Become a physics teacher

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.

If you train as a physics teacher, bursaries of up to £20,000 are available for courses starting in 2012. The amount of bursary you will be eligible for depends on your degree class. For further information, please visit our 2012/13 bursary information page.

Alternatively, physics trainees with a 2:1 or first class degree can apply for an Institute of Physics (IoP) Teacher Training Scholarship. The scholarship will be worth £20,000 and be instead of the standard bursary. It will have additional benefits such as membership of the IOP and mentoring support. Any graduate with a 2:1 or first who is intending to do a mainstream physics ITT course will be able to apply.

The IOP will award scholarships to candidates with exceptional subject knowledge, enthusiasm for the study of physics, and outstanding potential to teach. In 2012/13 there will be up to 100 available, and the IOP will begin assessments during autumn 2011. Further details are available on the IoP website. Physics trainees who are not awarded the scholarship will continue to be eligible for the standard bursaries in 2012/13. 

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.

Read about a new PGCE course for 2012/13 – physics with mathematics. 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.