WHERE PHYSICS STUDENTS ACTUALLY GET STUCK
Most Physics struggles are Maths application struggles. Knowing this changes how you fix them.
Students who say they are bad at Physics are usually not confused by the concepts. They understand what force is. They know that speed equals distance divided by time. What they cannot do reliably is rearrange the equation under pressure, substitute the correct values, give the answer in the right unit, and move on to the next part of the question without losing their thread.
This is a Maths fluency problem that shows up as a Physics problem. It is also one of the most solvable problems in GCSE and A Level revision, because it responds directly to structured, repeated practice with the specific equations and calculation types that come up in exams.
A Tugo Physics session always works at both levels. We address the physics understanding and the mathematical application that brings it to the page.
If your child is also taking GCSE or A Level Maths with Tugo, the method is consistent across both subjects. Spaced repetition, retrieval practice, and interleaving work in the same way. The skills transfer.
WHY GROUP LEARNING WORKS FOR PHYSICS
Physics problems are solved differently by different students. Watching someone else's approach is one of the best ways to improve your own.
When students work through a forces question, they rarely all set up their diagram the same way. Some will resolve forces immediately. Others will try to work without a diagram and get stuck. Watching the tutor explain why one approach works more reliably, and hearing a peer describe how they thought about it, builds flexible problem-solving in a way that individual tuition simply cannot replicate.
Physics also has a specific benefit from group discussion: units. Students who are corrected once for getting their units wrong will often make the same error two weeks later. But students who have to explain their unit reasoning out loud to a peer, and get it checked by the group, are far less likely to drop marks on units in the exam.
All Tugo Physics groups typically have 3-6 students per session.
PHYSICS AND MATHS TOGETHER
Taking Maths and Physics? Your sessions share the same method.
Many students taking Physics at GCSE or A Level are also taking Maths. At Tugo, both subjects use exactly the same cognitive science approach: spaced repetition, retrieval practice, and interleaving. Skills practised in Maths sessions directly support Physics sessions and vice versa.
If your child is enrolled in both, their tutors coordinate on where algebraic gaps are appearing in Physics so that Maths sessions can reinforce the specific skills that are causing Physics to break down. This joined-up approach is not available from most tutoring platforms. It is one of the practical advantages of having a consistent method across subjects.
See our GCSE and A Level Maths page for details on Maths classes.
THE TUGO METHOD IN PHYSICS
How we structure Physics sessions for lasting exam performance
Retrieval practice for equations and definitions
Every Tugo Physics session begins with a retrieval exercise. Students write down the equation for wave speed before they look at their notes. They state the definition of acceleration. They explain Newton's second law in their own words. This is not a test in the traditional sense. The retrieval itself is the learning mechanism. Students who regularly practise recalling Physics equations and definitions retain them at significantly higher rates than students who re-read equation sheets.
Spaced repetition for Physics content
Forces covered in September will be revisited in November, then again in February, then before the exam. Energy introduced in October will come back in December alongside efficiency and power calculations. This structured revisiting is built into every Tugo Physics course so that no topic is left behind. By exam time, every major topic has been consolidated multiple times rather than taught once and forgotten.
Interleaving Physics and Maths skills
We mix question types deliberately within sessions. A waves question follows a forces calculation. A graph interpretation question is followed by an electricity question. This mirrors the format of GCSE and A Level Physics papers and prepares students for the cognitive demand of switching between topic areas under time pressure. It is harder in the short term and produces significantly stronger exam performance in the long term.
WHAT WE COVER
GCSE and A Level Physics: topics and exam boards
GCSE Physics (Year 9 to Year 11)
We cover the full specification for AQA, Edexcel, and OCR across both Triple Science and Combined Science. Topics include:
- Forces: Newton's laws, resultant forces, moments, pressure, force-extension
- Motion: speed, velocity, acceleration, distance-time and velocity-time graphs
- Energy: stores and transfers, efficiency, energy resources
- Waves: transverse and longitudinal, reflection, refraction, sound, light, EM spectrum
- Electricity: circuits, resistance, current, potential difference, domestic electricity
- Magnetism and electromagnetism: motors, generators, transformers
- Particle model of matter: density, changes of state, specific heat capacity, gas pressure
- Atomic structure: radioactivity, nuclear equations, half-life, nuclear fission and fusion
A Level Physics (Year 12 and Year 13)
We cover AQA, OCR A, and Edexcel A Level Physics. A Level content extends substantially beyond GCSE and includes:
- Measurements and their errors
- Mechanics: kinematics, dynamics, energy, momentum, circular motion
- Materials: bulk properties, Young modulus
- Waves and optics: interference, diffraction, superposition
- Electricity: circuits, resistivity, EMF and internal resistance
- Further mechanics: simple harmonic motion, resonance
- Fields: gravitational, electric, magnetic, electromagnetic induction
- Nuclear and particle physics: radioactive decay, nuclear energy, fundamental particles
- Astrophysics and cosmology (where applicable to specification)
UPCOMING CLASSES
Reserve your free Physics spot
COMMON QUESTIONS
Physics tutoring: your questions answered
Why do students struggle with A Level Physics?
A Level Physics demands both a deep conceptual understanding and strong mathematical fluency at the same time. Students who found GCSE Physics manageable often find that A Level requires them to apply maths skills they have not yet fully consolidated, particularly in areas like circular motion, fields, and simple harmonic motion. The volume of content also increases significantly. Early tutoring support in Year 12, before gaps accumulate, is particularly effective for A Level Physics.
How much Maths is needed for GCSE Physics?
GCSE Physics requires approximately 30 percent of marks to involve mathematical skills. These include substituting values into equations, rearranging formulae, calculating using standard form, interpreting graphs, and working with SI units. Students who are confident in these areas of Maths have a significant advantage in Physics. Where algebraic or numerical skills are weak, they will limit Physics performance regardless of how well the Physics concepts themselves are understood.
What are the most tested topics in GCSE Physics?
Forces, energy, and electricity consistently appear across all GCSE Physics papers and at the highest mark allocations. Waves, particularly in relation to the electromagnetic spectrum, and atomic structure and radioactivity are also regularly tested with six-mark extended response questions. Retrieval practice for key equations in these areas, and consistent practice of required practical questions, produces the strongest exam results.
Does group tutoring work for Physics?
Yes, and it is particularly effective for Physics because problem-solving approaches vary so much between students. In a small group, students see multiple ways of setting up and solving the same problem. They are asked to explain their reasoning, which is the same skill they need to demonstrate in extended response exam questions. All of this happens within sessions led by a trained Physics tutor who knows the mark scheme in detail.
How does retrieval practice improve Physics results?
Retrieval practice involves testing recall of information before reviewing it, rather than reviewing it first. For Physics, this means writing out the equation for kinetic energy from memory, stating what each variable represents, and applying it to a question before opening any notes. Research consistently shows that students who regularly practise retrieval retain information at significantly higher rates than students who review the same material passively. We build retrieval into every Tugo Physics session as a core structural element.
Can Tugo help with both Maths and Physics together?
Yes. Tugo runs separate GCSE and A Level Maths and Physics sessions, both using the same cognitive science method. Students enrolled in both benefit from a joined-up approach where the mathematical skills covered in Maths sessions reinforce the calculation work needed in Physics. If you are interested in enrolling your child in both subjects, get in touch and we will help you plan a session schedule that avoids clashes.