UK Curriculum · Year 12 Physics · AS-Level (AQA)

Year 12 Physics Lesson Plan & Curriculum Map

A full-year Year 12 AS-Level Physics scheme of work following the AQA specification. Each week sets out the key concepts and a practical activity, from particles and radiation, quarks and leptons and wave properties through forces, motion, materials and electricity, then AS consolidation, the AS exams and bridging work on fields and thermal physics. Lessons are planned for 1, 2 or 3 days a week.

Explore lesson map Book a free trial

3Terms

48Weekly checkpoints

1-on-1Tutor support

Interactive curriculum browser

Year 12 Physics learning map

Choose a term, then compare a lighter weekly plan with a more intensive schedule.

1 day/week · steady pace2–3 days/week · guided practice

September · Particles and Radiation (Matter and Atoms)

Year 12 Physics — September Lesson Plan

AS-Level Physics (AQA)

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week
September 1st week (Physics)	Constituents of the atom Protons, neutrons, electrons, specific charge	Constituents of the atom Protons, neutrons, electrons, specific charge Activity: Calculate specific charge for various ions and isotopes	Constituents of the atom Protons, neutrons, electrons, specific charge Activity: Calculate specific charge for various ions and isotopes Exam-style questions
September 2nd week (Physics)	Stable and unstable nuclei Strong nuclear force, isotopes, radioactive decay	Stable and unstable nuclei Strong nuclear force, isotopes, radioactive decay Activity: Graphing N against Z for stable nuclides	Stable and unstable nuclei Strong nuclear force, isotopes, radioactive decay Activity: Graphing N against Z for stable nuclides Exam-style questions
September 3rd week (Physics)	Photons and photoelectric effect Photon model, energy of a photon, threshold frequency	Photons and photoelectric effect Photon model, energy of a photon, threshold frequency Activity: Demonstration of photoelectric emission using zinc plate and UV lamp	Photons and photoelectric effect Photon model, energy of a photon, threshold frequency Activity: Demonstration of photoelectric emission using zinc plate and UV lamp Exam-style questions
September 4th week (Physics)	Wave-particle duality De Broglie wavelength, electron diffraction	Wave-particle duality De Broglie wavelength, electron diffraction Activity: Analyzing electron diffraction tube experiments	Wave-particle duality De Broglie wavelength, electron diffraction Activity: Analyzing electron diffraction tube experiments Exam-style questions Assessment: End-of-month topic test on particle calculations and homework problem sets

October · Particles and Radiation (Quarks and Leptons)

Year 12 Physics — October Lesson Plan

AS-Level Physics (AQA)

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week
October 1st week (Physics)	Particles and Antiparticles Positrons, annihilation, pair production	Particles and Antiparticles Positrons, annihilation, pair production Activity: Energy-mass conservation calculations	Particles and Antiparticles Positrons, annihilation, pair production Activity: Energy-mass conservation calculations Exam-style questions
October 2nd week (Physics)	Particle Interactions Exchange particles, virtual photons, Feynman diagrams for beta decay	Particle Interactions Exchange particles, virtual photons, Feynman diagrams for beta decay Activity: Drawing and interpreting Feynman diagrams	Particle Interactions Exchange particles, virtual photons, Feynman diagrams for beta decay Activity: Drawing and interpreting Feynman diagrams Exam-style questions
October 3rd week (Physics)	Quarks and Leptons Hadrons, leptons, baryon number, strangeness, quark model	Quarks and Leptons Hadrons, leptons, baryon number, strangeness, quark model Activity: Classifying particle reactions using conservation laws	Quarks and Leptons Hadrons, leptons, baryon number, strangeness, quark model Activity: Classifying particle reactions using conservation laws Exam-style questions
October 4th week (Physics)	Conservation Rules Conservation of charge, baryon number, lepton number, and strangeness	Conservation Rules Conservation of charge, baryon number, lepton number, and strangeness Activity: Problem-solving on allowed and forbidden particle decays	Conservation Rules Conservation of charge, baryon number, lepton number, and strangeness Activity: Problem-solving on allowed and forbidden particle decays Exam-style questions Assessment: Quizzes on quark composition and conservation rules

November · Waves and Optics (Wave Properties)

Year 12 Physics — November Lesson Plan

AS-Level Physics (AQA)

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week
November 1st week (Physics)	Progressive and Stationary Waves Transverse and longitudinal waves, phase difference, nodes and antinodes	Progressive and Stationary Waves Transverse and longitudinal waves, phase difference, nodes and antinodes Activity: Kundt's tube or string resonance experiment	Progressive and Stationary Waves Transverse and longitudinal waves, phase difference, nodes and antinodes Activity: Kundt's tube or string resonance experiment Exam-style questions
November 2nd week (Physics)	Refraction and Total Internal Reflection Snell's law, refractive index, critical angle	Refraction and Total Internal Reflection Snell's law, refractive index, critical angle Activity: Determining refractive index of glass block using ray boxes	Refraction and Total Internal Reflection Snell's law, refractive index, critical angle Activity: Determining refractive index of glass block using ray boxes Exam-style questions
November 3rd week (Physics)	Interference Path difference, coherence, Young's double-slit experiment	Interference Path difference, coherence, Young's double-slit experiment Activity: Measuring wavelength of laser light using double slits	Interference Path difference, coherence, Young's double-slit experiment Activity: Measuring wavelength of laser light using double slits Exam-style questions
November 4th week (Physics)	Diffraction and Diffraction Gratings Single slit diffraction, grating equation	Diffraction and Diffraction Gratings Single slit diffraction, grating equation Activity: Using diffraction grating to determine light wavelength	Diffraction and Diffraction Gratings Single slit diffraction, grating equation Activity: Using diffraction grating to determine light wavelength Exam-style questions Assessment: Required practical assessment report on interference and diffraction

December · Mechanics and Materials (Forces in Equilibrium)

Year 12 Physics — December Lesson Plan

AS-Level Physics (AQA)

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week
December 1st week (Physics)	Scalars and Vectors Resolving vectors, addition of vectors, perpendicular components	Scalars and Vectors Resolving vectors, addition of vectors, perpendicular components Activity: Force table experiment to find resultant vectors	Scalars and Vectors Resolving vectors, addition of vectors, perpendicular components Activity: Force table experiment to find resultant vectors Exam-style questions
December 2nd week (Physics)	Moments and Couples Principle of moments, torque of a couple	Moments and Couples Principle of moments, torque of a couple Activity: Determining weight of a uniform beam using pivot and balance	Moments and Couples Principle of moments, torque of a couple Activity: Determining weight of a uniform beam using pivot and balance Exam-style questions
December 3rd week (Physics)	Center of Mass Stability, center of gravity, tipping vs sliding	Center of Mass Stability, center of gravity, tipping vs sliding Activity: Finding center of mass of irregular lamina	Center of Mass Stability, center of gravity, tipping vs sliding Activity: Finding center of mass of irregular lamina Exam-style questions
December 4th week (Physics)	Section Review and Assessment Problem synthesis	Section Review and Assessment Problem synthesis Activity: Mock exam practice under timed conditions	Section Review and Assessment Problem synthesis Activity: Mock exam practice under timed conditions Exam-style questions Assessment: Mid-year formal examination covering Sections 1 to 3

The learning framework

Anatomy of a focused lesson

Each session moves from a clear focus to guided practice and a quick check for understanding.

10 minutes

Recall and connect

Open with prerequisite questions that connect the week’s topic to earlier AS and A-Level content.

25 minutes

Explain and apply

Develop the theory, then apply it to data analysis, calculations and extended-response questions.

10 minutes

Check for mastery

Finish with an exam-style question that shows progress towards top-grade answers.

Student learning toolkit

Resources for Year 12 Physics

Concept lessons

Focused lessons on each AS and A-Level specification topic.

Exam practice

A-Level style questions, timed tasks and past-paper practice matched to the plan.

Practical skills

Required practical activities, data handling and practical endorsement skills.

Progress notes

Detailed feedback on answers and exam technique, with clear next steps.

Free first lesson

Build a plan for Year 12 Physics

Tell us about your child’s A-Level course, exam board and target grade and we will shape the first lesson around them.

No credit card required
A one-to-one session with a certified Physics tutor
A recommended next-step study plan