If your answer is yes to both these questions, you could use your knowledge and enthusiasm to become a physics teacher. You could inspire young people and teach them about the relevance of physics and get them to question where we would be without it today.
Teaching is an extremely rewarding and satisfying career. There are excellent opportunities for career progression, and you will benefit from a good starting salary.
Physics is part of a core subject in the national curriculum and it is now considered a shortage subject because there is such a demand for great physics teachers. The Government has recognised this demand and wants to see an increase in the number of specialist physics teachers. You could be just the right person to help revive physics in schools and there are a variety of routes into initial teacher training (ITT) designed to suit a wide range of circumstances.
Read about physics with mathematics PGCE courses. If you're passionate about both subjects this could be the ideal route for you. This route is particularly suited to graduates with a physics or engineering background.
If you train as a physics teacher, bursaries of up to £20,000 are available for courses starting in 2013. The amount of bursary you will be eligible for depends on your degree class. For further information, please visit our bursary information page
As an alternative option to the standard bursaries, the Institute of Physics (IOP) has 100 teacher training scholarships worth £20,000 available to eligible physics trainees starting their teacher training in the 2013/14 academic year.
The scholarship will be instead of the standard bursary, but trainees who are not awarded the scholarship will continue to be eligible for the standard bursaries.
To be an IOP Scholar you will need to have outstanding knowledge of school-level physics and the potential to become an inspirational physics teacher. Each scholarship also includes a package of benefits including membership and early career mentoring. There are a number of application rounds for the year. To find out the next deadline and to view the full eligibility criteria, visit the IOP website
Our new enhanced service, Premier Plus, is available to those who wish to start training for a shortage subject such as physics, in the academic year 2012/13. You’ll be eligible for exclusive benefits including personalised advice from a named adviser.
Take advantage of our new Premier Plus service to receive one-to-one advice and exclusive benefits.
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Call the Teaching Line on 0800 389 2500 and receive tailored information and advice.
Find out the skills and qualifications needed to become a physics teacher, plus how you can progress.
Discover whether teaching physics is right for you and learn about the support available.
Explore the benefits and career progression of teaching shortage subjects.
Learn how we can support you on your path into teaching.
