Time saving tips for teacher training providers
Save on paperwork (and time!) with Tes Institute
The Department for Education (DfE) has recently written to schools and SCITTs to notify them that if their ITT candidates undertake an SKE course through a third-party SKE provider, the school or SCITT will need to sign (or re-sign) a Grant Funding Agreement (GFA) in order for their candidates to receive any SKE funding.
As third party SKE providers are neither a School Direct lead school or an accredited ITT provider, they are not allowed to administer bursary payments under DfE rules, meaning that your school or SCITT will have to request and issue grant funding to any of your ITT candidates that choose an SKE course from a third party.
To avoid this, you may wish to consider only recommending an SKE provider that is either accredited to provide teacher training or is a School Direct lead school.
Tes Institute have been an accredited ITT provider for a number of years and we can handle all SKE funding requests and payments- giving you one less thing to worry about!
Subject Knowledge Enhancement courses from Tes Institute
Our 100% online subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) courses are available each month to give your ITT candidates time to complete an SKE course before they begin their teacher training in September. If needed, they can overlap an SKE course with their teacher training but they should be aware that they will not receive any SKE bursary during the overlap period if they are entitled to an ITT bursary too.
Courses are available to candidates training to teach Biology, Chemistry, Computing, English, French, Geography, German, Maths, Physics or Spanish. SKE courses are also available for PE ITT trainees provided that they have an A level in an Ebacc subject (English, Maths, Geography, History, the Sciences, Computing or a Language) and meet any other SKE eligibility criteria.
How your candidates can apply
Your ITT candidates can apply for an SKE course on our website here once you have issued a conditional offer of a place on your training programme that states they must undertake an SKE course.