13 May 2024

What is a subject knowledge enhancement course?

So, you want to be a teacher? Worried that you aren’t clued up enough about your subject? Do you need to enhance your knowledge before you start your training? Read on to find out more about Subject Knowledge Enhancements (SKEs) courses.

What is a Subject Knowledge Enhancement course?

SKE is a scheme started by the Department for Education (DfE) to boost teacher numbers in shortage subjects. SKE courses aim to make teaching a viable career path for all graduates. Before you embark on Initial Teacher Training (ITT), you may be asked to brush up on your skills to bring them up to secondary school teaching level before you start the programme.

For some, this may be done through a SKE course.

Who might need to do an SKE?

You may need to do this because:

You finished your degree more than five years ago.
Your degree is in a different but related field to the subject you want to teach but is not the exact subject or course.
You have an A level in the subject you want to teach, but not a degree.
Your degree is in a different field, but you have relevant work experience.
You studied languages at university, but you need to improve your knowledge in either your main language, your second language, or both to be able to teach them well in schools.

What’s the benefit of an SKE?

Taking an SKE course will allow those with the potential to become outstanding teachers but who need to increase their subject knowledge.

They have four main benefits:

They give us confidence that you fully understand your subject enough to be able to teach it
They build your confidence in your subject knowledge too.
They also allow a route into teaching a subject for those people who may have an A-Level in the area but not a degree.
They look at the whole person, rather than just their degree or A Level qualifications

They are particularly good for career changers and also helps recruit teachers in areas where there is a shortage.

How to do an SKE course

If we believe you need to boost your understanding of the subject, we may ask you to take an SKE course.

Some SKE courses are funded by the Department for Education (DfE). You can pick the SKE course provider, but we can offer guidance in selecting the best choice for you.

What subjects can I do an SKE in?

SKE courses are currently offered in five secondary school subjects:

chemistry
computing
languages
mathematics
physics.

How do SKE courses work?

Courses are usually online, but some may be classroom-based or a mix of both.

The courses can last from eight to 28 weeks, for 25 hours each week. Your provider will decide how long your course should be based on what you need to learn to plug the gap in your knowledge. Different providers offer different lengths of courses.

You can take the course part-time, spreading it out over a longer period, or go for a shorter, more intense, schedule with more hours per week. Your provider can talk to you about what works best for you.

When should you complete your course?

You need to finish your course before you start your teacher training. If you're running short on time, we may consider allowing you to complete the course alongside your teacher training. However, if you're getting an SKE bursary, you won't receive payments once your teacher training begins.

How to get an SKE bursary

If you begin your teacher training between September 2023 and July 2024, you may also qualify for a bursary of £175 per week to help with your SKE course.

Completing your SKE course with compressed hours may affect the amount of bursary you receive. How and when you receive your bursary will depend on your training provider.

You can use your SKE bursary to cover additional expenses while studying, such as making up for lost income.

To be eligible you’ll need (one of the following):

a bachelor’s degree class 2:2 or above
a master’s degree
a PhD

You can continue your SKE course while doing your teacher training, but you'll only get the SKE bursary until your teacher training course begins. Once your teacher training starts, you may qualify for other financial support, like a subject bursary or tuition fee loan.

Non-UK citizens who are training to teach physics or modern foreign languages may still qualify for an SKE bursary.

Applicants who have a degree in their chosen ITT subject awarded in the previous five years are not eligible for a funded SKE course.