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• You can visit ENIC – the UK national agency for international qualifications and skills to check the equivalency of your qualifications before applying to ensure they meet the eligibility criteria. You can also carry out these checks on your GCSE qualifications.

• Please be aware that you will require science at grade C/4 or above for the primary phase. For English, please ensure you seek clarification on English language equivalency as we would study it in the UK – not as an additional language.

We can support you in completing these – to find out more read our equivalency tests information.   

• Please be aware there is a charge for these tests.

• For maths, once your application is accepted, you will be asked to complete a fundamental maths assessment in exam conditions. Guidance will be shared with your headteacher including a toolkit so you can revise before the assessment.

• You will be assessed on your literacy competency through the quality of your written submissions for the route. Your headteacher will validate these by completing an audit.

• The focus is a different setting from your current school. It can also be different approaches to the curriculum or teaching strategies at your applied age phase.  
• The outcome of the experience is the new knowledge you gain that you would not gain in your current setting.

Examples of second school experience are:
 

• A primary mainstream school rather than a Montessori setting  
• An urban school rather than a rural setting 
• A school that has a Sixth Form provision as your current school does not
• A single-sex school when your current school is mixed 
• A school with a different social or ethnic mix of pupils

If your current employment is in an SEND or alternative provision setting you must have a minimum of 30 days of teaching experience in a mainstream/state setting. Otherwise, we request 20 days.

As part of the experience, you will be expected to: 

• Observe lessons 
• Teach lessons with sole responsibility
• Become involved with school activities to support you in meeting the Teacher Standards

All teaching in the second school experience must involve you taking sole responsibility for whole classes for teaching, planning, assessment and progress.

• The CSSF – Confirmation of School Support and Financial Agreement – is a document signed by your headteacher that confirms you have the support of your school. This document will need to be completed as part of the application process and confirms your school will support you on the Assessment Only Route and also confirms your teaching role and commitments as part of the eligibility criteria.

• You must have evidence of teaching across two consecutive age groups for a minimum of two years.  We currently offer Assessment Only in primary (age ranges 3-7, 5-11 and 7-11) and all main secondary subjects (age ranges 11-16, 11-19 or 14-19).

• All your experience must be relevant and linked to the QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) focus you are applying for.

• Your role must have full responsibility for planning, assessing, and reviewing whole-class teaching, and responsibility for students' progression.

• Please note whole class teaching is what is typical in your school.  

• Regular group work to show teaching over a period of time with an allocated group of students may be considered in discussion with the programme director.

• To be eligible for the primary phase you need to be teaching the full curriculum including the core subjects of maths, literacy – phonics, and science as well as a range of foundation subjects such as geography, history, art, music, etc. For primary, you cannot be a subject specialist such as PE or music. 

• If you are teaching the British curriculum in the primary phase, you need to ensure you are aware of SATS and other statutory benchmarks. How they are delivered, what students need to learn and why, and the expected progress they will make.

• For secondary, if you are teaching KS3, you will need to be aware of the progression to GCSE and how the curriculum is structured to work towards the exam board requirements.

• Your current teaching must be the British curriculum. We may consider any prior experience you have in another curriculum, but you will need evidence of how this experience is mapped against the British curriculum and have considerable experience in your current employment.

• Roles that do not enable you to be eligible for QTS could be: 
  – A cover supervisor with adhoc cover where you are not delivering your own plans   
  – An adult educator, if you are teaching students aged 18 years plus, we advise looking into the QTLS route
  – Teaching GCSE to children below the age of 14 years  

• QTS assessment is relevant to the age range you wish to qualify in, so you must be teaching this to whole classes of students across the breadth of the age range. If you do not meet the eligibility criteria for the Assessment Only route, please enquire about our Straight to Teaching course, which also leads to QTS.

• Pre-application – complete your Assessment Only audit to ensure you meet the eligibility requirements 
•  The application process should be completed within four weeks if you have followed all the pre-application guidance and have your verified compliance documents ready to upload to your Tes portal. If you do not meet the course requirements, you will receive an email explaining why and what you could do to meet them.
• From enrolment to Pre-Entry Assessment Visit (PEAV) should take no longer than three to six weeks.
• From PEAV to QTS assessment should take no longer than six to 12 weeks.
• From your registration with the TRA, straight after your PEAV, to QTS assessment should take no longer than three months.

• For a more detailed overview of the application process and the course please see our 5-step guide to Assessment Only 

• If there are any concerns regarding your suitability to meet the Teachers' Standards or eligibility the process for Assessment Only will be halted. 

Depending on the country you are qualified in, you may be able to apply directly for QTS without going through the Assessment Only route. If you are not eligible to apply directly for QTS, but you meet all the criteria with your existing qualification(s) and teaching experience, then the Assessment Only route can help you achieve QTS.

Answer: Your offer means that you've been accepted onto the course if you've provided the documents that have been requested. If we still need something from you, you'll be contacted by a member of our administrative team.

Answer: The course lasts approximately 38 weeks to one academic year.

Answer: If you're a new teacher who is just starting in the classroom and working in a trainee capacity for the course, we advise a day’s worth of teaching at the start (around 4-5 hours).

You’ll need to have access to regular classes to develop your teaching practice – applying your learning from the Tes Learn sessions and working with your mentor to build on this. You'll also need to conduct classroom-based research for your university assignments that you need to complete to pass the course.

You need to ensure your teaching is in the subject/phase you applied for, otherwise your study sessions won't be relevant.

Answer: No. If you want to achieve qualified teacher status (England and Wales), you'll need to take a different route. If you'd like more information about QTS, please let us know.

Answer: You'll receive an email that will provide initial reading materials and a link to register for the introductory webinar – which will take place on or soon after your iPGCE start date.

In the webinar, you'll go through the course structure and what it entails. You'll be shown how to sign up for the online platform you'll be using, Tes Learn, and how to navigate it. This is where you'll find the resources to support you during the course.

Answer: Alongside the Tes Learn sessions you'll study, there are online lectures to help you understand each assignment and what you will need to do. Your pathway tutor and the iPGCE team are here to support you. We also have a link tutor at the University of East London.

Answer: We do have learners from around the globe so we try to schedule lectures to be accessible to everyone, but we realise that you might not be able to attend. We record all lectures and make them available for you to watch later. You'll be able to email any questions you have to your pathway tutor or the programme team.

Answer: Your pathway tutor is the person we allocate to you to oversee your online work on Tes Learn. You'll find out who your tutor is in the induction period.

Answer: The iPGCE is bespoke, meaning that the time you spend will be shaped by your own research interests and what you hope to achieve on the course.

The course involves approximately 10-15 hours of study each week, encompassing the online Tes Learn sessions and your own academic study. Some weeks you might find you do more than this and some weeks it will be less.

There are writing weeks included in the academic calendar to allow you additional study time when the assignments are due. There are also holiday periods and catch-up time at the end of the course. If you feel pressured at any point, you must let your pathway tutor know.

Answer: There is an observation form and a form for mentor meeting minutes. These can be completed actively during observations and meetings to reduce the time needed. They are provided as a resource on Tes Learn and can be uploaded to Tes Learn when completed.

There will be a webinar for mentors during the induction period so they know what their role entails and the time that it will take. There will also be updates throughout the course.

Answer: You will need to pay for your course before you begin. You can request to pay in instalments. You’ll be sent instructions on how to pay after you apply.

Please see the Get in to Teaching website or Student Finance England website.

Yes, it is a DfE requirement that all entrants to teacher training must have a first degree. You cannot start an ITT course until you have completed your degree. For those completing their degree at the point of application, they must provide their degree certificate or transcript to confirm they have completed their degree before starting the course.

Yes, you can, and in this case, we may request you have an A level in the subject. You may also be eligible for a SKE course to enhance your subject knowledge before you start the ITT course.

You can take a GCSE equivalency test. This must be completed before you start the course but you can apply before holding the GCSEs and be offered a conditional place. You can then take your GCSE equivalency tests through Tes (or another provider) before the course starts.

On the fee-funded route, the course is designed to gradually build up your teaching experience. You start by observing expert colleagues and begin to collaboratively teach with them before taking your own classes with the expert in the room with you. You will teach about six hours per week in Term 1 building to 15 hours per week in Term 3.

Our iQTS course is designed for those who would like to train to teach and are employed as teachers in international schools, in any country across the world (excluding Hong Kong). The course is offered for both primary (5-11) and secondary (11-16) trainees. The teaching must be delivered in English. iQTS can be undertaken by existing school employees and newly appointed staff members and needs the full support of the school.

Yes. The Department for Education recognises iQTS as equivalent to QTS in England. By successfully completing the International Qualified Teacher Status (iQTS) programme with an approved provider like Tes Institute, you will automatically be awarded qualified teacher status (QTS).

Yes, you must be employed in a school from the date you start your iQTS course. This must be at least 50% of a full-time teaching role, with at least one day a week out of class for dedicated study time.

iQTS is delivered over one school year, starting in either September or January. The course takes ten months to complete.

You will need one day per week dedicated to study, plus hourly weekly meetings with your in-school mentor and regular calls (every half term) with your pathway tutor.

If you add the optional iPGCE, you’ll work towards this alongside iQTS. You can expect to add around 10-15 hours of study per week for the iPGCE.

At least one full day of your contracted working week will be dedicated to training. This will include study, theory and tasks delivered via Tes Learn, our virtual learning environment. Your school will need to allow you time to study.

Your school must be prepared to provide you with the opportunity to carry out specific learning tasks, observe expert colleagues and undertake guided training opportunities, which will enable you to produce ongoing evidence towards your iQTS qualification.

To ensure your successful progression, they will also provide you with an in-school mentor.

Your mentor should be an experienced teaching colleague in your school who is willing to support your training and development. Mentors should hold QTS, where possible, and have at least two years of teaching experience.

Mentors will receive full mentor training and can work towards a Mentor Teacher Education (MTED) qualification at no additional cost.

Your mentor will have a 60-min weekly meeting with you to discuss your progress throughout your iQTS course. They will also observe your lessons and provide feedback for 0.5 hours per week. This will help to ensure your continued and positive progress.

The most important difference between the two is that iQTS leads to the award of qualified teacher status (QTS), which qualifies you to teach in England. iPGCE does not award QTS.

Our iPGCE is a 100% online course that will give you a strong understanding of research-based teaching and learning pedagogy. iQTS is a blended learning course – it includes an online component, but it is also very much rooted in your classroom practice and in-person guidance that you’ll receive in your school.

With Tes Institute, you have the option to do either course as a standalone or both together.

Your pathway tutor will meet with you on a regular basis to orient you through the course materials, review your progress and provide feedback. They will be responsible for assessing you at the end of the course.

You don’t need this document at the initial application stage, but you will need it later at the compliance stage, and we recommend that you apply for it early on since the time it takes to obtain can vary between countries. This can be obtained from a police station or embassy.

There are September and January intakes, with induction at the start, which will include starting teaching as an apprentice. From the start of your apprenticeship you'll be responsible for your own classes, teaching 10-15 hours per week, across four days, with one day off timetable for training. You'll qualify for QTS in July for the September intake, or December for the January intake, and complete your Apprenticeship End Point Assessment (EPA) at the same time.

The course will run for 3 terms including an End Point Assessment (EPA). The course will combine school-based and online training, followed by preparation for and undertaking both QTS and the EPA. You will gain QTS and your apprenticeship qualification in term three of your training and can then be employed as an ECT.

You need to be employed in a school and have the support of your school to train on the Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship route. You need to be employed as an unqualified teacher from the start of the apprenticeship.

Once you've applied, your application will be assessed by the course directors and if you meet the eligibility criteria, you'll be asked to attend an interview, conducted jointly between your school and Tes. Our course directors will also contact your school and ask them to confirm that they will support you as an apprentice.

A minimum of 278 hours throughout the course will be dedicated to Off-the-Job training. This will include study, theory and tasks delivered via Tes Learn, our virtual learning environment and face to face workshops. One day per week will be your study day when you will have some face to face and some online learning. Additionally, there will be one after school live remote workshop to attend. Your school must be prepared to provide you with opportunities to carry out specific learning tasks, observe expert colleagues and training opportunities that will enable you to produce substantial evidence towards your QTS qualification.

Completing a second placement is a requirement to be able to gain QTS. You will complete a second placement of at least four weeks in the second term of your training. This must be in a contrasting setting to your home placement school. Your school will be required to arrange this for you – this is often done by arranging a placement within their MAT or locality.

Our Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship is designed for learners who work in the role of teaching assistant in primary and secondary education in both mainstream and specialist settings. Job roles could include – Teaching Assistant (TA), Learning Support Assistant (LSA), 1:1 support, specialist support assistant. You could be an existing employee who would like to gain the Level 3 qualification or a newly employed TA apprentice.

The course runs for 21 months. The first 18 months combine school-based and online training, followed by the final three months which will be preparing for and undertaking your End Point Assessment (EPA).

Yes, you must be employed from the date that you start the apprenticeship. This can be part-time but your course length will be extended. As a TA apprentice you will be responsible for supporting the class teacher to enhance pupils’ learning either in groups or individually supporting 1:1.

The TA apprenticeship course is delivered using a blend of online and face-to-face training, including face-to-face support from an experienced Tes Institute pathway tutor. This course has been created to help you develop your knowledge and skills, and gain a nationally-recognised Level 3 qualification.

20% of your contracted working week will be dedicated to off-the-job training. This will include study, theory and tasks delivered via Tes Learn, our award-winning virtual learning environment. Your employer (school) must be prepared to provide you with the opportunity to carry out specific learning tasks, observe expert colleagues and training opportunities, that will enable you to produce substantial evidence towards your qualification. The 20% doesn't need to be taken in one session – it can be divided across your working week, to fit in with your school’s timetable and pupils' needs.

To ensure you make continued and positive progress through your course, your employer (school) will need to provide you with an in-school mentor to support you. Your school-based mentor will participate in joint reviews of your progress at regular intervals throughout your apprenticeship. Mentors can be more experienced TAs, HLTAs or teachers.

To be eligible to enrol on the TA apprenticeship you must be:

Employed by a school as a teaching assistant, learning support assistant, specialist support assistant or support for specialist curriculum areas.

Assigned a school-based mentor within your school who can support your throughout the apprenticeship. This can be a more experienced TA, HLTA or teacher.

If you do not have GCSE English and Maths at grade C/4 or Level 2 equivalent, you will be supported to complete Functional Skills L2 English and Maths during your apprenticeship if your employer deems it as a requirement for your role. Equivalencies will be accepted if they meet the requirements and we judge them to be sufficiently equivalent in depth and breadth to level 2.

For the Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship, training will cover topics such as safeguarding, supporting behaviour for learning, maths, phonics, planning for intervention and supporting pupils with SEND and EAL. The course is developed by experts in their field, ensuring the highest quality training.

This 21-month apprenticeship (including End Point Assessment (EPA)) costs £7,000 (VAT exempt) and can be delivered at no cost to you or your school if your school is an apprenticeship levy payer. If your school doesn’t pay the levy, they can still benefit from the initiative. Schools can opt to make a 5% contribution to the cost of training and the government will pay the remaining 95%, more details on this can be found on the DfE website.

If you do not have GCSE English and Maths at grade C/4 or Level 2 equivalent, you will be supported to complete Functional Skills L2 English and Maths during your apprenticeship if your employer deems it as a requirement for your role. Equivalencies will be accepted if they meet the requirements and we judge them to be sufficiently equivalent in depth and breadth to level 2.

NCFE will provide your EPA. The fully independent assessor will come and visit you in school for the assessment. Again, there is no additional cost.

You can apply via the application form link on the website https://www.tes.com/institute/courses/teaching-assistant-apprenticeship or if you have specific questions, please email us directly apprenticeships@tes.com

Once you've completed and submitted your application form it will be assessed by the apprenticeship directors. If you meet the eligibility criteria you'll be asked to attend a short online (video conference) interview with the directors.

• You can visit ENIC – National Recognition Information Centre to check the equivalency of your qualifications prior to application to ensure they meet the eligibility criteria.
• You can also carry out these checks on your GCSE qualifications. Please be aware that for primary phase you also require science at grade C/4 or above.

• We can support you in completing these – to find out more read our equivalency tests information.
• Please be aware there is a charge for these tests.

• From April 2020 the national skills test requirement stopped. To meet the Teachers' Standards you will need to meet an expected level of competency in numeracy. We're replacing the national skills test with a fundamental maths test. You must gain 9/15 in the diagnostic test to pass. The test must be taken under exam conditions at your school and your headteacher will be required to validate your certificate. There's more information in our fundamental mathematics and English guidance and FAQs.   
• You'll be assessed on your literacy competency through the quality of your written submissions for the route. Your headteacher will validate these by completing an audit as part of the first visit in recommending you for QTS and the final assessment.

• Once everything has been submitted as part of your application you'll be made an offer via email for a specific start date. 
• If you accept this offer you'll be sent confirmation. 
• This will be followed by an Induction email three weeks before your start date which contains a registration link for the learning platform, Tes Learn. To access the learning platform, please ensure you use the email address you have used for your application to link you to your course.
• The Induction email outlines all aspects of the course, course handbook information and all the resources you'll require. The three weeks before your start date is a preparation period before your official start date. Please share these important documents with your school and mentor.

• Straight to Teaching course costs are :

• Low QTS preparation (1 to 1.5 terms) and QTS assessment
  £4,500 plus VAT (as applicable)
  Medium QTS preparation (2 to 3 terms) and QTS assessment
  £6,000 plus VAT (as applicable)

  High QTS preparation (4 to 5 terms) and QTS assessment
  £7,500 plus VAT (as applicable)

• There are other cost implications such as if you require equivalency tests and checking your qualifications if your degree is not from the UK.
• If you are applying internationally, we endeavour to use in-country pathway tutors and assessors. In certain cases where pathway tutors and assessors are not available, you must pay and provide costs for flights, hotel, transfers and sustenance for the visit. We will endeavour to take into consideration your geographical location.
• Please be aware this is a CPD course so does not qualify for a student loan.

• The CSSF – Confirmation of School Support and Financial Agreement – is a document signed by your headteacher which confirms that you have the support of your school. This document will need to be completed as part of the application process and confirms your school will support you on your Straight to Teaching course and also confirms your teaching role and commitments at your school as part of the eligibility criteria.
• This document corroborates what length of course you will be offered to support meeting the requirement of two years/six terms teaching experience to be eligible for QTS assessment via our Assessment Only route.

• To be eligible for the primary phase you need to be teaching the core curriculum of maths, English – phonics, science, geography, history, for example. For primary, you cannot be a subject specialist such as PE or music.
• If you're teaching in the primary phase, you need to ensure you're aware of statutory assessments. How they're delivered, what students need to learn and why, and the expected progress they'll make.
• For secondary, if you're teaching KS3, you'll need to be aware of the progression to GCSE and how the curriculum is structured to work towards the exam board requirements.
• If you have limited experience to ensure you can show breadth across your applied age phase we require four weeks/20 days of teaching in a second school.  
• For international applications, if you have not taught the British curriculum for two years you'll be required to complete a six-week placement. 
• If you're working in a specialist setting your second school experience will need to be six-weeks/30 days of teaching.

• You must have evidence of teaching across two consecutive age group for two years with at least three terms (one year) of whole class responsibility. 
• Your role must have full responsibility for planning, assessing and reviewing whole-class teaching, and responsibility for students' progression.
  Please note whole-class teaching is what is typical in your school/setting.

• Roles that do not enable you to be eligible to prepare for QTS could be :
  Cover supervisor – you deliver lesson planned written by others 
  Adult educator – teaching students aged 18 years plus
  Teaching GCSE to children below the age of 14 years
  Pure pastoral/administrative role

• We are experienced in supporting candidates in a variety of settings beyond mainstream education. 
• The focus for your teaching is the cognitive age and curriculum taught not the actual age of your students, for example, teaching the KS1 curriculum to 11-16 year olds.

• We would require you to show your subject specialism. As you will be teaching across the breadth of two key stages we're aware you can be teaching all three sciences to KS 3/4 but QTS requires a subject specific of biology, chemistry or physics. We acknowledge you will teach all three.

• Yes, as long as you are teaching a minimum of 50% of a full-time teacher's timetable.

Throughout the course, you'll complete learning diaries and weekly assessments. There will be a final assessment to complete during your last week on the course.

At regular intervals you'll receive checkpoint reports from your pathway tutor. Your ITT provider will also receive a copy if you've nominated them for this. The reports are graded green-amber-red. Your tutor will provide you with feedback and guidance if your report is amber or red.

SKE is a pass/fail course, and an overwhelming majority of learners pass without any issue. Once your tutor submits your final checkpoint report, you'll receive a digital certificate within five working days. As a CPD course, we don't issue physical certificates.

Read our bursary guidance for information on SKE bursary eligibility.

Our finance team will be in touch within two weeks of you starting your course to request your bank details for us to pay your bursary. Bursary payments are made a month in arrears.

If you're not eligible for bursary funding, you'll still be eligible for course funding as long as you meet the funding criteria (so you won’t have to pay anything for the course, but you won’t receive additional funding).

You can apply for an SKE course by clicking 'Apply' above. You'll need to meet the DfE eligibility criteria first in order to complete an application. You can call the Tes Institute enrolment team on 0203 194 3200 (option 1) or email institute@tesglobal.com if you need any help.

What if I want to complete an SKE course but it's not a condition of my ITT place?

If your ITT provider has issued you with an ITT offer but it doesn't ask that you complete an SKE but you feel that you'll benefit from one, you can ask them to amend your offer. Please discuss any impact that this may have on your ITT placement with your provider. They should do this before you submit an application.

To be eligible for one of our DfE-funded SKE courses, you need to have: 

• Accepted a conditional offer of a place on a postgraduate ITT programme that requires the completion of an SKE course in the relevant subject 

• Been awarded, or studying for, an undergraduate degree of 2:2 classification or above (or the equivalent) by the time you start the SKE course. If your degree classification is lower than a 2:2 (or equivalent), you can still apply for an SKE course and could potentially access funding with a conditional offer. If you have a third-class degree with a Master's or above, you should also be eligible to access funding  

• Agreement from your ITT provider to nominate Tes Institute to receive the SKE course funding from the Department for Education (DfE). We'll then administer the funding as advised by the DfE

Your ITT subject must match the SKE subject that you're applying for, with the exception of modern foreign languages (MFL) where you can choose another modern language if required. It's also possible to complete a double MFL SKE if your ITT provider has outlined this on your offer. Please only apply for the length required in your weakest language, as your second language will always only be eight weeks, and those weeks will be added on automatically. To apply for a primary maths SKE, your ITT needs to be focused on primary with a maths specialism.

The course is delivered 100% online and is based on reflective practice. You won't be required to attend any face to-face sessions at any time during the course. Content is available through a mix of live interactive sessions, audio recordings, video content, presentations and word documents. This course is designed to provide you with the confidence to deliver your specialist subject knowledge in a classroom environment to the relevant key stages.

How will I be assessed and supported?

You'll be supported throughout the course by a personal pathway tutor. You can always contact your pathway tutor if you have any queries about the course or content covered.

During the course, you'll be continuously assessed by your pathway tutor with weekly assignments designed to check and track your understanding of the content covered each week. Each session will have an associated end-of-session task that you must complete. These assignments take the form of practical tasks such as the creation of mock lesson plans and reflective learning pieces. They're designed to help you think about how you will teach the knowledge that you're learning in a classroom environment.

For part-time courses, your assignments are due once every two weeks since the course is doubled in length. You'll be assessed with a final summative assessment based on a portfolio of tasks undertaken over the duration of the course. 

Your pathway tutor will review your work online, provide regular formal written feedback and will answer subject knowledge queries, as well as monitor your Learning Diary entries and other contributions. 

How is my progress measured during the course?

You'll complete a subject knowledge audit at the beginning of the course and your allocated personal pathway tutor will help to tailor the course to your individual needs based on this audit. The audit also enables your progress on the course to be tracked.

You'll be expected to pass the assignments issued during the course so you can progress. If you misunderstand an assignment, you're given the opportunity to redo the assignment after liaising with your pathway tutor to confirm what needs to be done.

During the course you'll have checkpoints that you work towards, with the support of your tutor, to track your progress and to ensure that you complete the course in the time stipulated.

What feedback will I receive and what will my ITT provider receive upon completion?

Upon completion of the SKE course, you and your ITT provider will receive a comprehensive feedback report compiled by your SKE pathway tutor. The report will highlight your strengths and areas for further development during your ITT programme. If your ITT provider requires feedback on your progress at any other time during the SKE course, they can request this by contacting us directly at  SKE.Institute@tesglobal.com or this can be gained from the check point reports sent to them.

You and your provider will receive check point reports throughout your course to keep everyone aware of progress being made. You'll receive check point report 1 (CPR1) after you complete your induction tasks and initial audit. You'll receive your second report after you've completed session one (this will be after the first two weeks, if you're studying full time) and then further reports every four weeks for the duration of the course until the final report once you've completed all weeks and tasks. 

You'll also receive a Tes Institute SKE course completion certificate once you have successfully completed the course. This will outline the modules covered which can help to enhance your employability. 

Can I pause my course if I ever need or want to?

If you're due to take a short break and wish to pause your SKE, you have the option of covering that week’s content in advance so you don't fall behind. If you fall behind, this will have implications on your bursary (if eligible), as ITT providers tend to have a set date that they expect learners to complete their SKE(s) by, and we check this with them.

For short breaks, if you're unable to cover the content before the break, you'll need to inform your SKE pathway tutor so they don't expect work from you during that time, and so they can inform you of any implications this may have on your bursary (if eligible).

If you wish to pause the course for a longer break, for exmple, for Teach First’s Summer Institute, you'll need to inform us and get your ITT provider to confirm with us that they're happy for the SKE to be paused for that duration. In the latter instance, they could confirm details with us regarding this by emailing SKE.Institute@tesglobal.com.

Is it possible to fail the SKE course?

All sessions must be grade amber or green. You can't pass the course with red graded sessions. If you're not engaging with the course, your pathway tutor will intervene and try to work with you to ensure you can catch up. The programme officers will also try and assist you in any way they can. However, if you fail to engage with the course and you're at risk of failing, we'll contact your ITT provider to notify them of our concerns through our ‘cause for concern’ process. This will be in the hope that you then start to engage with the course to catch up and don't fail the course. 

If you misunderstand an assignment or gain a red grading, you're given the opportunity to redo the assignment after liaising with your pathway tutor to confirm what needs to be done. You can always contact your pathway tutor if you have any queries about the course, content covered, or assignments set to the expected standard and grading. If you engage with the course and complete assignments set, you won't fail, as your pathway tutor will support you to ensure you're on track.

We believe that an SKE course acts as good preparation for ITT, but we cannot advise you on the length to take. Your ITT provider will make the length of your SKE a condition of your offer. This decision should consider your subject confidence and the time available to you. 

A short eight-week SKE course is aimed at ITT trainees who are proficient in their subject area but need to boost or refresh their subject knowledge and skills. A longer course such as 24 weeks or 28 weeks is designed for ITT trainees who need to improve and develop their existing subject knowledge.

How long is one unit/session?

One SKE unit/session takes one week of a minimum of 25 hours of study to complete, as guided by the DfE. If part-time, one SKE session would take two weeks of a minimum of 12.5 hours of study to complete, as guided by the DfE.

Are there part-time and full-time options available?

There are full-time options available for each SKE length. The part-time option is only available for eight-week and 12-week SKEs. The part-time option doubles the length of the course, e.g., eight weeks part-time is spread across 16 weeks. We recommend that you dedicate on average 25 hours of study per week to your learning if you're on a full-time SKE. With the part-time option, we recommend on average 12.5 hours of study per week. This amount may differ from trainee to trainee, depending on your own learning speed and the topic or assignment that you're completing.

Since our SKEs are delivered completely online, they're designed to fit around your existing personal and professional commitments and can be accessed at times that suit you, for example, during evenings and weekends. It's possible to cover more work when you have more time available and manage the workload in that way, as long as you meet deadlines for the assignments (whether part-time or full-time).

It's possible to finish one to two weeks early depending on how you manage your workload. If you complete the SKE ahead of time, e.g., in six weeks instead of eight, you'll only get the bursary (if eligible) for the six weeks that you were on the course. This is classed as compressed learning by the DfE. 

If you wish to work to compressed hours, please contact the pathway tutor you'll be working with when you are enrolled so they can provide the correct support where required.

Can I do a SKE course in two languages?

It is possible to complete a double MFL SKE. To do so, your ITT provider will need to mention completing an SKE in both languages on your offer. For double MFL SKEs, you always complete the SKE in the weaker language first, followed by the SKE in the stronger language. The second SKE in the stronger language is always eight weeks long, and so if your ITT provider wishes to recommend a SKE length, they only need to do so for the weaker language SKE which is completed first. 

If you're applying for a joint MFL French and Spanish SKE for example, with French being the weaker language, you would select ‘French/Spanish’ in your application form and would select the length needed for the French SKE, e.g., 16 weeks. This will then be followed by eight weeks Spanish SKE.

My main ITT subject is not listed as an available SKE subject, but my second ITT subject is, can I still apply for a SKE?

If your main ITT subject doesn't match the subject you wish to do a SKE in, you would unfortunately not be eligible for a funded SKE but could opt to self-fund a SKE course.

If you can however prove that you're on a 50/50 split between the two subjects on your ITT route and will be teaching the subject you wish to complete an SKE in during your ITT year, then it may be possible for us to explore options with the DfE. In that instance, you'd need confirmation from the DfE before we can enrol you on a SKE course. Your ITT provider should be able to confirm if your ITT route entails a 50/50 split.

My ITT is in PE, can I apply for a SKE course?

PE ITT trainees can undertake an SKE course provided the SKE subject matches their ITT subject. For example, if your ITT is in PE with maths, you could apply for a maths SKE. To be eligible for an SKE as a PE ITT trainee you should have an A-Level in an Ebacc subject (English, maths, history, the sciences, computing or a language), which your provider should check with you. You'll also need to meet the usual SKE eligibility criteria.

What does my ITT provider need to include in my ITT offer

If you wish to enrol onto a DfE-funded SKE course with us, you'll need to have a conditional offer letter for a place on a postgraduate ITT programme (whether HEI, SCITT or School Direct). As part of this conditional offer letter, your ITT provider must include a condition that states you need to undertake a SKE course in the relevant subject (we don't need to see the conditional offer, but your provider will confirm it to us). Ideally, you will have discussed this condition with your ITT provider, and they will have suggested a SKE course length based on your existing level of knowledge. If they haven't specified a length, you can opt for a length preferable to you, or you can ask for their length recommendation.

If you have an offer of a place on an ITT course and it doesn't include the completion of a SKE course as part of the conditions, but you feel you will benefit from completing a SKE, you could talk to your provider about updating your offer letter to add the completion of an SKE as a condition.

If your ITT provider doesn't include the completion of an SKE course as a condition of your conditional offer letter, you will not be eligible to apply for a funded SKE course and we cannot access DfE course funding for you.

How does my ITT provider know if I need an SKE course?

An ITT provider will inform you if you need to complete an SKE course. They will normally do this by reviewing your application form and discussing your existing experience with you as part of the recruitment and selection process. If they're still unsure, they may ask you to complete a subject audit (or practice GCSE or A-level papers) to help identify areas that you may need to work on. 

If you're unsure whether you need to complete a SKE course, we strongly suggest you discuss this with your ITT provider, as the course could help you with your preparations prior to commencing your teacher training.

I'm a fully qualified teacher, is this the right course for me?

Our SKE courses are for trainee teachers who are about to embark on an ITT programme to gain QTS (qualified teacher status). If you're already a qualified teacher, we can help with your subject knowledge with a similar course that is spread over a whole academic year to allow you time to complete it alongside a full teaching timetable. Please call us on 0203 194 3200 for more details or visit our SKE for Teachers course page.

I've been out of teaching for a while but want to return to the profession and am qualified, is this the right course for me?

We do not currently offer courses specifically for returning teachers but can help with your subject knowledge with a similar course that works best if you have secured a teaching role. Please call us on 0203 194 3200 for more details.

We advise that you avoid overlapping an SKE course with your teacher training because of the increased workload, however it is possible to do so due to the online and flexible nature of our SKE courses. If your SKE is expected to overlap with your ITT start date, your ITT provider will need to confirm with us in writing that they're happy for you to proceed.

Due to the online nature of our SKE courses, it's possible to undertake an SKE while abroad, but you will be expected to keep pace with your cohort. To be eligible for SKE funding, you'll need to hold a conditional offer for an ITT programme in England meeting all SKE eligibility criteria. If you will not be embarking on your ITT programme in England, or do not meet eligibility criteria, you would need to self-fund the SKE.

If you've already started your teacher training you can still do an SKE course and may be able to receive course funding for it depending on your circumstances, however you will not be able to get any SKE bursary. We advise you to avoid overlapping an SKE course and your teacher training, so we'd recommend speaking to us directly before applying.

No, this is not recommended. Our SKE courses aren't designed to teach the subject from scratch but to improve your existing subject knowledge, experience and skills. Our SKE courses are aimed at pre-ITT trainees who need to boost their subject knowledge within the context of teaching the relevant subject in a classroom environment.

It's advisable to have at least GCSE level knowledge of the subject you wish to complete an SKE in. If you have no subject relevant qualifications or experience, you'll struggle to keep up with the course, and this is particularly prevalent in modern foreign languages (MFL). Our MFL SKEs should be seen as language refreshers designed to help you think about how you'll teach the knowledge that you're learning in a classroom environment.

Your ITT provider will be the one to confirm with you if you have the relevant qualifications to be eligible for their ITT programme. If they confirm that you do and give you the relevant offer asking you to complete an SKE in your ITT subject, you'll then be eligible to apply for an SKE, as this will confirm that they feel an SKE is what is needed to update your level of subject knowledge to an appropriate level to start your ITT programme.