ASE 2025 Annual Conference: Full Schedule

The ASE is delighted to be hosting its Annual Conference, generously sponsored by AQA, at the University of Nottingham from 9th to 11th January 2025. International sessions are incorporated throughout the event’s 3 days and we will have a great exhibition with lots of exclusive Conference offers. Post-16 focus-day and for those involved in leading and delivering professional development, the Teacher Developers’ Group programme is Thursday. Friday is the dedicated Technicians day, kindly sponsored by Philip Harris, and Early Career Teacher day. Sessions for both Primary and 11-19 are threaded throughout all 3 days with a focus on Research on Saturday.

Book your tickets now at https://ase2025AnnConf.eventbrite.co.uk - and remember, if you are an ASE member you will benefit from hugely discounted prices! Check out our membership here - it’s free for Early Career Teachers and only £25 for Technicians!

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08:45 GMT

ASE Project: Why is core maths so important to you?

Thursday January 9, 2025 08:45 - 09:35 GMT

Coates C27

In early 2024, the Department for Education announced additional funding to schools and colleges offering the Level 3 Core Maths course for post 16 students. Building from GCSE Maths, Core Maths develops students’ ability to apply maths to real-world contexts they will meet in other areas of study, work and life. In this workshop, secondary science teachers will gain an insight into the Core Maths qualification and why it is important for teachers and students to be aware of it from KS3 upwards.

This event is being run in partnership with the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP), with support from the Dept for Education.

Speakers

Marianne Cutler

Director, Policy and Curriculum Innovation, ASE

Marianne has overall responsibility for curriculum support and projects at the ASE. She works closely with ASE committees and manages professional development projects.

Ed Walsh

Science Education Consultant, Ed Walsh Consulting

An author and CPD presenter, I was a teacher for 20 years, 12 of them as team leader. I then worked as a consultant, supporting teachers and science teams, training teachers and developing curriculum materials. I am now a Series Editor for Collins, CPD Trainer for AQA and Development... Read More →

Sarah Denison

MfBT joint ASE / AMSP project (DfE funded), AMSP

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead

Tom Rainbow

MfBT joint ASE / AMSP project (DfE funded), AMSP/MEI

I currently work as a maths education support specialist within the Advanced Maths Support Programme (AMSP), which is led and delivered by Mathematics in Education and Industry (MEI). I have shared responsibility within this role for supporting teachers in the delivery of the level... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 08:45 - 09:35 GMT
Coates C27

Post-16

Theme Curriculum and New Teaching Approaches
Key Stage / Audience Type 11-14, 14-16, Post-16, Advisors/Consultants
Twitter feed @theASE

08:45 GMT

Developing and Supporting New Teachers of post 16 Physics

Thursday January 9, 2025 08:45 - 09:35 GMT

Physics lab

Starting to teach post 16 physics can be a daunting prospect. It often falls to experienced colleagues to help coach colleagues who are at the start of their post 16 journey. Time however is short, and coaching can often be reduced to prep-room chats about content and teaching order. This session is designed to help make coaching time more effective.

It will draw on the content of the Institute of Physics’ post 16 Physics Central programme by looking at key messages, demonstrations, and concept development required within each topic. Delegates will get to explore several areas of the post 16 physics curriculum from the point of view of an experienced teacher coaching a colleague.

They will get the opportunity to identify the key concepts and difficulties within topics and explore strategies and demonstrations essential to concept development.

Speakers

David Farley

Professional Support Coach, Institute of Physics

Thursday January 9, 2025 08:45 - 09:35 GMT
Physics lab

Post-16

Theme Curriculum and New Teaching Approaches
Key Stage / Audience Type ECTs, Global, Teacher Developers, Selected by Teacher Developers' Group, Technicians, Post-16

08:45 GMT

Helping students with threshold concepts in chemistry by emphasising scale

Thursday January 9, 2025 08:45 - 09:35 GMT

Chemistry LT X2 (with sink)

Experience of teaching A level chemistry in a large sixth form college, involving students with a wide range of previous experience and attainment, has led to the identification of several threshold concepts which students must work hard to understand.

New teaching sequences that help students overcome their misconceptions in chemistry and make better progress in the course have been developed. A strong emphasis on scale has been successful, and to date has been applied to topics such as bonding and structure, rates of reaction, equilibrium, polymers and biochemistry. Ideas, strategies, and resources which can be applied to classroom teaching will be presented.

Interesting misconceptions which relate back to science learning in earlier key stages, such as electricity, temperature and chemical bonding, will also be discussed.

Speakers

Simon Colebrook

Teacher of Chemistry, Long Road Sixth Form College

Zoe Thorn

Teacher of Chemistry, Long Road Sixth Form College

Thursday January 9, 2025 08:45 - 09:35 GMT
Chemistry LT X2 (with sink)

Post-16

Theme Curriculum and New Teaching Approaches
Key Stage / Audience Type ECTs, Global, Industry, Teacher Developers, ITEs, Post-16

09:45 GMT

PhysChemTechTrainer as a teaching and learning resource for Physics (16-19)

Thursday January 9, 2025 09:45 - 10:35 GMT

ESLC B05

This presentation will introduce PhysChemTechTrainer as an online resource available for senior secondary (ages 16-19) students studying STEM subjects, principally Physics. The resource is entirely free and provides level-appropriate questions and full solutions relating to those questions where the questions vary in terms of context and details each time. It has been designed to complement other teaching and learning strategies in the classroom.

The system was developed in Tasmania, Australia and has been used to successfully boost student outcomes in Tasmanian schools. It is available for use worldwide to teachers and students in English-speaking countries. Students have used it both in the classroom and for homework practice. The system is not an example of AI, but instead is a purposefully curated resource of physics and other STEM problems which can be used to progressively improve student understanding as they study these challenging topics. Following a high impact teaching approach that has been adopted by many schools in the south of Australia, the system assists teachers in structuring lessons, explicit teaching and providing worked examples. It allows for students to gain multiple exposures to the same core material (but in varied ways), access to many styles of questioning and will provide immediate help or feedback when appropriate.

The developer of the system is the presenter. During your session, he will explain how to use PhysChemTechTrainer, how he has used it as a learning tool in his own classroom as students are grappling with new ideas and later on as a revision tool for students consolidating their newly acquired skills and knowledge. He will show how it can be used standalone or incorporated into a school’s learning management system. If you bring an internet-connected device to the session, you will be able to use PhysChemTechTrainer then and there to see how it could benefit students in your classes. Finally, he will provide data on how the system has improved student attainment.

Speakers

Tino Delbourgo

Maths/Science Teacher, Don College, Tasmania, Australia

Thursday January 9, 2025 09:45 - 10:35 GMT
ESLC B05

Post-16

Theme Curriculum and New Teaching Approaches
Key Stage / Audience Type Global, ECTs, Teacher Developers, Post-16

09:45 GMT

Spreadsheets, cooking and chemistry... approaches for tricky questions

Thursday January 9, 2025 09:45 - 10:35 GMT

Physics C30

A workshop for those teaching GCSE and A-level chemistry with time to try out and discuss the approaches to tricky topics, such as back titrations, NMR, dynamic equilibria and electrolysis.

Using visual references that students are familiar with, such as making a calculation layout look like a spreadsheet or treating a practical set-up like a recipe in a cookbook, the session is intended to break down the barriers that prevent some students from engaging in the trickier questions, whilst making them fun to teach and easier to mark due to logical structures taught for presenting the answers.

The session is focused on higher tier chemistry GCSE content as well as A-level content, and is suitable for anyone in their teaching journey who would like to try out and share different approaches. Bring a calculator!

Speakers

Jennyfer Marchant

Self-employed Tutor and Science Writer, Independent

I have been in charge of the sciences at a large comprehensive school for four years. I am also in charge of STEM provision, which has involved LEGO robots, Opwall, Farady, Salters and various engineering challenges and visits. I love everything geeky and am also passionate about... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 09:45 - 10:35 GMT
Physics C30

Post-16

Theme Curriculum and New Teaching Approaches
Key Stage / Audience Type Post-16, 14-16, ECTs, Global, Teacher Developers

09:45 GMT

The new AAQs from OCR - Applied Science & Human Biology

Thursday January 9, 2025 09:45 - 10:35 GMT

Chemistry LT X2 (with sink)

Come along to explore the approved Alternative Academic Qualification Cambridge Advanced Nationals in Applied Science and in Human Biology. These exciting, accessible, inclusive and applied qualifications will start teaching from September 2025. Join the team to discover the opportunities for your students and how to make it part of your curriculum offer.

Speakers

Bethan Foulkes

Science Subject Advisor, OCR

Bethan joined OCR in April 2019 and is a subject advisor for GCSE Sciences and Applied Science. Before joining OCR, Bethan taught biology to 11-18 year olds for 8 years, and was responsible for planning her school’s biology schemes of learning. In addition to her teaching responsibilities... Read More →

Amy Brewer

Science Subject Advisor, OCR

After 16 years in the classroom, teaching science of all flavours and levels in Sussex, Cambridgeshire and Ghana, roles as an ITT mentor and subject lead, I moved to OCR to support the development of the new AAQs in Applied Science and Human Biology. I also now lend my skills of... Read More →

Sponsors

OCR

We are a leading not-for-profit UK Exam Board. As part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment, a department of the University of Cambridge, we have access to unrivalled expertise and research capacity across assessment and examinations.We provide qualifications which engage people... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 09:45 - 10:35 GMT
Chemistry LT X2 (with sink)

Post-16

Theme Curriculum and New Teaching Approaches
Key Stage / Audience Type Post-16, ECTs, Teacher Developers
Twitter feed @OCR_science

11:15 GMT

BERG: Engaging and challenging high-achieving biology students

Thursday January 9, 2025 11:15 - 12:05 GMT

Pope A34

This session will equip attendees with the tools needed to effectively challenge high-ability A-level biology students. Strategies to improve learning and increase engagement will be discussed and illustrated with specific examples. Approaches covered will include higher-order questioning techniques, enrichment activities, project-based learning and the use of AI tools.

Speakers

Aaron Bridges

Head of Science, Eton College

Thursday January 9, 2025 11:15 - 12:05 GMT
Pope A34

Post-16

Theme Curriculum and New Teaching Approaches
Key Stage / Audience Type Global, Post-16

11:15 GMT

Preparing A-level students for Life Sciences and Medicine at University

Thursday January 9, 2025 11:15 - 12:05 GMT

Physics C30

Research suggests that teaching which is tightly focussed on achieving success in A-level Biology examinations might not be helping students transition to university life. Although most students achieve this successfully, a significant minority (maybe up to 30%) struggle and some leave University. This session explores the possible reasons why and proposes a pedagogy designed to support students interested in studying life sciences and medicine at university, based on the series of Oxford University Press Biology primer books.

Speakers

Jane Still

Educational Consultant, Freelance

After doing a biology degree at the University of Exeter and PGCE at the University of Cambridge, Jane has taught in a variety of schools and is an experienced online tutor, examiner, and author.

Dr. Neil Ingram

Honorary Senior Lecturer Science Education, University of Bristol

I am a biologist, interested in what children really need to know about genetics to be citizens of a genomic world. I am a teacher educator, interested in the delights and pitfalls of learning to teach, especially on PGCE courses. I am interested in the use of ICT in schools, sociology... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 11:15 - 12:05 GMT
Physics C30

Post-16

Theme Curriculum and New Teaching Approaches
Key Stage / Audience Type Post-16, ECTs, Global, Industry, Teacher Developers
Twitter feed @Neilingram1, @JaneStill2

14:15 GMT

How to organise and run an A level Chemistry Practical training day

Thursday January 9, 2025 14:15 - 15:05 GMT

Coates C27

This session is aimed at chemistry teachers who are considering running an A level Chemistry training day aimed at teachers new to teaching A level. The session will explain the logstics of organising the day, how to secure funding, support, promotion of the event and how to evaluate its impact. The experiments carried out on the training day will be described in detail and include titration methods and organic synthesis. In addition how these practicals fit into the curriculum and are assessed will be included.

Speakers

Peter Heffernan

Head of Science, Elthorne Park High School

He has worked in secondary schools in Greater London, Essex and Lincolnshire and has also taught the International Baccalaureate in Bogota, Colombia. His particular focus is to raise achievement through delivery of good practical science. In today’s session Pete will be assisted... Read More →

Juliet Scully

Head of Chemistry, Elthorne Park High School

Thursday January 9, 2025 14:15 - 15:05 GMT
Coates C27

Post-16

Theme Practical Work
Key Stage / Audience Type Post-16, Advisors/Consultants, Technicians

14:15 GMT

Innovate Teaching with Motorized Kits & Structures

Thursday January 9, 2025 14:15 - 15:15 GMT

Physics C30

In this workshop, participants will explore the innovative capabilities of state-of-the-art motorized structure kits and systems. Throughout this hands-on workshop, gain comprehensive insights into constructing and controlling the Motorized Crane, Motorized Structure System, and StructureBOT using advanced stepper and servo motors.
Participants will delve into building and programming these dynamic structures, discovering how to effectively demonstrate real-world engineering principles through engaging interactive projects and challenges.

There is also an opportunity for discussion and collaboration to explore how to align these tools most effectively with educational objectives and enhance student engagement and learning outcomes.

This workshop will empower participants to use these innovative tools to bring the excitement of real-world engineering principles into the classroom, fostering a dynamic and hands-on learning environment.

Speakers

Silas Norman

Product Manager, VITTA Group

Wendy Ford

VITTA Group Brand Manager, VITTA Education

As Brand Manager for the VITTA Group, Wendy is closely involved with the group's dynamic portfolio, which is dedicated to empowering science educators, bringing science to life, and consequently, providing support for the scientists of tomorrow.As an established marketeer, Wendy's... Read More →

Sponsors

VITTA Education

VITTA Education is a leading supplier of scientific equipment to educational institutions like schools, colleges, and universities. While the name might still be new, the dedicated team, exceptional products, and unwavering commitment to supporting educators, lab technicians, students... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 14:15 - 15:15 GMT
Physics C30

Post-16

Theme Curriculum and New Teaching Approaches
Key Stage / Audience Type Post-16, ECTs, Industry, 14-16, FE/Skills, ITEs, Advisors/Consultants
Twitter feed @VITTAEducation

15:45 GMT

Bringing Quantum into the classroom

Thursday January 9, 2025 15:45 - 16:35 GMT

Physics C29

Quantum technologies are developing much faster than the classroom curriculum evolves. How can we bring quantum ideas into the secondary school classroom and still deliver our required curriculum content? How can a laser pointer and a prism demonstrate quantum effects?

The new, free resource book from the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics provides hands-on activities for your students that will do just that.

This workshop will show some of the fun and simple activities in the Quantum Technology resource and you will see how easily they can be used in your own classroom, and how strongly they connect cutting edge physics with the standard high school curriculum. Waves and superposition, charged particle beams, light, diffraction, refraction, interference, dispersion, lens optics: all parts of the curriculum addressed by these resources, with connections to quantum effects illustrated whilst still highlighting the classical curriculum content.

Diffraction patterns can be interpreted as ‘probability maps’ and this has a direct connection to the quantum world – could dice be used to develop a diffraction pattern? The quantum tunnelling that can produce these probability maps has uses in electron microscopy, but comparing with optical microscopes, including issues with resolving power can take us through optics ideas that our students need to understand. You will try this yourself in this workshop, including making the links to wavelength and the Rayleigh criterion using cheap LEDs and pencils.

If you like the workshop, we can even turn the round of applause at the end into a laser!

Speakers

Alan Denton

Physics Coach, Perimeter Institute

Alan taught in Suffolk secondary schools and led large, successful science and physics departments.Since 2013 he has become well-known for the science teacher training he provides to both trainees and experienced teachers throughout East Anglia, the UK and internationally. This includes... Read More →

Miles Hudson

Teacher Network Member, Perimeter Institute

Miles is the PGCE Physics tutor at Newcastle University. He has written numerous textbooks and is the inventor of the Bestfitlineruler. He has trained teachers on behalf of the IOP, Perimeter Institute and the British Council in France.The latest project to come from Miles is called... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 15:45 - 16:35 GMT
Physics C29

Post-16

Theme Curriculum and New Teaching Approaches
Key Stage / Audience Type ECTs, Global, Industry, Teacher Developers, Post-16, 14-16, ITEs, Advisors/Consultants, Trainees
Twitter feed @sciencealan

15:45 GMT

Exploring Human Physiology with Go Direct Sensors: Balance, Chocolate, EKG,

Thursday January 9, 2025 15:45 - 16:35 GMT

Physics lab

An engaging workshop exploring human physiology using Go Direct sensors. Dive into experiments on balance, the effects of chocolate, EKG monitoring, and grip strength analysis. Gain hands-on experience and deepen your understanding of these physiological processes in a fun and interactive environment.

Speakers

Dan Roberts

Sales and Technical Manager, IDS Education

At IDS Education, measurement is our passion. We bridge the gap between education and industry by providing measurement sensors that inspire exploration and innovation.We are proudly offer the world leading Vernier sensors, thoughtfully designed by educators for educators. These sensors... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 15:45 - 16:35 GMT
Physics lab

Post-16

Theme Practical Work
Key Stage / Audience Type ECTs, Global, Teacher Developers, Post-16
Twitter feed @ids_Dan

15:45 GMT

Shaping the Future: Fireside Chat on Post-16 Technical Education Reforms

Thursday January 9, 2025 15:45 - 16:35 GMT

Pope LT C15

Join a dynamic Fireside Chat hosted by VITTA Education, discussing the evolving post-16 technical education landscape. The esteemed panel, comprising education providers, industry links, organisations, and regulatory bodies, will gather to discuss the introduction of Alternative Academic Qualifications (AAQs) and the continuous evolution of T Levels for Health and Science.

This engaging discussion aims to explore the transformative potential of these reforms in shaping the landscape of technical education. Panellists will share their insights on how AAQs and T Levels align with industry demands, foster skills development, and prepare students for successful careers in diverse sectors. We invite educators to participate in this interactive session, where they'll have the opportunity to engage directly with our panellists, share their perspectives, and gain valuable insights into the future of post-16 technical education.

Together, let's shape the future of education and empower the workforce of tomorrow.

Speakers

Wendy Ford

VITTA Group Brand Manager, VITTA Education

Sponsors

VITTA Education

Thursday January 9, 2025 15:45 - 16:35 GMT
Pope LT C15

Post-16

Theme Curriculum and New Teaching Approaches
Key Stage / Audience Type ECTs, Industry, Selected by Teacher Developers' Group, Teacher Developers, Post-16, FE/Skills, ITEs
Twitter feed @VITTAEducation