ASE 2027 Annual Conference

A chance to gets hands-on, and try out some of the latest CLEAPSS practicals.  

Pop in, ask a question, chat with the CLEAPSS advisors!

For queries, please email [email protected]

This collaborative session invites teachers and leaders to reflect on practical science models that are realistic, workable and educationally valuable. It will explore how practical assessment and practical learning can be designed in ways that support classroom delivery, gather meaningful feedback and balance ambition with the operational realities schools face.

Participants will also explore what makes practical science both educationally valuable and operationally manageable; to surface the barriers schools face in delivering practical science well; and to discuss models that could improve consistency, feasibility and learner experience. Participants will leave with a set of practical design considerations, examples of alternative delivery models and prompts for reviewing practical science in their own context.

A chance to gets hands-on, and try out some of the latest CLEAPSS practicals.  

Pop in, ask a question, chat with the CLEAPSS advisors!

For queries, please email [email protected]

This session will explore how the practical Barcoding For Beginners project is being used to investigate invertebrate biodiversity with learners in years 10-13. Hear about the impact of authentic scientific investigation and collaboration on educators and students and see the resources available to support this inquiry-based project using molecular biology techniques, bioinformatics and transferable skills.

Launched in September 2024, Barcoding For Beginners is a project by Wellcome Connecting Science, funded by a Royal Society SEED Partnership grant. It provided funded CPD for eligible educators, a series of resources, equipment and consumables to support a 10 hour DNA barcoding project in the classroom. This session will discuss the findings from this two year project and examine the impact on educators and learners of completing inquiry-based science, using molecular biology equipment, supported by scientists in the field.

This session will discuss and showcase:
• how DNA barcoding has been used in schools and FE colleges for practical, inquiry-based projects investigating invertebrate biodiversity in years 10 - 13
• how using practical project work can enhance understanding of molecular biology techniques in the curriculum
• the positive engagement of educators and technical staff with Barcoding for beginners CPD and resources
• the impact on practical molecular biology ability, transferable skills and career awareness in participating students
• one of the bioinformatics exercises to showcase how interrogating open access databases can be used in teaching

Attendees will:
• understand the structure and impact of the Barcoding for beginners programme and how it can be applied in school and colleges
• hear about the impact the practical investigations had on students engagement with molecular biology and bioinformatics and their development of practical skills.
• discuss how a DNA barcoding project fits with the curriculum and can be integrated into teaching
•t rial a bioinformatics element from the project to demonstrate how the project can enhance students’ domain-specific skills

A chance to gets hands-on, and try out some of the latest CLEAPSS practicals.  

Pop in, ask a question, chat with the CLEAPSS advisors!

For queries, please email [email protected]

The aim of this session is to demonstrate novel techniques for teaching Primary and Secondary students about inheritance, in the context of Forensic Science and real life applications to solving crimes.

The workshop is based on research being conducted by scientists at the Earlham Institute. One of the problems faced by forensic scientists is accurately analysing data which contains DNA from more than one person.

For example, if someone has been stabbed, there will be epithelial/blood cells from the suspect on the knife. However, if a victim has bled, these cells will be outnumbered by cells from the victim. This makes analysis difficult. Researchers are using a cell sorting machine to collect individual cells from the evidence. The students will have a go at this and compare the results, to existing analysis techniques.

The workshop starts with the crime - “Murder at the Boutique Hotel” (Secondary), “Pizza Thief at the Boutique Hotel” (Primary). Initially, they must think about where the evidence will be at the crime scene. We talk about cells, organs, and organ systems and where cells are in the body. We think about where the suspect will have touched as they move through the hotel, “Every contact leaves a trace”. I have a Lego model of the Hotel and crime scene. Students must add crime markers to indicate where we are most likely to find DNA evidence.

I demonstrate how DNA is extracted from the samples. I show the students the cell sorting machine the scientists use, then they use my mini cell sorters, to manually separate blood and epithelial cells. The suspect epithelial cells they collect glow in UV light. The students place these in their dark rooms to see how many epithelial cells are from the suspect. We then move on to the analysis.

The students are shown a DNA profile. I explain to them how the DNA profile is generated. To understand it they learn about microsatellites, which have different repeat numbers. We use a simple demonstration of a sentence, “The Cat Sat on the Mat,” to show this. I then demonstrate why for each part of the DNA on the DNA profile there are two numbers. One is inherited from Mum, the other from Dad. I use baubles and limbo poles to explain this! This is the section that teachers will really love. It is a great visual way of getting children to see exactly how genetic information is inherited.

Another set of poles is used to demonstrate what happens currently when we analyse a mixed DNA profile (DNA from two people). We talk about homozygote and heterozygotes, and how we use this information to analyse the data.
Students compare their data, with data from the Research Scientists new technique. The students can see how this new technique could revolutionise analysis of mixed DNA profiles! We identify which student is the murderer/thief and they are arrested.

The outcome is that teachers will have a tool box of practical demonstrations they can use to teach students about inheritance in way that they can understand, engage with and understand the importance of what they are learning in application to real life science.

A chance to gets hands-on, and try out some of the latest CLEAPSS practicals.  

Pop in, ask a question, chat with the CLEAPSS advisors!

For queries please email [email protected]

This professional registration lunch (by invitation only) is for those Honorary ASE members and member-science teachers and technicians who have gained professional registration or Chartership: CSciTeach, RSci or RSciTech, all of whom are invited to join Lynn Ladbrook, the ASE's CEO along with the Chair Trio for the Association.

New Honorary members will also be announced. Honorary Membership is the ASE's highest honour and is awarded to those individuals that have made outstanding contributions to the work of the ASE in at least two of the following areas:
National affairs of the Association
Regional affairs of the Association
Science education in general (at a national or international level)

Embark on a hands-on adventure and join marine biologists in their quest to uncover the mystery of Luna's father! Meet Luna, an adorable whale calf,  and become part of a passionate team determined to solve this heart-warming puzzle using gel electrophoresis and DNA fingerprinting.

A chance to gets hands-on, and try out some of the latest CLEAPSS practicals.  

Pop in, ask a question, chat with the CLEAPSS advisors!

For queries please email [email protected]

A chance to gets hands-on, and try out some of the latest CLEAPSS practicals.  

Pop in, ask a question, chat with the CLEAPSS advisors!

For queries please email [email protected]

2026 saw issues of equity, diversity and inclusion thrust violently into the academic and educational spotlight. EDI has been the subject of intense, polarised and painful debate across national and international media, with events that have shaken the academic world to devastating effect.
This presidential address explores the motive of what it means to talk/ speak about equity within science education. It engages with a range of discursive challenges relating to equity issues, spanning resistance to equity through the accusation that “you can’t say anything these days”, to the practical dilemmas that STEM educators may encounter, such as not knowing ‘what you can or can’t say’, through to issues of ‘voice’ and injustice and whose voices are valued, recognised or marginalised and excluded within STEM learning spaces.
The presentation concludes with some possibilities for supporting greater equity, justice and inclusion in and through science education and how educators might speak more justly and productively about equity issues.

Our dedicated Chair Trio invite you to drop-in to the “Chair-Chat” sessions on one of the days of Annual Conference 2027. The Chair is a vital role to the ASE, and the elected Chair provides an authoritative voice for the thousands of members that the ASE supports, along with those working within the wider science education community. Those elected remain part of our Chair Trio for 3 years.

Got a question? Ever wondered about what goes on behind the scenes? Ever thought about getting involved in Committee activities? Are you wanting to know more about Professional Registration or writing an article in one of the ASE journals? First time attending our flagship Conference?

If this is your first ASE Conference, then please come along and say Hello.

We look forward to hearing your questions and will endeavour to answer them or point you in a selection of possible right directions!

A chance to gets hands-on, and try out some of the latest CLEAPSS practicals.  

Pop in, ask a question, chat with the CLEAPSS advisors!

For queries, please email [email protected]

The recent curriculum review recognised the importance of good quality purposeful practical science. In this workshop we will share the journeys of some of the schools on our Keeping Science Practical project - hear from the schools how they consistently improved practical provision in their own schools (and the impacts of these changes).

CASTME Awards:  CASTME’s mission is to raise the general level of STEM education in commonwealth countries and beyond. They support and promote education at all levels, working in partnership with schools, colleges, civil society organisations and industry across the world. Their awards scheme recognises innovation, awareness raising, and sustainability across science education.