DipHE Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE18) course in Physics or Chemistry
Full-time
This course is subject to reapproval
Location • City Campus
Subject area • Teacher education
Related subjects • Education studies
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Find out why our teaching placements are unique and highly praised by Ofsted.
Watch videos of trainee teachers and mentors talking about teaching placements.
Helping you to secure a teaching job after your teacher training
Hear what local pupils think about becoming a great teacher.
A prestigious physics scholarship has been awarded to a Sheffield Hallam student. Read more about it.
View profiles of students on this course
If you would really like to teach science but don’t have all the qualifications required to study one of our PGCE courses, the DipHE Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) in Physics or Chemistry could be the answer.
This is a full-time (36-week) course for graduates who need to deepen their knowledge in order to train to teach chemistry or physics. It enhances your skills in chemistry or physics and introduces you to the skills you need to be an effective and successful teacher.
Great news about funding
The government is encouraging more science teachers to come forward, which is why this course is currently funded by the Department for Education Teaching Agency.
Work towards teacher-training at Sheffield Hallam
Successfully completing this SKE course updates your knowledge prior to you enrolling on a one-year PGCE Secondary Science course in physics or chemistry at Sheffield Hallam or another refering university (subject to passing the two pre-entry QTS skills tests in numeracy and literacy). To be accepted onto this course, you need to have already been successful in your application for a relevant PGCE course at Sheffield Hallam University or at another provider of Science Initial Teacher Education and you may have been set successful completion of this course as a condition for entry onto a PGCE.
Learn in a variety of ways and settings
This SKE course involves studying for one year at our City Campus, right in the heart of Sheffield. We help you to develop your subject knowledge and your confidence using a range of teaching and learning strategies enhanced by practical work, field study and school visits.
Progress from Key Stages 3 to 5
We will begin by preparing you for teaching science at Key Stage 3, by enhancing your knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of biology, chemistry and physics. We will then help you to focus on teaching your chosen science subject at Key Stages 4 and 5, by studying 2 specialist chemistry or physics modules
Develop broader skills
Throughout the year, you will also take modules covering ICT and mathematics for science teachers, and the nature of science. The science in schools and exploring science education modules, along with other initiatives, offer you opportunities to work with schools and children.
You may be eligible to receive a bursary of up to £7,200 while on the course. Please visit the Department for Education Teaching Agency for more information.
Find out more about DipHE Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE18) course in Physics or Chemistry
Related courses
One year full-time
To apply for this course contact please contact the admissions office. Phone 0114 225 5555 or email admissions@shu.ac.uk
The course fee may be subject to annual inflationary increase. For further information on fees and funding see www.shu.ac.uk/funding
Your knowledge and understanding is enhanced by practical work, field study and school visits
Great teacher training placements
'The most important element of teaching that my pupils have taught me is how to differentiate and make learning accessible to all and on an individual level.'
Laura Scales, trainee teacher
We believe that teaching is all about the learner. That's why we've invested heavily in building a great network of teacher-training placements.
A unique approach to placements
We provide our trainee teachers with two contrasting placements, providing access to a wide range of different learners. This furnishes them with the practical skills and experience they need to manage behaviour and control the classroom; it also provides the opportunity to refine their teaching styles.
Support while on placement
In 2010, Ofsted commented on the 'exceptional quality of senior mentor coordinators' at Sheffield Hallam. We pride ourselves on the outstanding levels of support we offer to our trainee teachers while on placement. The support you receive may differ, depending on your route into teaching, but usually consists of University tutors, trained mentors in each placement context, your course peers and other educational professionals.
Mutually beneficial placements
We work with our placement partners to our mutual advantage
• they provide superb placement opportunities for our trainee teachers
• they help us with the development of our courses, so that they're always up to date and practically relevant
• they enable our students to put into practice the latest research and innovative teaching practices
Watch videos of our students of our students talking about their teaching placements.
Amy Bagnall (2:39)
Hear about the types of support we provide for you on teaching placements.
Laura Scales (2:07)
Hear how our teaching placements help you to put learning into practice.
Beccy Buck (1:21)
One of our mentor co-ordinators talks about what it takes to make a great teacher.
More videos
Amy Bagnall (2:39)
Hear about the types of support we provide for you on teaching placements.
Laura Scales (2:07)
Hear how our teaching placements help you to put learning into practice.
Beccy Buck (1:21)
One of our mentor co-ordinators talks about what it takes to make a great teacher.
Career prospects for trainee teachers
96% of trainee teachers are working or in further study within six months of completing their courses.
At Sheffield Hallam University, we work hard to prepare our trainee teachers for a great job after graduating and for a really rewarding long-term teaching career. Because of the high standard of our training and our great reputation for producing fantastic teachers, our students enjoy excellent prospects on graduation.
Fast-track careers
Our graduate teachers have a strong track record of progressing into more senior positions of responsibility, sometimes within as little as a year of graduating.
Sought-after skills and experience
Our unique approach to teaching practice and placements means that our graduates have superb classroom experience – which makes them very attractive to potential employers. Plus, our students benefit from the highest quality
'Trainees gain the confidence to quickly take on subject leadership, and gain promotion often at the end of their induction year' (Ofsted, 2010).
research and innovative practice, which means they graduate with a high standard of teaching ability.
Careers and employment
We offer a wide range of support services for students both while they're with us to develop their employability and career-management skills and when they're looking for a job after graduation.
Services include
• experienced careers advisers
• a programme of careers-related events including recruitment fairs and employer presentations
• netWORK, which advertises hundreds of graduate vacancies online
• Impact, our career coaching and employer mentoring scheme
• an international students' job club
Here's what a group of year 10 and 11 pupils think about great teaching.
'It's a give and take relationship isn't it? They teach us. The least we can give back is respect them, give them the status as a teacher which gives them confidence and helps everyone progress more really.'
Here's what a group of year 10 and 11 pupils think about great teaching.
'If you can tell that a teacher cares about the subject they're teaching and cares about the students, then the students are more likely to learn and listen to them. They give you respect and we give it back'
Here's what a group of year 10 and 11 pupils think about great teaching.
'Everyone's got different learning styles so teachers have to adapt to how people learn best'
Here's what a group of year 10 and 11 pupils think about great teaching.
'There's different techniques you can use. There's a variety that kids can benefit from. If I was a teacher I'd want to not just stick to one style of teaching. I'd do lots of different methods'
Here's what a group of year 10 and 11 pupils think about great teaching.
'You've got to have that practical element to teaching as well as words. It's a different side of teaching that kids don't expect'
Here's what a group of year 10 and 11 pupils think about great teaching.
'Trainee teachers bring a new style to it. Bringing something new really brightens it up and makes a good change'
A student has received a £20,000 scholarship to enable her to complete the transition from property law to physics teacher. Sarah Hutton, from Eckington, Sheffield, is one of two Sheffield Hallam University students who have received the five-figure scholarship from the Institute of Physics (IOP).
Sarah has just completed a 12-month subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) course in physics at Sheffield Hallam in advance of starting a PGCE in physics in September.
Sarah, 31, who also has a masters in genetic epidemiology, began her career as a patent attorney but made a career switch after starting a family.
She said: "I applied for the funding because I didn't have anything to lose. It's fantastic to receive this financial support as I continue my studies."
Post-graduate student Harry Fitzwilliam-Pipe, 23, also receives the £20,000 scholarship. Sarah and Harry are among only 100 people across the country to receive the award, after successfully attending an assessment day at the Institute of Physics in London.
Fiona Leonard, subject group leader for secondary science initial teacher education said the award of two scholarships demonstrated the quality of the SKE course at Sheffield Hallam, as Sarah and Harry were in competition with physics graduates for a limited number of scholarships.
She said: "These are prestigious scholarships and the selection procedure is very rigorous. Sarah and Harry had to attend an assessment day at the Institute of Physics in London and undergo a series of tests and interviews.
"To be successful means excelling at three levels: submitting an application that dares to be different, proving your outstanding subject knowledge and standing out from the crowd at an assessment day. The IOP teacher training scholarships are only for those who are ready for to begin a remarkable journey."
Tim Randell
Graduate, DipHE Subject Knowledge Enhancement course in Physics or Chemistry
I am currently teaching in Rugby, Warwickshire at Ashlawn Academy, an Ofsted outstanding school and former science college.
Before studying the SKE at Sheffield Hallam I was at the University of Sheffield where I did a BSc in Geography and an MSc in Polar and Alpine Change. I thought I always wanted to be a Geography Teacher but the university courses made me realise it was the science aspects I liked.
The SKE gave me the competence in all three sciences that I need and the confidence to be able to teach these subjects at GCSE level for Biology and Physics and A-level Chemistry and allowed me to move on to study a PGCE.
The way in which the SKE was taught meant that as well as gaining subject knowledge I also looked at different lesson strategies and gave me first-hand experience of being in a school one day a week placement in a school.
The course also allowed me to meet likeminded, mature people that had the experience of working in industry and other science related professions. This helped throughout the PGCE as I had a solid base of people that I could turn to for guidance and who also had a range of different subject specialisms.
Nothing can totally prepare you for the challenges of the first year of teaching as it is long hours and all consuming. However, I feel I am well equipped with the skills learnt on the SKE and PGCE that allow me to develop sequences of lessons which facilitate effective pupil learning.
Rebecca Kay
Graduate, DipHE Subject Knowledge Enhancement course in Physics or Chemistry
Before studying an SKE at Sheffield Hallam, I worked in HR for 20 years in the food industry and engineering industry. I was the HR Director of a lighting business and took redundancy in 2010.
My first degree was psychology, but with A levels in physics, chemistry and maths, I had always has a leaning towards science. I really enjoyed jobs that I did in training and my responsibilities through my career included roles in graduate and management training. In 2002 I became a school governor and had toyed with the idea of teaching for several years before biting the bullet. My redundancy package helped me fund myself through the course.
SKE really helped me prepare for my PGCE. My science knowledge wasn't bad but was very rusty and the course really helped me think about how I teach each aspect of GCSE and A level best. I have used a large amount of what I have been taught and the knowledge I gained on the SKE year specifically continues to be useful in many ways. For example astronomy was new to me and I thoroughly enjoyed learning new things in such a practical way. I also really appreciated all the opportunities we had during the course to apply what we were learning in schools.
The course was a nice size too, enough people to be able to learn from each other and support each other but small enough to be able to get involved with the learning, ask questions and explore ideas. We all had different backgrounds and strengths and really supported each other well through the course. I have stayed in close contact with the friends I developed on the course and we continued to support each other through PGCE, job applications and into our NQT year.
Profiles
Tim Randell
Graduate, DipHE Subject Knowledge Enhancement course in Physics or Chemistry
Rebecca Kay
Graduate, DipHE Subject Knowledge Enhancement course in Physics or Chemistry
