Guidance

Subject knowledge enhancement: guidance for initial teacher training providers

Updated 7 October 2025

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/subject-knowledge-enhancement-guidance-for-itt-providers/subject-knowledge-enhancement-guidance-for-initial-teacher-training-providers

ITT providers may see applicants who have the potential to become outstanding teachers, but need to increase their subject knowledge before they can meet the teachers’ standards.

SKE courses can help you to feel confident that the applicant can reach the minimum subject knowledge standard to be recruited.

Subjects

The Department for Education (DfE) currently funds SKE courses in 5 secondary subjects:

  • chemistry
  • computing
  • languages
  • mathematics
  • physics

PE applicants can also access an 8-week SKE course in an English Baccalaureate subject, if:

  • a course is available
  • they meet the eligibility requirements

Dual language SKE courses

Applicants who need to complete a dual language SKE course should take:

  • a short 8-week course in their main language
  • a longer course of up to 28 weeks in the other language

Applicants can only take a dual language SKE course if their conditional ITT offer specifies that they need to complete SKE courses in 2 languages.

How to know if an applicant needs SKE

ITT providers usually identify the need for SKE during the recruitment and selection process.

Applicants may need more specific subject knowledge to begin an ITT course if they have:

  • a different but related degree to the subject they want to teach
  • studied the subject at A level but not degree level
  • an unrelated degree, but relevant professional knowledge in the subject
  • studied for a languages degree, but need a second language at an acceptable level for teaching in schools
  • a degree in the subject, but have not used their degree knowledge for more than 5 years

Who is eligible

To be eligible to take a DfE-funded SKE course, all applicants need to:

  • meet the eligibility requirements to train to teach in England
  • accept a conditional offer that specifies the requirement to complete an SKE course

Applicants are not eligible to complete a DfE-funded SKE course if they have been awarded a degree, postgraduate degree or joint degree in their chosen ITT subject in the previous 5 years.

DfE does not fund SKE courses for individuals who already have qualified teacher status (QTS).

Further SKE eligibility requirements for non-UK applicants

Applicants taking a face-to-face SKE course need permission to study in the UK.

Advise applicants who are on an existing visa to check that their visa allows them to study.

If they do not already have a visa or relevant permission, they need to apply for a visitor visa to take their SKE course. If the SKE is delivered face to face, these applicants will be restricted on the:

  • type of provider
  • duration of their course (maximum of 26 weeks)

If an applicant is taking an SKE course online from inside or outside the UK, there are no restrictions on the type of provider. The maximum course duration remains 28 weeks.

Non-UK applicants studying online from outside the UK do not need immigration permission. Those already in the UK should make sure that they hold an appropriate visa.

Referring an applicant for SKE

Applicants must have freedom to choose their SKE provider.

ITT providers:

  • should tell applicants to use DfE’s course directory to help them find an SKE provider
  • may support applicants to choose the most appropriate course for their requirements
  • must not make it a condition of an ITT offer to take an SKE course with a particular institution

When an applicant has chosen their SKE course provider, their SKE provider will ask the ITT provider to complete:

  • a referral form
  • an eligibility confirmation check

This is to make sure all providers take a consistent approach to collecting applicant information. The SKE provider will then enrol the applicant onto a course and claim funding from DfE.

How SKE courses are provided

Providers can only deliver DfE-funded SKE courses if they both:

SKE courses can vary in duration, from an 8-week refresher or booster programme to a 28-week programme. A week is 25 learning hours.

All SKE courses must be completed before you recommend a trainee for QTS.

Trainees can complete SKE courses before or alongside ITT courses. We recommend that they do this before they start the ITT course, because of the time commitment.

Trainees can complete courses:

  • on a full-time or part-time basis
  • in compressed hours – but they should not complete more than 40 hours of study per week

Courses can be delivered online, face-to-face, or through a mix of both.

SKE funding and bursaries

For all SKE courses in the 2025 to 2026 academic year, SKE providers get programme costs of up to £200 per week per trainee.

Trainees get £175 per week each in bursary funding, if they meet the eligibility criteria.

A trainee will be eligible for less bursary funding if the SKE course is either:

  • delivered in condensed hours
  • completed fully or partially at the same time as ITT

Who is eligible for a bursary

All applicants may be eligible to receive an SKE bursary if:

  • they have a 1st, 2:1 or 2:2 undergraduate honours degree or equivalent, or a master’s degree or PhD
  • they are taking their SKE course before starting ITT, or up to the point they start ITT if their SKE course overlaps with ITT
  • they are entitled to support under the student finance criteria

If a trainee’s SKE course overlaps with their ITT, they are not eligible for a bursary during this overlap.

Trainees cannot claim SKE bursaries retrospectively after completing their ITT.

You should stop an applicant’s SKE course and bursary if they withdraw from ITT before their SKE is complete.

SKE bursaries for non-UK applicants

The SKE bursary is available to non-UK applicants who:

  • meet the criteria for all applicants to get a bursary
  • are taking a tuition fee-based ITT course in England

This is dependent on their immigration or residency status.

They do not need to be entitled to support under the student finance criteria if they are:

  • funding a tuition fee-based physics or languages teacher training course in England
  • taking a postgraduate salaried ITT route in physics or languages, until they get a salary

Contact us

If you have any queries about SKE courses after reading our guidance, email ske.inbox@education.gov.uk

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