𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬: 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐔.𝐊. 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲?

𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬: 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐔.𝐊. 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲? Transferring between education systems in different countries at any stage is bound to prove challenging, and it is wise to consider how well prepared your child is to embark on a GCSE physics course. Children educated in Asia are unlikely to have studied physics as a separate science. A Minerva Tutor can work with your child to help fill in gaps in subject knowledge. At the same time the tutor will introduce the principles of investigative work with a view to laying the groundwork for a successful start to his/her (I)GCSE course.

𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐂𝐒𝐄 Independent schools in the UK typically begin formal delivery of the (I)GCSE course at the start of Year 9, as it constitutes a natural progression for children who have been in the UK system up to that point. Indeed many children will already have had two years of Physics, Chemistry and Biology taught as separate sciences, often in a laboratory so that practical work may take place alongside theory lessons.

𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 Even before that, children will have studied ‘Science’ from a very young age, ‘experimenting’ with everyday items, asking questions, making predictions, planning a method for an investigation, making observations, obtaining and recording results, drawing conclusions and plotting graphs. Consequently, by the age of 13 the fundamental principles of scientific investigation are embedded. Then schools add the concepts of independent, dependent and control variables, fair testing, risk assessment, reliability of results, evaluation of data and consideration of bias and the validity of a conclusion.

𝐄𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Through this work children develop their ability to evaluate claims based on science by undertaking critical analysis of the methodology. Children entering Year 9 should be familiar with common laboratory apparatus as well as measuring techniques and physical quantities such as mass, weight, temperature, energy, power, speed, velocity, acceleration, moments, density and pressure as well as with their standard units of measurement. Some mathematical formulae (eg for calculating speed, density, pressure and the turning effect of a force) will have been introduced in Years 7 and 8, and familiarity with these would be an advantage.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐮𝐦 In terms of subject knowledge, the UK science curriculum for up to and including Year 8 introduces children to magnets, simple electric circuits, forces and motion, energy resources, the particle model of matter (solids, liquids and gases) and to an awareness of our place in the Universe. At this stage they will also be familiar with the use of models for helping us to understand how systems work.

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧: Email: valerie.weston@minervatuition.com Phone: +852 6156 5705. We would be delighted to hear from you.