The courses are for teachers of students aged 11 to 19 who are currently teaching physics or chemistry, but who do not have a degree or PGCE in these subjects.
Attending the courses helps participants develop their knowledge of physics or chemistry and subject-specific pedagogical skills. This enables them to enhance their confidence and effectiveness in teaching their subject.
Each participant on the courses follows a development path which builds on their prior knowledge of teaching physics or chemistry. These are tailored to their individual needs.
The pilot courses are accredited and provide up to 40 days of support.
To be eligible for the courses, applicants must:
- have qualified teacher status
- already be teaching physics/chemistry for a significant portion of their timetable, and
- have been teaching physics/chemistry for at least three academic terms by the course start date.
The courses are free for participants, and there is a £5,000 award available for participants meeting eligibility criteria at the end of the course. Supply cover is also available for participants' schools.
The universities of Brighton, Edge Hill in partnership with Cumbria, and Keele in partnership with the Science Learning Centre for the West Midlands are piloting these continuing professional development (CPD) courses aimed at teachers who currently teach physics or chemistry but who are not specialists in those subjects.
The second year of the pilot started in Summer 2008, and teaching is now underway.
Notice for current participants on the pilot programme
Participants who have successfully completed the course and met all the eligibility criteria for the £5000 award should request an information pack (PDF 247 KB) and application form from their course provider. Should you wish to contact pilot providers, their details are below. You can also use the external links on this page for more information.
University of Brighton
Ian Longman
Tel: 01273 643426
E-mail: i.longman@brighton.ac.uk
University of Keele in partnership with the Science Learning Centre for the West Midlands
Charles Philips
Tel: 01782 584429
E-mail: c.l.phillips@slcwm.keele.ac.uk
Edge Hill University in partnership with the University of Cumbria
Matthew Cochrane
Tel: 01695 584894
E-mail: Cochram@edgehill.ac.uk
Notice for local authorities
Local authorities who have made incentive payments to participants' schools can claim reimbursement by downloading the claim form (Excel 22 KB), and completing and returning it as indicated. They should also include a copy of the main application form to send back to the TDA. This claim form is updated from time to time, so local authorities should check this page regularly to make sure they are using the current version.
