• Understand how children’s thinking scientifically can be assessed meaningfully in outdoor primary science • Explore a research informed Thinking Scientifically Assessment Matrix that supports progression across primary phases • Engage with examples of how the matrix has been co designed and trialled with experienced teachers in real classrooms • Consider how assessment can strengthen, rather than constrain, outdoor science learning • Reflect on how a shared assessment framework can support trainee teachers, Early Career Teachers and whole school professional learning
Outdoor science offers rich opportunities for curiosity, talk, investigation, and sense making; yet many teachers report uncertainty about how to assess thinking in these spaces. In this interactive session, participants will be introduced to a Thinking Scientifically Assessment Matrix designed to support assessment for learning in outdoor primary science. They will explore how the matrix makes children’s scientific thinking visible, supports progression over time, and aligns with everyday classroom practice rather than adding to the teacher's workload. Drawing on real examples from classrooms, the session will share how teachers have trialled the matrix outdoors, what has been learned through co-design, and how assessment has been embedded into practical, exploratory learning. Participants will be invited to engage with sample learning scenarios, consider where evidence of thinking might be captured, and reflect on how a shared framework could support consistency across year groups or within professional learning communities. The session will be relevant for classroom teachers, subject leaders, mentors, and those supporting teacher development.
By the end of the session, participants will be able to: • Identify key features of progression in children’s scientific thinking across the primary age range, in outdoor contexts. • Use an assessment matrix to recognise and interpret evidence of thinking in outdoor science lessons • Adapt assessment approaches to support exploratory, enquiry rich learning • Apply shared assessment language to support planning, reflection, and professional dialogue within and across schools • Support trainee teachers and Early Career Teachers in developing confidence with assessment of primary science, particularly in outdoor and enquiry based contexts • Integrate a research informed assessment framework within ITE programmes to strengthen coherence between university based theory and school based practice • Consider next steps for embedding the assessment of thinking scientifically within their own settings
This session draws on EdD research, which focused on the creation and application of a Thinking Scientifically Assessment Matrix designed to articulate progression in children’s scientific thinking. The research explored how early career teachers used the matrix to support planning, teaching, and assessment in primary science, particularly in outdoor learning contexts, where assessment is often perceived as challenging or impractical. Building on this work, I am currently collaborating with experienced primary teachers through a structured programme of professional learning and classroom trialling. Together, we are refining the matrix through lesson observations, peer discussion, and shared analysis of children’s learning. This knowledge exchange approach values teacher expertise alongside research informed pedagogy, with the long term aim of making outdoor science learning assessable, sustainable, and impactful beyond the Early Years.
