How to become a science teacher

Science teachers in England train in one specialism (physics, chemistry or biology) but usually teach all three up to GCSE. You need a degree with enough content in your specialism and a teacher training course leading to qualified teacher status. Funding depends heavily on which science you choose: physics and chemistry trainees can get a £29,000 bursary or a £31,000 scholarship in 2026/27, while biology carries a £5,000 bursary.

Pick your specialism first

Training courses in England are organised by specialism, and that choice decides your funding:

Specialism	Bursary 2026/27	Scholarship 2026/27
Physics	£29,000	£31,000
Chemistry	£29,000	£31,000
Biology	£5,000	None listed

Bursaries and scholarships are alternatives, so you take one or the other. The subject’s professional body awards scholarships after its own selection process, so check the deadline and apply early. There is also a £9,000 undergraduate bursary for physics on eligible QTS or opt-in degree courses. All of these are tax-free and do not have to be repaid. Salaried trainees cannot get them, but their schools receive a grant of the same amount. Teacher training bursaries sets out the conditions.

Schools find physics the hardest subject to staff. If you could make a case for physics, you are likely to have the widest choice of jobs later.

What degree you need

A degree in your chosen science is the most direct route, but providers accept many related subjects. Engineering graduates often train in physics, pharmacology and biochemistry graduates in chemistry, and sports science, psychology or biomedical science graduates in biology, depending on the content. Where your knowledge has gaps, a provider may ask you to take a funded subject knowledge enhancement course before you start.

You also need GCSEs in English and maths at grade 4 (C) or above, and for most providers a science GCSE too.

The training routes

The routes are the same as for other subjects: a university-led PGCE, a school-centred SCITT, School Direct (fee-funded or salaried), a postgraduate teaching apprenticeship or Teach First. Salaried and apprenticeship places are more common in science than in many other subjects because schools want to grow their own. The training routes guide compares them.

Your training year combines placements in at least two schools with study on how pupils learn science, how to run practical work safely and how to assess it.

Day-to-day work

Practical work sets science teaching apart. GCSE and A level specifications include required practicals, and you plan them with the department’s technicians, who prepare equipment and chemicals. A good relationship with the prep room makes the job much easier. The science technician profile describes that side of school science from the other direction.

Expect to teach a mix of Key Stage 3 science, GCSE combined science (worth two GCSEs) and, in schools that offer it, separate GCSE physics, chemistry or biology. Specialists often teach A level in their own subject. Science departments are usually large, with shared schemes of work and a lot of common assessment. A new teacher gets support from colleagues’ resources, and in return follows a shared plan for much of what they teach.

Pay and the first two years

From 1 September 2026 the main pay range for teachers in maintained schools in England runs from £34,069 to £46,940 outside London, after a 3.5 per cent award. The figures are in the draft 2026 pay document, expected to be in force around early November and backdated. Inner London rates run from £41,729 to £54,131. Teacher pay scales in England has the full set.

After qualifying, you complete statutory induction as an early career teacher, lasting the full-time equivalent of two school years. In maintained schools it is required, while academies, free schools and independent schools may offer it but do not have to.

Science teachers often move into responsibility posts quickly: a key stage coordinator, a subject lead for physics or chemistry, then head of science. Most come with a TLR payment, worth £3,651 to £8,913 for a TLR2 from September 2026.

Outside England

The bursaries and scholarships in the table are for England only. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own training programmes and incentives, and the pay differs. Scottish teachers moved onto a main grade of £43,383 to £54,453 from 1 August 2026, after probation at £36,159. Northern Ireland’s latest confirmed main scale (from September 2025) runs from £32,916 to £43,830, with a 2026/27 award still unconfirmed in mid-October 2026. In Wales the minister was consulting on a 3.5 per cent rise for 2026/27. Moving between nations later in your career is possible, but you will need to register with the relevant teaching council each time.

Before you apply

A Get Into Teaching adviser can tell you which specialism your degree supports and whether a scholarship is realistic. Spend time in a secondary science department, including a practical lesson. Applications go through the DfE’s Apply for teacher training service, and physics and chemistry courses take applications throughout the year.