Philippa

Well done to all the 2024 A Level Physicists! Seems like a nice paper 3 and Turning Points, tricky but fair and it rewards hard work. Nearly summer ☀️.... #aqaphysics #alevelphysics #physicspaper3 #physics

@ToherPhysics Yes please, currently aqa

PHYSICS TEACHERS if anybody is changing exam boards to Pearson Edexcel please get in touch. I am happy to share a wealth of resources I have accumulated over the years!!

@TheMarescaEra @ChatPhysics Rightly so. But remember the grade boundaries will be adjusted so you should still get the grade you were expecting. You have to pick yourself up ready for paper 3

@PMWynne @ChatPhysics my teacher is disgusted

Another ridiculous paper from AQA. Students coming out feeling dejected and that their two years of study have not mattered. This shouldn't be their lasting memory of physics. Really disappointed #aqaphysics #paper2 #alevelphysics @ChatPhysics #aqapaper2 #physics

@ChatPhysics Sorry, I made a sweeping generalisation. The students I teach (~40) thought it was fair, and are happy and positive going into paper 2

Nicer A Level Physics paper 1 this year. Seems to be the right level of challenge. Knowledge based written questions, some higher algebra and reasoning. Students are happy 😊 #physics #paper1 #aqaphysics @ChatPhysics #alevelphysics

A Level Physics Job Alert tes.com/jobs/vacancy/l… New lab on the way, well resourced, lovely co-worker 😇 FT or PT #chatphysics @ChatPhysics #alevelphysics

@DrBARAndrews @BenyohaiPhysics @CurlyMan66 Why bother having 1,2,3 if we call them all fails? Surely a level would be better, with no pass/fail, and then what level is needed to others to a level. I'd rather an overhaul of the system but if not....

3D printing quarks ready for next year's particle physics topic. Hoping it'll be a good visual aid for combining quarks #chatphysics #alevelphyiscs #physics #3dprinting

The chances of a girl from a single sex school going on to enter A-Level physics are around 3.1 times higher than those of a girl from a mixed school. But how much of this is to do with the single sex environment and how much with other factors? ffteducationdatalab.org.uk/2023/07/why-ar…

Around 2% of female pupils in mixed schools go on to enter A-Level physics. But in single sex schools it's nearly 6%. ffteducationdatalab.org.uk/2023/07/why-ar…

@jamesrwynne @ASCL_UK Let's bee united

Fellow teachers, let's stand united. Finally posted my @ASCL_UK ballot back today. Time for action to #SaveOurSchools

@edmunds_dr @chagsy6 Standing vertical jump female record seems to be ~80cm. I managed nowhere near that (unfit female) but my athletic male students weren't close either

@PMWynne @chagsy6 Yeah tbh, I guess for this question I used knowledge outside of physics. I used to be a sprinter & knew what a reasonable box jump was. The option lower that gave something like 20cm is way too low

Just in case anybody else is complaining to AQA about their A level papers this year: I'm absolutely sure that there is no correct option to question 18 in paper 1. Worth going over it yourself and checking - I'm going to go over papers 2 and 3 today.

@edmunds_dr @chagsy6 For a standing vertical jump?

@PMWynne @chagsy6 I mean the high jump world record is over 2m. Half that seems reasonable to me

@edmunds_dr @chagsy6 😂 this caused huge debate. I couldn't have done it without standing up and jumping. Highly improbable she could move her centre of mass 1m.

@chagsy6 I had a 1m jump as the estimate, which came out at 4.4m/s so I picked 4m/s

@gavbrown1979 @ChatPhysics @Hookean1 I'm feeling the same. Probably it'll be 2024 intake that I'll make the switch with.

Having taught AQA A Level physics for 18 years, I am seriously considering OCR. Looking at the recent papers I feel they re written at a far more appropriate level.@ChatPhysics @Hookean1 Can anyone who has made this change in recent years give me feedback ony found it

@harmsy @ChatPhysics I agree that it was unfair, it's really thrown some of mine, particularly the hard working ones who feel like their hard work have paid off in the exam. I'm thinking of switching, what makes you think changes will not be far away?

@ChatPhysics Unfair. Considering options and actively looking at alternatives, but conscious that changes will not be too far away (ultimately).

There has been much discussion about 2023 A level Physics papers, especially from AQA - papers too dissimilar to previous papers, or too challenging etc. How did you feel overall and are you intending to do anything about it?

@vievewright @STEMyBanda @Ms_D_Sci @ChatPhysics 3A was too difficult. I'm considering a change of exam board because I don't think it's right to put my students through what AQA papers put them through. Hard working, intelligent students finding it inaccessible is not what you want after a 2 year course

@CurnowPhysics @MrCPhys @legophysicsguy They have examwizard. Not as user friendly but good enough. I'm AQA but feel really let down this year

@MrCPhys @legophysicsguy That's useful. Does Edexcel have anything that comes close to exam pro for ease of use?

How did your students find A Level Physics Paper 3?

@cossettej Tried this today and thought it was great for collaboration and thinking. Great idea, thank you

It's MCwordle season!! Five more days before the IB Physics Exams!! 😬 Details about MCwordle for collaborative Multiple Choice practice on the blog for anyone who hasn't tried the "fastest growing game in the nation" yet 😉 passionatelycurioussci.weebly.com/blog/mcwordle-…