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 for this year 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 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

GCSE Required Practicals - what have the past years taught us?

Saturday January 11, 2025 08:45 - 09:35 GMT

ESLC B01

Required Practicals (or core practicals) have been a part of GCSE science courses since 2018. This session looks back at why they were introduced, what knowledge and understanding they are meant to develop in students and how this is assessed in exams. We will look at how well students perform in these exams, and what lessons this can teach us about these practicals should be delivered as part of a science curriculum.

Speakers

Euan Douglas

Assistant Head Teacher, St George's Catholic College

I am an Senior Assistant Headteacher responsible for Teaching & Learning and the curriculum at Saint George Catholic College, an Outstanding comprehensive school in Southampton. My involvement with the ASE includes being a member of both my regional committee and previously the 11-19... Read More →

Saturday January 11, 2025 08:45 - 09:35 GMT
ESLC B01

11-19

Theme Practical Work
Key Stage / Audience Type ECTs, Teacher Developers, 14-16, Advisors/Consultants, ITEs, Trainees
Twitter feed @ScienceDouglas

09:45 GMT

Teaching Primary Science Outdoors

Saturday January 11, 2025 09:45 - 10:35 GMT

ESLC B01

Teaching Primary Science Outdoors

This hands-on outdoor session will support you in planning and teaching science lessons outdoors. We will focus on planning for, and teaching, conceptual understanding and working scientifically objectives outdoors. We will look at assessment and recording in science lessons that take place outdoors as well as considering some of the specific practicalities of outdoor learning. You will leave with lots of ideas, as well as renewed confidence and enthusiasm to take your science lessons outdoors!

This session related to the book Teaching Primary Science Outdoors sold by the ASE/Millgate House.

Speakers

Helen Spring

Primary Science & Outdoor Learning Consultant, Independent

I am a Primary Science and Outdoor Learning Consultant for Spring Learning and a Primary Consultant for CLEAPSS, as well as the author of 'Teaching Primary Science Outdoors'. I am the co-chair of the ASE's Primary Science Committee, a Primary Science Quality Mark hub leader and t... Read More →

Saturday January 11, 2025 09:45 - 10:35 GMT
ESLC B01

Primary

Theme Curriculum and New Teaching Approaches
Key Stage / Audience Type ECTs, Teacher Developers, 5 to 7, 7 to 11

11:15 GMT

PLANning for progression in the working scientifically skills

Saturday January 11, 2025 11:15 - 12:05 GMT

ESLC B01

"Leaders' plans to develop pupils’ disciplinary knowledge were usually much less developed than their plans to develop pupils’ substantive knowledge. In general, not enough consideration was given to identifying the disciplinary knowledge, including concepts, that are needed to work scientifically. This limited how effectively leaders could plan a curriculum for pupils to get better at working scientifically over time" - Finding the optimum, Ofsted, February 2023

The PLAN Knowledge Matrices and Examples of Work have successfully supported teachers to plan and confidently assess the substantive knowledge in the National Curriculum in England for Key Stages 1 & 2. In this session, new analogous PLAN resources will be used to demonstrate what working at the expected standard in the working scientifically skills for different year-groups looks like, so teachers can plan appropriate outcomes and make robust assessment judgements.

During the session, the National Curriculum in England working scientifically statements will be broken down so participants understand how different working scientifically skills progress from one phase to the next with examples to illustrate this progression.

Delegates who participate in the session will:

•access resources that will support the teaching and assessment of the working scientifically skills
•understand how the different working scientifically skills progress between phases
•be shown what pupils’ work that meets the expectations looks like for the different working scientifically skills in different phases.

Speakers

Naomi Hiscock

Director, Primary STEM Education Consultancy

Naomi has almost 20 years’ experience as a primary STEM education consultant and is Director of Primary STEM Education Consultancy, one of the most successful specialist primary STEM education consultancies in England. It provides advice to national bodies, local authorities, education partnerships and multi-academy trusts on devising and implementing strategies for primary science and D&T, as well as working... Read More →

Saturday January 11, 2025 11:15 - 12:05 GMT
ESLC B01

Primary

Theme Assessment
Key Stage / Audience Type ECTs, Teacher Developers, 5 to 7, 7 to 11, Trainees, ITEs, Advisors/Consultants
Twitter feed @NaomiHiscock

12:15 GMT

Improving working scientifically in primary classrooms

Saturday January 11, 2025 12:15 - 13:05 GMT

ESLC B01

Bothered that your pupils only investigate questions that you give them? Concerned the quality of questions is poor when they’ll left to develop an enquiry?

In this session we’ll take you through an approach that improves your approach to scientific question-asking.

Speakers

Lynne Bianchi

Professor / Director, SEERIH, University of Manchester

Vice Dean for Social Responsibility, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility Director of Science & Engineering Education Research and Innovation HubComino Foundation Associate Great Science Share for Schools Campaign Director Principal Fellow of the HEA RSA Fellow

Christina Whittaker

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

Saturday January 11, 2025 12:15 - 13:05 GMT
ESLC B01

Primary

Theme Curriculum and New Teaching Approaches
Key Stage / Audience Type ECTs, Global, Teacher Developers, 7 to 11
Twitter feed @UoMSEERIH

14:15 GMT

Using ChatGPT to prepare science lessons: teacher experiences and impact

Saturday January 11, 2025 14:15 - 15:05 GMT

ESLC B01

There is widespread interest among teachers in using Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT to support lesson planning, to reduce teacher workload and to enhance lesson variety and quality. This session presents the findings of research exploring the experience and impact of over 100 secondary science teachers who used ChatGPT to prepare Year 7/8 lessons in the summer term 2024. This research was a randomised controlled trial, commissioned by the EEF and co-funded by the Hg Foundation.

The session will explore:
-the impact of using ChatGPT on teacher workload and lesson quality, compared with a comparison group who used no Generative AI
-how teachers integrated ChatGPT into their planning processes and the tasks/activities they used ChatGPT for
-teachers’ perceptions of using ChatGPT and intentions for future use
-teachers’ experiences of learning to use ChatGPT

Web address included here (as it will not fit in the box below): https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects-and-evaluation/projects/choices-in-edtech-using-generative-ai-chatgpt-for-ks3-science-lesson-preparation-2024-teacher-choices-trial

Speakers

Katherine Aston

NFER

Palak Roy

Senior Trials Manager, NFER

Saturday January 11, 2025 14:15 - 15:05 GMT
ESLC B01

11-19

Theme Using AI to deliver the science curriculum
Key Stage / Audience Type ECTs, Global, Teacher Developers, 11-14, 14-16, Advisors/Consultants, ITEs, Trainees