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!

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

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

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

15:45 GMT

ASE Policy Group: what does ASE do for members and what should we do next?

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

Chemistry LT X2 (with sink)

Speakers

Jane Turner CSciTeach

Associate Professor for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, Primary Science Quality Mark (University of Hertfordshire)

Associate Professor Jane Turner BA (Hons), PGCE, MEd, CsciTeachJane taught in primary schools in Hertfordshire and London. She is the director of the Primary Science Quality Mark, based at the University of Hertfordshire. Jane has written and contributed to several primary and early... Read More →

Helen Darlington CSciTeach

Faculty Progress Leader: Science

Dr Helen Darlington, CSciTeach, is currently Faculty Progress Leader for Science at South Wirral High School. She is an innovative and experienced teacher of science, biology and psychology with over 20 years of classroom experience. In addition to classroom teaching she has had a... Read More →

Thursday January 9, 2025 15:45 - 16:35 GMT
Chemistry LT X2 (with sink)

All

Theme Professional Journeys
Key Stage / Audience Type 0-4, 5 to 7, 7 to 11, 11-14, 14-16, Post-16, ITEs, FE/Skills, ECTs, Teacher Developers, Technicians, Trainees, Advisors/Consultants
Twitter feed @theASE

08:45 GMT

Why Geophysics matters

Friday January 10, 2025 08:45 - 09:35 GMT

Chemistry LT X2 (with sink)

As we move further into the 21st century, numerically literate Earth scientist will be needed more than ever to help to tackle our planet and society’s most pressing challenges, including the energy transition towards a low-carbon future, ensuring global food and water security, and understanding and mitigate the impacts of natural hazards and climate change. Geophysics provides exactly the needed skill set and is shortlisted by the UK Government as a profession in high demand, yet hardly known amongst science teachers.

This session explains what geophysics is: the application of physics to study planet Earth, addressing volcanism, earthquakes, resources, space weather, climate and environmental challenges; and why Geophysics matters for a sustainable future.

Speakers

Jurgen Neuberg

Professor, Leeds University

Professor J Neuberg is the Leader of the Geophysics program at the University of Leeds. He is chairman of the IAVCEI/IASPEI joint commission on Volcano Seismology and an equivalent group of the European Seismological Commission. Since 1997 he has been involved in the monitoring efforts... Read More →

Friday January 10, 2025 08:45 - 09:35 GMT
Chemistry LT X2 (with sink)

Post-16

Theme Sustainability climate change & environmental issues
Key Stage / Audience Type Post-16, ECTs, Teacher Developers, Global, Industry, ITEs

09:45 GMT

100 years on from the Scopes Monkey Trial - evolution education then and now

Friday January 10, 2025 09:45 - 10:35 GMT

Chemistry LT X2 (with sink)

In 1925, a high school teacher, John Scopes, was found guilty of violating the state of Tennessee’ Butler Act which made it illegal to teach human evolution in state-funded schools. We introduce interdisciplinary (science and RE) classroom resources which revisit the 1925 Trial through a role play and help students learn how our understanding of fossils and evolution have developed since.

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.

Michael J. Reiss

Professor of Science Education, UCL IOE

Denise Cush

Professor of Religious Education, Bath Spa University

David Francis

Big Ideas for Religious Education

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

11-19

Theme Curriculum and New Teaching Approaches
Key Stage / Audience Type 11-14
Twitter feed @theASE

11:15 GMT

Technicians: Sensational Seaweed

Friday January 10, 2025 11:15 - 12:05 GMT

Chemistry LT X2 (with sink)

Seaweed is known in Scotland as a super food but it has many other uses. In this session we will be using seaweed to demonstrate different photosynthesis rates, and show how you can achieve quantitative results to show the function of photosynthesis. Seaweed also has an important role in fighting climate change with its ability to help reduce animal produced methane. We will also demonstrate how to produce an Egeria Tower. A
n extremely visual representation of photosynthesis at work. Arguably the most important biological process known to man.

Speakers

Margaret Louis

Senior Technician, SSERC

Alan Purves

Education Officer: Technicians, SSERC

Friday January 10, 2025 11:15 - 12:05 GMT
Chemistry LT X2 (with sink)

Technicians

Theme Sustainability climate change & environmental issues
Key Stage / Audience Type ECTs, Global, Industry, Teacher Developers, Technicians, Trainees
Twitter feed @ssercofficial

12:15 GMT

AQA: Supporting ITT – Understanding GCSE science assessment

Friday January 10, 2025 12:15 - 13:05 GMT

Chemistry LT X2 (with sink)

In this introductory session for ITT’s and ECT’s we discuss what a specification is, and how we assess what’s in it, looking at content, Assessment Objectives, the structure of an AQA GCSE science exam paper, how we apply a mark scheme and some implications for teaching and learning of particular aspects of the assessments.

Speakers

Damian Gent

Curriculum Support Manager, Science, AQA

Damian has recently joined the AQA Science Team as Curriculum Support Manager. With over 20 years teaching experience, he has worked across a wide variety of schools delivering support, school improvement and training. Damian also worked as a Science Consultant as part of the Secondary... Read More →

Sponsors

AQA

Since 1903, we’ve been rewarding achievement by designing and delivering fair and inclusive assessment. We do this because we believe that quality assessment is an essential ingredient for a good education. We’re the most chosen exam board in England and we set and mark the papers... Read More →

Friday January 10, 2025 12:15 - 13:05 GMT
Chemistry LT X2 (with sink)

11-19

Theme Assessment
Key Stage / Audience Type ECTs, Teacher Developers, 11-14, 14-16, Advisors/Consultants, ITEs, Trainees
Twitter feed @Science_AQA

13:15 GMT

Frames for Learning: Applying Psychology and Cognitive Science in Class

Friday January 10, 2025 13:15 - 14:05 GMT

Chemistry LT X2 (with sink)

Frames for Learning (F4L) is a CPD programme for teachers and their teaching assistants which aims to improve science attainment by scaffolding how teachers and pupils approach multi-staged science tasks. F4L is an EEF funded pipeline project that recently completed its pilot phase (September 2023- July 2024).

The F4L programme aims to increase pupils’ recall, knowledge, and understanding in science, by supporting teachers to use the F4L approach. This approach can be integrated into the existing curriculum, and supports teachers to develop and deliver lessons which optimise the amount of information children must process at once (cognitive load), whilst building on pre-existing knowledge and understanding (schema development) to support learning outcomes.

Y5 teachers from 20 primary schools in South Yorkshire and neighbouring regions participated in the pilot. Training took place through a mix of face-to-face and online CPD sessions. Initially, teachers were trained to use worked examples that they could apply immediately. The training programme culminated in teachers planning and delivering their own lessons using the F4L approach. Alongside these applied skills, attendees gained an appreciation of how applied psychology and cognitive science can make a difference to teaching and learning in the primary classroom.

This interactive workshop is hosted by the lead developers of the F4L programme: Andy Bullough and Diarmuid Verrier. The workshop is suitable for teachers and teaching assistants. It will cover key issues that arose during the pilot phase as teachers applied the F4L approach within their classroom and will describe the ways in which the approach supports primary science education.

The ‘frame’ itself is an elegantly simple and readily accessible approach and curriculum tool used to develop a scaffolded pedagogy to science enquiry in KS2 science activities that supports the progress of all learners, including disadvantaged learners.

During the session an exemplar frame activity will be used to consider how the frame can help good practice in the classroom, through the application of cognitive science concepts and principles such as focus, attention, cognitive load theory, schema development, dialogic approaches and meta cognition in the classroom setting.

Building the frame into lesson plans can help ensure that children are ‘on task’ and focused on the intended activity, that they are learning the required curriculum content, and that they are successfully achieving the learning objectives of the task.

By attending this workshop, delegates will develop an enhanced appreciation of how cognitive science approaches can be applied in the classroom. In addition, this is an opportunity to learn more about the frames approach in particular, as well as possible future F4L CPD opportunities.

Speakers

Andy Bullough

Senior Research Fellow, Sheffield Hallam University

I am a senior research fellow at Sheffield Institute of Education's Centre for Research and Knowledge Exchange. My interests focus on curriculum development, especially in terms of the design of teaching and learning resources and their associated theories. I work on projects with... Read More →

Diarmuid Verrier

Senior lecturer applied developmental psychology, Sheffield Hallam University.

Friday January 10, 2025 13:15 - 14:05 GMT
Chemistry LT X2 (with sink)

Primary

Theme Curriculum and New Teaching Approaches
Key Stage / Audience Type ECTs, Teacher Developers, Global, 7 to 11, Advisors/Consultants, ITEs, Trainees

14:15 GMT

Talking Science: Time for a change? Science education reform

Friday January 10, 2025 14:15 - 16:45 GMT

Chemistry LT X2 (with sink)

Following short stimulus inputs from our speakers, delegates will discuss and prioritise their top issues for reform.
In common with our previous Talking Science sessions, these sessions promise thought-provoking insights and lively debate. We look forward to seeing you there and your contributions. Refreshments are provided courtesy of SEPA.

The Science Education Policy Alliance (SEPA) brings together the Association for Science Education, Institute of Physics, Royal Society, Royal Society of Biology and Royal Society of Chemistry to coordinate and collaborate on science education policy, with Professor Dame Athene Donald as Chair.

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.

Friday January 10, 2025 14:15 - 16:45 GMT
Chemistry LT X2 (with sink)

All