Physics isn't just about crunching numbers and memorising equations. At its heart, it's a hands-on science of discovery. It’s about reading a principle in a textbook and then proving it with your own hands, which is an incredibly empowering feeling for a young learner. This is where the Practical Endorsement comes in, a vital part of your child’s A-Level journey.
Also known as CPAC (Common Practical Assessment Criteria), this is a non-exam component of the course, but it’s a mandatory pass-or-fail element. Think of it like a driving test for scientific skills—your child must demonstrate they're competent in the lab to earn their A-Level. It’s all about building the confidence, precision, and critical thinking that turns a student into a genuine scientist.
What Are the Core Practicals?
The Edexcel A-Level physics syllabus is built around 16 core practicals that students complete over their two years. These aren't just random experiments; they've been carefully chosen to anchor the theoretical concepts your child learns in class to tangible, real-world actions.
For example, instead of just being told that gravity accelerates objects at 9.81 m/s², your child gets to measure it themselves. They might use a timer and a falling ball bearing, collect data, plot a graph, and calculate the acceleration from their very own results. It’s that lightbulb moment when an abstract number on a page becomes a concrete and unforgettable reality they discovered themselves.
These practicals cover a huge range of topics, including:
- Investigating Circuit Behaviour: Your child will build circuits from scratch to see how components like resistors and diodes actually affect the flow of electricity, perhaps even building a circuit that mimics the dimmer switch in their own bedroom.
- Measuring Waves: They might determine the speed of sound using microphones and an oscilloscope, literally seeing the sound waves of their own voice on a screen.
- Exploring Material Properties: This could involve stretching a wire to its breaking point to understand its strength and elasticity, connecting physics to the real-world engineering of bridges and buildings.
Each experiment sharpens their skills in measurement, data analysis, and evaluating the reliability of their results—the very heart of scientific practice.
Overcoming the 'Hands-On' Challenge Online
A common and completely valid concern we hear from parents is, "How can my child possibly do hands-on science from home?" It’s a question we’ve put at the very centre of our teaching approach. We bring the laboratory directly to your child through live, interactive lessons that use advanced simulations.
Imagine your child investigating radioactive decay. In a physical lab, this is simply impossible. But with a high-quality simulation, they can safely observe the random nature of decay, collect huge amounts of data in minutes, and test variables in ways that would be impractical and unsafe in a school classroom.
This method is especially powerful for students who find the noise and pressure of a busy school lab overwhelming. It provides a calm, controlled environment where they can work at their own pace, focusing entirely on the scientific skills of analysis and evaluation without distraction. This builds confidence, not anxiety.
This student-centred approach removes barriers and allows every child to engage deeply and happily with the practical side of physics.
Why Practical Skills Are So Important
The practical endorsement is about much more than just ticking a box for the exam board. It’s about developing the transferable skills that universities and employers are crying out for. When your child learns to evaluate the uncertainty in a measurement or identify sources of error, they are learning how to think critically and solve problems—skills for life, not just for physics.
The Edexcel A-Level Physics syllabus formally weaves these skills into the qualification, making them a mandatory part of the course. The 16 core practicals are non-negotiable, covering everything from mechanics to nuclear physics. Crucially, the skills learned are assessed directly in Paper 3, which makes up a significant 26% of the final A-Level grade.
Since the specification was updated in 2015, the emphasis has been firmly on analysis and evaluation, preparing students for the rigours of higher education. You can explore a detailed breakdown of the Edexcel A-Level physics structure and assessment to see just how central this component is.
By making hands-on science an integral part of the learning experience, we help your child build not just knowledge, but the confidence to actually use it.
Resources and Support for Thriving in A-Level Physics
Every child’s journey through education is unique. Having the right support system is what transforms a daunting challenge into a proud achievement, especially in a subject as demanding as A-Level Physics. Success isn’t just about having the right textbook; it’s about creating an environment where your child feels seen, heard, and genuinely empowered to succeed on their own terms.
This section is all about the tools, strategies, and communities that help students not just get through the Edexcel A-level physics syllabus, but truly thrive. It’s about weaving a web of support that nurtures both their academic confidence and personal well-being.
Curated Tools for Effective Revision
Let’s be honest, the sheer volume of revision material out there can be overwhelming for any student. The real key is to find resources that align perfectly with the syllabus and, just as importantly, cater to your child's specific learning style. A one-size-fits-all approach rarely works when the goal is deep, lasting understanding.
Think about it this way: a visual learner might find an online simulation of an electric field far more intuitive than a static diagram in a book. They can tweak the variables and see the immediate effects, turning an abstract concept into something tangible and memorable. This is a far more joyful and effective way to learn than just staring at a page.
Effective resources aren't just about quantity; they're about quality. Here’s what to look for to support your child:
- Targeted Revision Guides: Look for guides published specifically for the Edexcel A-Level Physics (9PH0) specification. These are worth their weight in gold because they break down complex topics into digestible chunks that are directly relevant to the exams.
- Online Simulations and PhET Interactives: These free tools from the University of Colorado are brilliant for bringing practicals to life. They allow your child to explore everything from wave interference to quantum tunnelling without needing a multi-million-pound lab, making physics feel like a game of discovery.
- Past Paper Archives: Working through past papers is probably the single most effective revision technique. It builds familiarity with question styles, wording, and time pressure in a controlled, low-stakes way, reducing exam-day anxiety.
The Power of a Nurturing Environment
However, resources are only one piece of the puzzle. The emotional and mental support your child receives is just as critical. A-Levels can be a stressful time, and building resilience is a core part of the journey. A nurturing learning environment makes all the difference, turning stress into strength.
Imagine a student who freezes up during exams. For them, the most valuable support isn't another practice paper, but a teacher who can introduce mindfulness techniques to manage anxiety or patiently break down a multi-step problem into small, manageable wins that rebuild their self-belief.
This is where a student-centred approach becomes so important. In a small online class, for instance, a teacher has the breathing room to notice when a child is struggling. They can offer personalised, real-time feedback, adapting their explanation until the concept clicks. This builds a powerful sense of trust and safety, encouraging your child to ask questions without any fear of judgement.
Flexible Support for Modern Lives
Life doesn’t always fit into a neat, 9-to-3 school day. A flexible, supportive community empowers students to learn in a way that fits their life and their unique learning rhythm. When lessons are recorded, a student who needs to revisit a tricky topic on thermodynamics can do so at their own pace, pausing and rewinding as much as they need. That autonomy is incredibly empowering.
This flexibility is a game-changer, particularly for students with SEN or SEMH needs, who may find a traditional classroom environment overstimulating. A calm, focused online space allows them to concentrate on the physics without unnecessary distractions getting in the way, letting their true talents shine.
Ultimately, the right support system addresses the whole child. It combines high-quality academic resources with the emotional encouragement and personalised attention they need to build lasting confidence and achieve their full potential.
Your Partner in Your Child's Physics Success
Choosing the right A-Levels is a huge decision for your child’s future. It’s a moment filled with excitement but, let’s be honest, probably a little bit of anxiety for you both. The Edexcel A-Level Physics syllabus is undeniably tough, but it’s so important to see it not as a hurdle, but as a launchpad into incredible fields like science, engineering, and medicine. That pressure can feel immense when it’s resting on your child’s shoulders.
Our goal with this guide has been to bring some clarity and, hopefully, some reassurance. We've pulled apart the syllabus, explained the exams, and highlighted why those practical skills matter. The key takeaway? With the right, caring support system in place, success is absolutely within reach for every student. This is about so much more than just passing an exam; it's about unlocking what your child is truly capable of.
Placing Your Child at the Centre
Our whole approach is built on one simple but powerful idea: academic excellence has to go hand-in-hand with a genuine commitment to a student’s wellbeing and personal growth. When a child feels supported and understood, they have the confidence to be curious, ask questions, and bounce back from setbacks. That resilience is a gift for life.
Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. By getting to know your child's unique needs, we can help them find their own spark for the subject, turning tricky topics into moments of real discovery and joy.
This means we adapt how we teach to match how they learn. For example, a student struggling with abstract concepts might finally click with gravitational fields when we connect it to the familiar feeling of being pulled towards the Earth, or show them a live feed of a satellite orbiting our planet. Suddenly, it’s not just a formula in a textbook; it’s part of their world.
More Than Just a Syllabus
Ultimately, we want to be your partner on this journey. By putting your child at the heart of everything we do, we help them not just get through the Edexcel A-Level Physics syllabus, but to genuinely thrive. We build their confidence brick by brick, celebrate the small wins, and offer a steadying hand when things feel overwhelming.
This way, they don't just finish their A-Levels with a great qualification. They leave with a newfound belief in their own abilities and a real love for learning that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
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Your Questions Answered
Choosing the right A-Level path always brings up questions, and Physics is no exception. It's completely normal for parents and students to want to understand the finer details of the Edexcel syllabus before diving in.
Here, we’ve answered some of the most common queries we hear, keeping your child's success and well-being at the heart of every explanation.
Just How Much Maths Is in Edexcel A-Level Physics?
Let's be upfront: you can't really speak the language of physics without a good grasp of maths. In fact, a minimum of 40% of the marks in the final exams will directly test mathematical skills.
Now, that figure might sound a little daunting, but it’s important to understand how that maths is taught. It isn’t a separate, abstract subject bolted on the side. Instead, it’s woven into the very fabric of every physics lesson, making it feel meaningful and relevant to your child.
For instance, when your child is learning about something exciting like projectile motion, they'll simultaneously be using the trigonometry needed to split a vector into its different components. The maths becomes a practical tool for solving a real-world puzzle, like figuring out the winning trajectory for a video game character or the path of a rocket. This integrated approach helps students see maths not as a hurdle, but as the logical and powerful language it is—perfect for describing the world around them.
Is Online A-Level Physics a Good Fit for Students with SEN?
Absolutely. For many students with Special Educational Needs (SEN), an online learning environment can be a far more positive and empowering space than a traditional classroom. The noise and constant motion of a busy school can be overwhelming for some, making it incredibly difficult to focus. Live, small-group online lessons offer a calm, predictable, and focused alternative where your child can feel safe and ready to learn.
Consider a student who needs a bit more time to process information. With online learning, the ability to pause, rewind, and re-watch recorded lessons is a game-changer. They can go over a tricky explanation of electromagnetic induction as many times as they need, at their own pace, without any pressure or fear of holding the class back.
A supportive online environment can unlock a student's true potential. Imagine a child with dyspraxia who finds handling delicate lab equipment stressful. Using advanced virtual simulations for their practicals allows them to concentrate purely on the scientific thinking, analysis, and evaluation—building their confidence in the subject itself, not their physical coordination.
This student-first flexibility means the learning experience adapts to the child, not the other way around.
How Does This A-Level Prepare My Child for University?
Top universities hold the Edexcel A-Level Physics syllabus in high regard, and for good reason. It’s designed to cultivate the exact skills needed for demanding STEM degrees, going far beyond just memorising facts. It rigorously builds analytical thinking, complex problem-solving abilities, and the skill of precise data evaluation—all things that help a young person feel capable and prepared for their next big step.
These skills are put to the test in Paper 3 and throughout the Practical Endorsement. For example, during a core practical on the resistivity of a wire, your child won’t just be following a recipe. They’ll be expected to critique their own method, calculate the percentage uncertainty in their results, and suggest genuine improvements to their experimental design.
This is precisely what's expected of a first-year undergraduate scientist. By mastering these skills, your child proves they are not just knowledgeable, but are an independent, critical thinker ready for the challenges of higher education. It makes them a highly competitive and well-prepared applicant for the best science and engineering courses, ready to follow their dreams.
At Queens Online School, we believe a world-class education should be built around your child. We combine the academic rigour of the Edexcel syllabus with personalised, compassionate teaching that nurtures confidence and a genuine love for learning. Discover how our online A-Level Physics course can help your child achieve their full potential by visiting us at https://queensonlineschool.com.