A-level Physics

We provide one-to-one lessons online or at home for school pupils aged 7–18, with DBS-checked qualified tutors and progress reports for parents. This page is about A-level Physics: the mechanics, electricity, waves, fields, particles and practical questions that Year 12 and Year 13 students meet on their exam board specification. Lessons are one-to-one, so the pace is set by your child rather than by a class. We work on screen with a shared whiteboard, draw diagrams, rearrange equations line by line, and work through past paper questions together.

Physics rewards patience. A student who can quote a formula but cannot explain why a ball follows a curve will struggle on longer questions. Our job is to close that gap. We teach the reasoning, then the algebra, then the exam technique. Every lesson is recorded in notes you can revisit, and every parent receives a detailed progress report that says what was covered, what is now secure and what still needs work.

What A-level Physics tuition covers

We do not teach a generic physics course. The lesson plan follows the specification your child sits: AQA, OCR, Edexcel or WJEC. That matters because the wording of a six-mark explanation question changes between boards. In a typical half term we might cover moments and momentum, then internal resistance, then Young's modulus, then wave interference, depending on where the school has got to and where the mock paper exposed a gap. The session can be a re-teach, a homework rescue, a run through a tricky required practical, or a timed question under exam conditions. You do not need to choose a package before we have spoken.

Who it suits and who it does not

This course suits a Year 12 or Year 13 student who is studying A-level Physics and wants regular one-to-one attention. It works well in a few common situations:

• A topic was missed through illness, a school move or a timetable clash.
• A January mock exposed a gap in mechanics, electricity or fields.
• The student can do the maths but writes thin explanations for longer questions.
• The student understands each topic alone but freezes when a question combines two.

It is less useful if you want a large group revision session, a crash course the night before Paper 1, or a replacement for school attendance. We are a tutoring service, not a school. We cannot write coursework or predict grades. If your child is not yet in Year 12, our Key Stage 3 Science or GCSE Science pages are a better fit. A-level Physics assumes confidence with rearranging equations, standard form and graphs.

How a lesson works, step by step

Before the lesson

You send us the exam board, the topic, and any marked paper or school assessment. We ask for the question numbers your child found hard, not just the score. That lets us prepare a short starter question and a main task before the lesson begins. If your child has a test on Friday, say so when you book. We will not promise a turnaround time, but we will tell you what we can fit in.

During the lesson

Lessons run online with a shared screen. Your child can write on the whiteboard, or we can draw while they talk through the method. For a mechanics question we sketch the forces, label the direction of motion, then choose the equation. For an electricity question we redraw the circuit, mark the meter positions, and check the units before the numbers go in. Past paper questions are worked through together, not left as silent homework. The tutor asks your child to explain the step back in their own words, because a correct answer with a shaky reason will not survive a six-mark question.

After the lesson

You receive recorded lesson notes and detailed parent progress reports. The notes show the diagrams, equations and question numbers covered, so revision later does not depend on memory. The report says what was secure and what was wobbly, plus what we will do next. We keep the same record across lessons, which is useful when a parent, a tutor and a school teacher are all trying to help.

What your child brings and what we prepare

Your child needs a quiet space, a laptop or tablet, a microphone, paper, a pen, and a calculator with standard form. A graphics calculator is not required. It helps to have the exam board formula sheet to hand, plus the school exercise book or folder. If lessons take place at home, we ask for the same basics: a table, good light, and the relevant past paper. We bring the specification, a bank of past paper questions, worked solutions, and a plan for the next four to six weeks.

We also bring the team. Our online team is made up of graduate tutors with subject degrees, overseen by an experienced head of sciences who began by tutoring sixth formers online and now coordinates the science teaching. That structure matters when a question moves from mechanics into fields, or from electricity into materials. You get a tutor who knows the subject, and a second layer of oversight when a plan needs adjusting.

What affects timing and the price

Fees are on request. We confirm the current rate when you book, along with the lesson length and any block arrangement that applies. Several things affect the plan. The exam board and tier matter, because some specifications have more maths-heavy questions than others. The number of weeks between now and the exam matters, especially if you are booking after the January mocks. The frequency matters: a weekly lesson gives time to revisit a topic, while a fortnightly lesson tends to work best for targeted question practice. The amount of past paper marking also affects how we use the time.

Value is not only the hourly rate. A low hourly rate can look attractive until marking, reports or resources are charged separately. Ask what is included before you compare. Every lesson includes recorded notes and a parent progress report, plus a short plan for the next session. You are paying for one-to-one attention, not a seat in a hall. If you are comparing options, ask how often reports arrive and whether the tutor has subject-specific knowledge. We are happy to answer those questions before you commit. Call Sound Footing Tuition on +44 161 6306222 or email [email protected].

Questions parents ask

Can lessons focus only on past papers?

Yes, if the basics are secure. A past paper lesson works best when we have seen the marked script first. We can spend the hour on question timing, command words and the places where marks are usually lost. If the script shows a gap in the underlying physics, we will say so and build in a short re-teach.

Is online tuition as good as face to face?

For physics, the shared screen has an advantage: diagrams can be redrawn, equations can be edited, and the whole lesson can be saved as notes. Some families still prefer home lessons, and one-to-one lessons online or at home are both available. The format should follow what helps your child concentrate.

How often should we book?

Most sixth formers benefit from a weekly lesson in the run-up to mocks, then a short block before the summer exams. A fortnightly pattern can work for a student who is on track and wants question practice. We will recommend a rhythm after the first lesson, not before.

Do you teach outside A-level Physics?

We teach maths, English and science for school pupils aged 7–18. Within A-level science we also cover chemistry and biology, and we run an A-level Past Paper Review. If you are unsure which course fits, tell us the exam board and the topic that is causing friction.