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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The ASE Primary committee is delighted to meet and greet any new primary science educators to Annual Conference. Whether you are a lone delegate attending for the first time, or presenting for the first time, do come along and chat with members of the committee who will welcome you and advise you on the various ways you can enjoy your day, and gain some great professional learning amongst like-minded colleagues.
Wellbeing is such a key topic currently for education. For three years (2019-2022) Primary science in Stoke-on-Trent received significant DfE funding (Opportunities Area local plans) to upskill the local school workforce. It is now 2025 and there is much to continue to celebrate. What happens to staff wellbeing when the investment stops?
Tina Whittaker and Karen Peters (co-leads of ‘Science Across the City’) will facilitate reflections from those involved in the funded professional development programme, and in particular focus upon the difference that the model developed, implemented and known as ‘The SATC Science Influencers” made both then and now. This session will invite attendees to explore the successful legacy beyond the funding, and reflect upon the key messages that are transferable and relevant to current policy design and the set-up of local systems leadership. Check and question assumptions of what matters to great teachers by hearing from great teachers.
Co-lead Science Across The City Project, Science Across the City
Building Capacity in the primary science landscape, Working collaboratively, Systems leadership, School improvement, School self review ( & Deep Dives), nurturing leaders & outreach
This panel session will be chaired by Angharad Pass, chair of ASE Primary Committee.
We’ll discuss the importance of decolonising science education to create a more inclusive and engaging curriculum for primary students. By incorporating global perspectives and recognizing the contributions of influential non-European scientists like Ibn al-Haytham and Fatima al-Fihri, we can broaden students’ understanding of science and challenge traditional Eurocentric narratives. This approach not only enriches the curriculum but also helps to inspire a more diverse generation of learners, fostering a sense of cultural identity and ensuring that science education is relevant and accessible to all.
We all need Climate Action Plans and Sustainability Leads but how do we make them impactful to deliver the scale of change needed at the pace that's needed? This presentation will describe the journey we are undertaking at Hills Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge. A summary of our thinking behind the journey can be read in an article entitled 'The role of the education sector in shaping a sustainable future' in the Journal of Biological Education here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00219266.2024.2288418.
This presentation will cover: •Developing a culture for sustainability in an organisation •How to reduce your institution's carbon footprint •Ways to incorporate sustainability into the curriculum •Enhancing careers education •Developing a voice to push for change.
Whether you are in initial teacher education, an early career teacher, an experienced teacher, someone with management responsibilities or in an organisation supporting the education sector you can be part of driving this agenda forward. There are a vast number of organisations supporting the education sector to move forward with sustainability and this can be daunting at times. This talk aims to give you concrete ideas for taking back to your organisation to help drive the change needed at the pace that's needed.
Sustainability Lead and Teacher of Biology, Hills Road Sixth Form College / SAPS
I am the Sustainability Lead and a Biology teacher at Hills Road Sixth Form College as well as the visiting teacher at Science and Plants for Schools (SAPS).I have 20 years experience in education and have been leading biology departments for most of that time although I recently... Read More →
Friday January 10, 2025 12:15 - 13:05 GMT
Pope LT C15
School science continues to face intense challenges – from declining student interest, aspirations and confidence in science to longstanding inequalities in participation, underpinned by chronic underfunding, understaffing and overburdening of teachers. These issues negatively impact all schools but are particularly amplified by social inequalities. So how can we best address the ASE pledge to support equity and inclusion in science?
This presentation shares insights from large scale longitudinal research conducted with over 47,000 children and young people in England that identified the key factors shaping students’ trajectories into/away from science from age 10-22. It also draws on collaborative research and development work conducted over 8 years by primary and secondary teachers and researchers, to develop practical, easy-to-implement ways forward, resulting in happier teachers, more engaged students and more equitable participation in science.
ASE President / Karl Mannheim Chair of Sociology of Education, UCL Institute of Education
I am currently the Karl Mannheim Professor of Sociology of Education at UCL IOE (2017-) and co-chair of the Sociology Activity Group (with Jessica Ringrose). Previously I was Professor of Sociology of Education at King's College London, where I was also the Director of the Centre... Read More →
Friday January 10, 2025 13:15 - 14:05 GMT
Pope LT C15
Join in with Primary Swap Shop Pops Up, where primary teachers have an opportunity to pop their project, free resource or artefact onto a table top for discussion and networking/swapping ideas etc, with other primary educators.
If you have something that you would like to share with conference delegates, please contact Sheetal Kowalczyk by email at s.kowalczyk@bro.gdst.net . Spaces are limited!
Contributions should be no larger than 40cm x 80cm - and fit on a table top Whatever you show, should take no longer than 5-10 minutes to arrange on the table Contributions should be inspiring and thought provoking, something that teachers may not have seen before Ideas should be tried and tested - so that teachers can feel assured that they can replicate your idea back at their school.
If you have had an article published about your idea in Primary Science Magazine or another journal, please have a copy of that on the table alongside our display, so that teachers can read more about it. If you are happy for teachers to contact you, please feel free to leave your card or material on your table for teachers to take away. Everything shared in the Primary Swap Shop is free of charge and without agenda, that creates the special friendly atmosphere of the pop-up!
Megan and Amy will discuss the action research process before delving deeper into their studies. Themes and outcomes will shared from recent research including suggested activities for best practice.
Megan will be discussing topics on retrieval practice in KS1 science reflecting on the use of dual coding, peer communication and feedback-driven metacognition and their impact on cognitive load. Amy will be discussing how forest school approaches including risk-taking can impact upon children's resilience and overlapping mental capacities in KS1.
The process of action research will be reflected upon and how this has influenced and impacted practice for Early Carer Teachers.
