You don’t need a maths degree to teach maths

Have you ever thought about becoming a maths teacher, but didn’t think that you had the right qualifications?

A Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) could help you to top up, refresh and modernise your knowledge and understanding in Maths

You don’t need to have won a Nobel prize in maths, to be a brilliant maths teacher!

• What qualifications do I need to be a maths teacher?
• What is a maths SKE?
• Who can do a maths SKE?
• How does studying an SKE work?
• Do I need to pay for an SKE?
• Can you do SKEs in other subjects?

What qualifications do I need to be a maths teacher?

If you haven’t got an A-level or a degree in Maths, but would like to become a maths teacher, then that is entirely possible.

We offer Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) courses in maths and if you pass the SKE it qualifies you to start on our (Secondary) Mathematics PGCE.

You’ll need to have an honours degree in a related subject plus GCSEs in maths and English at minimum grade C or 4.

What is a maths SKE?

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.

Our Mathematics SKE courses will refresh and expand your maths, while also showing you that there is a difference between knowing something as a student to knowing something as a teacher

You will:

• study the GCSE syllabus in detail and use an audit of your own mathematical knowledge so that you can focus on particular areas that you need to develop.
• work through exam papers and their mark schemes
• familiarise yourself with IT tools and graphing packages
• utilise an online question bank
• gain a deeper understanding pf maths
• find links between topics, look at misconceptions and probing questions
• identify multiple methods and representations, and learn about the progression of topics.

You’ll gain confidence and experience as well as to develop a deeper understanding of maths that will really benefit you, and your students, in the future.

Who can do a maths SKE?

Our Mathematics SKE courses are for anyone who has applied or is applying for a maths teacher training course and has the potential to become an outstanding teacher but may not have enough subject-specific knowledge.

We may offer a maths SKE to anyone who has a degree that was awarded more than five years ago, isn’t in maths but is closely related to the subject or has relevant professional experience.

Before starting the SKE you must have accepted a conditional offer from your training provider.

How does studying an SKE work?

The Mathematics SKE is fully online which means you can study from home. The course is a combination of live online tuition with dedicated university tutors, supported and guided independent work that you can complete in your own time, and regular individual tutorials with feedback on your progress.

Courses run for 8 or 16 weeks – the length of course you’ll need will be determined at interview. Each course requires a minimum of 25 hours of study per week – 200 hours in total for an 8-week course and 400 hours in total for a 16-week course.

Do I need to pay for an SKE?

There are no fees to pay and SKE courses currently attract a bursary of £175 for each week of study consisting of 25 hours.

You may be eligible for a bursary for a maths SKE if:

• you have a bachelor’s degree 2:2 classification or above, or a master’s degree or PhD
• you are undertaking an SKE course before starting teacher training
• you are entitled to support under the student finance criteria

Can you do SKEs in other subjects?

At the University of Brighton, we also offer SKEs in:

• biology
• chemistry
• physics.

These SKEs are for entry on to the relevant postgraduate teacher training course but are only suitable for those who already hold a degree in the subject or one closely related.

Find out more

• learn more about Subject Knowledge Enhancement for teacher training at Brighton
• Find out how you can become a teacher with Brighton

If you’d like to speak to someone about SKEs please contact Nicola Tuson: n.tuson@brighton.ac.uk