The Physics Department at Westcliff High School for Boys (WHSB) has been a high performing Department for many years. We have had consistently outstanding results in GCSE and Advanced Level Physics. The Department has grown considerably over recent years and currently runs five groups at Advanced Level. Currently there are 65 students studying Physics in Year 12 and 35 studying Physics in Year 13. At GCSE, 185 pupils study the AQA GCSE Physics course.
The Physics Department also plays an important role in the extra-curricular life of the School. The Department offers a variety of additional clubs which pupils can attend, aimed at assisting those in need of support or extending the more able. We have a particularly effective mentoring scheme, in which Year 12 and Year 13 students mentor younger pupils. Students in Year 13 also sit the Physics Olympiad organised by the British Physics Olympiad (BPhO), and are often awarded gold medals. Further to this, we offer our students the opportunity to visit CERN in Geneva to see the Large Hadron Collider, and to Sizewell B to see inside a nuclear power station.
This post would be suitable for Early Career Teachers or a more experienced teacher. Equally we would be pleased to have applications from Physics/Engineering graduates who are interested in teaching.
ACCOMMODATION AND FACILITIES
The Physics Department occupies four laboratories. Two for Lower and Middle-School pupils within the Science building, and two for A-Level students in the Sixth Form Building. The Science building has undergone a considerable refurbishment and now offers the most up-to-date facilities and an attractive teaching environment. On a practical level, the Physics Department is well stocked and resourced.
CURRICULUM
In the Lower School (Years 7-9) syllabus in Physics, pupils learn about the fundamentals of forces and energy. In Year 8 pupils apply what they have learned to contexts such as electricity and magnetism. In Year 9, pupils study waves and space physics, as well as more advanced mechanics topics.
The AQA Physics GCSE curriculum follows on from the work that has been completed in the Lower School, both consolidating parts of it that have previously been covered to GCSE Level but also extending other parts so pupils can access the GCSE ‘9’ grade.
In the Sixth Form, students can choose to study AQA Advanced Level Physics if they attained a Level 7, 8 or 9 in GCSE Physics.
At all divisions in Physics, the Department devotes time to the development of examination technique and regularly assesses students so they are best placed to succeed in Public Examinations.
The Physics Department also has a long-standing association with the University of Cambridge involving the delivery of ‘Isaac Science’.
EXAMINATION RESULTS
Results in all Public Examinations are outstanding and those who choose to continue their study of Physics at University generally do so at established Universities, including the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
In Summer 2025, 68% of candidates at Advanced Level were awarded A*-B grades. At GCSE, in the Summer of 2025, 79% of pupils were graded at 9-7 with 38% being awarded grade ‘9’.