Accelerate your teaching career – Engineers able to teach Physics in new programme

The University of Birmingham has been selected by the Department for Education to run a new project to train engineers to teach physics to secondary school pupils. The University is one of only six teacher training providers in the UK to deliver the pilot programme.

From explaining big things to young minds to sharing innovative perspectives, the pilot programme is designed specifically for engineers who want to use their skills in the classroom to inspire the future generation. More physics teachers will ensure children will have the opportunity to develop their understanding of the world around them and answer the big questions.

Daniel Cottle, Director of Secondary Initial Teacher Education and Lecturer in Physics Secondary Education at the University of Birmingham said:

“Engineers Teach Physics is an innovative new strategy for addressing the current shortage of secondary physics teachers. Here, at the University of Birmingham, we are excited to be developing new resources and new ways of recruiting and training engineers who are interested in passing on their unique skills to the next generation.”

The tailored training programme is open to engineers who may be considering a new career opportunity or undergraduates with an engineering or material science degree to join the secondary initial teacher education programme in time for a September 2022 start.

The programme which offers high quality training and support, will prepare trainees to teach physics to pupils in the 11-16 age range. At Birmingham, trainees will also benefit from our unique collaborations with the University of Birmingham School as well as a wide range of partner schools, working with diverse communities to enrich the teaching experience.

The Engineers Teach Physics course will start in early September and end in June 2023. It is an intensive academic and professional training course that effectively prepares students for their first teaching post and beyond. Trainees may also be eligible for bursaries of up to £24,000 depending on qualifications and upon successful completion of the programme, there is the opportunity to return to study on a part-time basis to complete a Masters in Teaching Studies.

The School of Education at the University of Birmingham has a long tradition of delivering teacher training courses. Its teaching has been graded as ‘outstanding’ three times by Ofsted inspectors which affirms the University’s status as one of the UK’s leading institutions for excellence in teacher training.