Subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) courses are for graduates who want to train as secondary school teachers, but who must first develop their subject knowledge further.
It may be that your degree wasn’t in your chosen subject area, or perhaps you have relevant professional experience but need to learn how to apply that to teaching. Your PGCE or School Direct provider may refer you for SKE.
After successful completion of the course, you are expected to go straight into initial teacher training that leads to qualified teacher status (QTS). This can be at the University of Brighton or another institution.
We offer SKEs in the following subjects:
Location Brighton: Falmer
Duration 8–28 weeks
Biology
Our Biology SKE will prepare you for starting a secondary biology initial teacher training programme.
We offer courses with a duration of 8, 16 or 28 weeks depending on your individual needs. Course dates are flexible and begin between November and June each year.
The majority of the Biology SKE course is delivered through online learning, with one week of tuition at the Falmer campus in the summer.
Email Sian Williams for more information: sw241@brighton.ac.uk
Find out about Secondary Biology PGCE at the University of Brighton.
Chemistry
Our Chemistry SKE will prepare you for starting a secondary chemistry initial teacher training programme.
The majority of the Chemistry SKE course is delivered through online learning, with one week of tuition at the Falmer campus in the summer.
Find out about the Secondary Chemistry PGCE at the University of Brighton.
Mathematics
We offer a range of Mathematics SKE courses that will suit various applicants, including those with a keen enthusiasm for mathematics but who may not have high-level mathematics qualifications. Each course will prepare you for starting a mathematics initial teacher training programme.
Courses run for 8, 20 or 28-weeks with start dates in February and June each year for 8 and 20-week courses and November for 28 week courses. The length of your course will be determined by your own needs.
Find out about Secondary Mathematics PGCE at the University of Brighton
Long SKE (28 weeks)
Phase 1 (November) – Blended learningPhase 2 (February) – 2 days per week attendance at universityPhase 3 (May) – 2 days per week attendance at university
Medium SKE (20 weeks)
Phase 1 (February) – 2 days per week attendance at universityPhase 2 (May) – 2 days per week attendance at university
Short SKE (8 weeks)
Phase 1 (June) – Blended learning
Blended learning involves:
University attendance involves:
Physics
Our Physics SKE will prepare you for starting a secondary physics initial teacher training programme.
We offer courses with a duration of 8, 16 or 28 weeks depending on your individual needs. Course dates are flexible and start between November and June each year.
The majority of the Physics SKE course is delivered through online learning, with one week of tuition at the Falmer campus in the summer.
Find our more about our physic PGCE routes:
How to apply
For applicants looking to complete an SKE and ITT course with the University of Brighton
If you are applying for an Initial Teacher Training (ITT) course with the University of Brighton, there is no separate application process for the Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE). You can use the personal statement section of your UCAS Teacher Training application to highlight that you are interested in SKE.
If you are invited to interview for the ITT course, the SKE will be discussed at that time. For any offers made where the admissions tutor has identified a need for SKE, successful completion of the SKE will be one of the conditions of embarking upon the ITT course.
Check your ITT course of interest for full entry requirements. If you want to seek advice on whether your current degree makes you a suitable candidate for subject development via an SKE course, contact Sian Williams with details of your qualifications: sw241@brighton.ac.uk
For applicants looking to complete an SKE with the University of Brighton prior to an ITT course with another institution
If you are holding an offer for an ITT course with another institution and this offer is conditional upon first completing an SKE, then it is possible to make a direct application to the University of Brighton for the SKE course. Please print the form, complete your details and send to:
Sian WilliamsUniversity of BrightonCheckland Building E349Village WayFalmerBrightonBN1 9PH.
Include the following information with your application:
Please note that you will not need to provide separate references with this application and will therefore not need to complete section 10 (referees' names and addresses). To save time in completing the form you may also prefer to print and attach the personal statement you wrote for your UCAS Teacher Training application rather than writing a new one.
Our SKE courses are designed for those going into initial teacher training but who do not have the necessary subject knowledge. There is a national shortage of teachers in all of the subject areas our SKEs cover, and therefore employment prospects once you have qualified are extremely good.
Entry requirements
These courses are designed for those going into initial teacher training but who do not have the necessary subject knowledge. Check your course of interest for full entry requirements.
International requirements and visas
We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.
Visit our language institute
For English language preparation courses.
Visit our International College
For degree preparation courses.
Visas and immigration advice
Applying for a student visa
Check out our step-by-step guidance.
Course fees
There are no fees to pay for an SKE course and they currently attract a bursary of £200 for each week of training.
You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary for your teacher training course.
What's included
You may have to pay additional costs during your studies. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. A summary of the costs that you may be expected to pay, and what is included in your fees, while studying a course in the School of Education are listed here.
You can chat with our enquiries team through the Stay in touch panel at the end of this page if you require further information. Or check our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as more information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.
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Local area
The University of Brighton is at the heart of our city's reputation as a welcoming, forward-thinking place which leads the way when it comes to the arts, music, sustainability and creative technology. Brighton is home to a thriving creative community and a digital sector worth £1bn a year to the local economy, as much as tourism.
Many of the work-based learning opportunities offered on our courses such as placements and guest lectures are provided by businesses and organisations based in the city.
You can also get involved with city festivals and events such as the Brighton Festival, the Fringe, Brighton Digital Festival, Brighton Science Festival, the London to Brighton bike ride, and the Great Escape festival of new music to name but a few. Other annual highlights include Pride, the Brighton Marathon, and Burning the Clocks which marks the winter solstice.
You'll find living in Brighton enriches your learning experience and by the end of your course you will still be finding new things to explore and inspire you.
It's only 50 minutes by train from Brighton to central London and less than 40 minutes to Eastbourne. There are also daily direct trains to Bristol, Bedford, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth and Southampton.
Campus where this course is taught
Set in the South Downs, our Falmer campus is around four miles from Brighton city centre. 7,000 students are based here taking subjects including criminology, English, education, nursing and medicine, paramedic science, psychology and sociology. Brighton and Hove Albion's Amex stadium and beautiful Stanmer Park are right next door.
Specialist learning facilities at Falmer include the curriculum centre used by teaching and education students, which houses over 30,000 teaching resources and clinical skills and simulation suites used by health students. Psychology students learn in our applied cognition and flexible creative method labs.
Falmer campus has two halls of residence on site, as well as a library, restaurant, cafes, and a students' union shop and bar.
The campus sports centre has a fitness suite, activity studios and a sports hall. There is also a floodlit astroturf football pitch, netball and tennis courts.
Cycle lanes link Falmer with our other campuses and the city centre and there is a BTN BikeShare hub on site. There are regular bus services to the city centre and other campuses. Falmer train station is right next to campus and a nine minute journey to central Brighton.
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Accommodation
All eligible students applying for 2020 are guaranteed an offer of university halls of residence.
Halls of residenceWe have halls of residence across Brighton in the city centre, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer.
Unihomes and unilets Unihomes and unilets are student houses that we let to our students on behalf of private landlords. This option can work particularly well when you're balancing learning with placements and other commitments. We have unihomes and unilet properties across the city.
Private rentingThere's plenty of support if you opt for private renting. This is an option which offers choice and flexibility – enabling you to choose where you live and who with. We manage our own studenthomes database of properties. This lists accommodation offered by landlords who have signed up to our code of standards. Every summer we provide online events and resources, as well as other advice services, for students looking for a place to live and people to share with.
Outside views at Falmer accommodation
Extensive facilities at Falmer sports centre
Students dining at Westlain
Maps
Sian Williamssw241@brighton.ac.uk 01273 643911
Further information about SKEs can also be found on the Department for Education website.