ASE 2027 Annual Conference

This session will unpack the biggest trends shaping science teaching right now, including how teachers are reacting to the changes to the national curriculum, and what it all means for anyone just starting out in the profession.

Teacher Tapp surveys over 10,000 teachers every day, giving us a unique, real-time picture of what's changing in science classrooms, from practical work and curriculum shifts to workload and AI adoption.

Curriculum debate across the four nations keeps returning to one question. What is science education for? The answers point towards young people who can ask a good question, weigh evidence and contribute something new. Yet working scientifically is often reduced to practical technique, and the disciplinary knowledge behind real research goes untaught. Where research does appear it is usually optional, so the students who would gain most are least likely to meet it.

The Institute for Research in Schools (IRIS) has worked with over 10,000 students to carry out research. Getting Started with Research is what teachers told us they need to support research and innovation in schools.

What you get: Getting Started with Research is a free lesson programme for students, fully resourced and ready to teach. Lesson plans, slides, worksheets and a knowledge progression map. It builds a shared model of the research cycle, then teaches how researchers find and judge evidence, how curiosity becomes a testable question, who does research, and how students plan an enquiry of their own.

It is designed the way you already plan. Outcomes first, knowledge specified lesson by lesson, misconceptions named, retrieval and modelling built in, reading age controlled. It strengthens working scientifically rather than competing with it, and it maps to the curriculum in all four nations.

Aims and outcomes - In this session we will:

> show why research and innovation are better taught explicitly than left to chance

> walk through the lesson sequence and the knowledge each lesson builds

> show how it fits existing schemes of work, progression pathways and the enrichment you already run

Delegates will leave able to identify where research knowledge is currently assumed rather than taught in their own curriculum, and with free access to the full programme. Time is protected for questions.

This CPD session supports science teachers in developing a deeper understanding of standard demand questions in science assessments. Often forming the core of exam papers, these questions require students to apply knowledge accurately and interpret information with precision. However, many learners struggle to translate their understanding into secure responses.

This session explores what makes standard demand questions challenging and how teachers can better prepare students to meet these expectations. By focusing on the link between knowledge, application, and exam technique, teachers will be equipped to strengthen student performance in this crucial area.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Identify the defining features of standard demand questions in science assessments and mark schemes.
Recognise common student errors, misconceptions, and gaps in application.
Apply strategies to support students in interpreting and responding accurately to standard demand questions.

The session will explore the structure and demands of standard demand questions, using real assessment materials to highlight where students commonly succeed and struggle. Teachers will engage in activities to analyse question types, review authentic student responses, and unpick the skills required for success. Through discussion and practical strategies, participants will develop approaches to help students improve accuracy, confidence, and consistency when tackling this essential component of science assessments.

Ever wondered how to bring real-world science into your classroom in a meaningful and engaging way? This session introduces Inside Nature, a free resource developed by ZSL that transforms real animal post-mortems into curriculum-linked learning experiences.

You’ll gain insight into the full journey—from veterinary investigation to classroom resource—including the scientific, ethical, and creative decisions involved. Through examples and discussion, we’ll explore how authentic science can enhance engagement, deepen understanding, and make abstract concepts tangible for students.
Whether you’re looking to enrich your curriculum, improve practical engagement, or connect students with real scientific careers, this session will provide inspiration and ready-to-use ideas.

Outcomes: By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Explain how authentic scientific practices can be adapted into curriculum-aligned resources
Identify effective strategies for using real-world science to enhance student engagement and understanding
Evaluate the use of multimedia approaches (e.g. dissection footage, animation) in supporting learning
Plan how to incorporate similar approaches or resources into their own teaching context

Background: At ZSL, every animal that dies in our care undergoes a post-mortem (necropsy) conducted by specialist veterinary pathologists. These examinations contribute to animal welfare, global research, and the advancement of veterinary knowledge.

Recognising that many secondary schools face barriers to accessing real-world science experiences, ZSL’s Conservation Education team developed Inside Nature. This project bridges classroom learning and authentic scientific practice by transforming real post-mortems into curriculum-linked resources. Drawing on collaboration between educators, scientists, and creative teams, the project translates complex, sensitive material into impactful, accessible teaching tools

This session will include input from Hitchin School Girls who will give insights and practical tips on how to encourage independent revision for students.

There will be lots of visuals in this practical session with some discussions in smaller groups.

Keep up to date with the latest guidance, resources, and support available from CLEAPSS.

This session provides an overview of recent changes and important safety updates. Ideal for technicians, teachers, and leaders who want to stay informed and confident in their practice. Join us to ask questions, discuss any concerns, and gain a clear understanding of safe and effective approaches.

This session will explore how action research has been used to drive meaningful and sustained improvements in science teaching and learning at The Manchester Grammar School. Framed around the principle of teachers as researchers, we will share how small-scale, classroom-based inquiry has empowered colleagues to take ownership of their professional development and directly shape departmental practice.

Over the course of the session, we will present a series of practitioner-led research projects carried out across the science department. We will outline how these projects were structured, supported, and embedded into a wider CPD programme, including the role of collaborative discussion, learning walks, and professional dialogue.

Crucially, we will evaluate the impact of this approach beyond individual classrooms, demonstrating how insights from action research have informed departmental priorities, strengthened consistency in teaching, and contributed to a culture of reflective practice. We will also reflect on the challenges of implementing this model and how they were addressed to ensure engagement and sustainability.

The session will include opportunities for discussion, enabling participants to consider how a similar approach could be adapted to their own contexts. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for embedding action research into CPD and for fostering a culture where evidence-informed practice can thrive.

Leading people is not the same as teaching students! Middle leaders are the engine room of schools and are worth investing in.

In this session, we will draw on the New to Science Leadership course (the most recent cohort led in autumn 2026 by ASE in partnership with Astin Consulting) to answer questions such as:

- what kind of training best prepares teachers for leading their peers?
- is leading the same as managing?
- how to prepare for a difficult conversation, how to run an effective departmental meeting, how to lead change?

Ideal for teachers new to leadership (or aspiring to), or those responsible for developing new leaders.

Join the team working with the Department for Education to develop the reformed Science Programmes of Study in England and GCSEs subject content as we outline the priorities and evidence underpinning the drafting process. This session focuses on Physics KS3 and KS4 plus transition from KS2 and KS1.

Please note the other sessions in the conference programme, on KS1 and KS2, and on biology and chemistry at KS3 and KS4.

This session explores how EarthLearn and EarthTogether are supporting schools to develop a coherent, future-facing approach to environmental science education, Moving beyond single-issue topics, these initiatives connect themes such as air quality, climate and biodiversity through real-world student-driven enquiry. Drawing on the Air  We Breathe programme as a case study from King's Group Academies, we will demonstrate how local contexts can be used to engage students with global challenges, build data literacy and foster meaningful action. We will also introduce Minibeasts and Me, a new biodiversity-focused programme that extends this model into the study of ecosystems and the natural world.

Participants will gain insight into how authentic contexts, collaboration across schools and partners, and a strong emphasis on student agency can transform science learning. Through interactive discussion and practical examples, the session will consider how these approaches can be adapted across different settings and phases. Aligned with the conference theme, this session highlights how working together can support the development of connected, relevant and empowering science education that equips young people to understand and shape their world. 

Effective practical work can be challenging for students for many reasons, not least the overload on their working memory. Students’ understanding of the chemical concepts underlying a practical observation or measurement relies on them cognitively attending to a wide range of matters: their theoretical understanding of the world, new and recalled skills and knowledge, instruction in written and verbal form, the materials and equipment, and the social environment of the classroom.

This session will discuss two key aspects of improving students’ experience and engagement with practical work. Microscale practical tasks make use of smaller quantities of chemicals, simpler equipment and techniques, and a more rapid progression from start to observations and measurements. Integrated instructions use simplified guidance incorporated into diagrammatic representations of equipment and method. Participants will see how these approaches have been embedded throughout the chemistry curriculum, including the selection of suitable tasks, typical student responses and outcomes, and the process of securing staff buy-in. Links will be drawn between examination syllabuses and the conceptual understanding developed through these practicals.

Outcomes: Participants will be able to identify opportunities for microscale practical work, adapt instructions to reduce extraneous demand, and plan steps for implementation in their own departments.

If you are a secondary teacher or science education consultant, come along to the "Meet the 11 to 19 Committee" session at the end of Friday of Annual Conference 2027.

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 for one of the ASE journals?

We look forward to listening to your questions and will endeavour to answer them!

The capability to image single molecules has revolutionised biology.

I will explain how these methods work and  how we are currently applying them to study the molecular basis of neurodegenerative disease.

Lastly I will describe how our early single molecule work on DNA polymerase led to the development of next generation DNA sequencing, now widely used, and the lessons that can be learnt from this experience.

Is Generative AI fair for all science learners? The Department for Education names supporting personalised learning as a use case for generative AI in education, while warning that generative AI content can be inaccurate, biased or out of context. Science teachers carry responsibility for managing diversity, equity, inclusion and supporting identity formation in their classrooms. Generative AI is now sits inside that responsibility, often invisibly, as it infers things about students from their names, work, vocabulary and interests.

This accessible session widens the conversation from bias to fairness, looking at how generative AI shapes aspects such as cognitive challenge, assessment, the language and the framing different students encounter in their science learning. Building on research presented at ASE in 2026 (Hedlund, 2025) and on ongoing work into bias and fairness through names and assessment, the session turns research into practical guidance for science classrooms across all phases.

The session is built around being the informed human in the science learning loop. You will explore what to watch for, the quick wins that improve fairness, the mitigated prompts and processes that change what generative AI gives to your students, and how to model critical generative AI use to the students you teach. The session is pitched for a range of confidence levels with generative AI, and is grounded throughout in the realities of the science classroom.

Outcomes

Delegates will be able to:
• Recognise when generative AI is inferring student identity and changing science output as a result.
• Use specific strategies, prompts and processes that support fair generative AI use in their classroom.
• Model critical generative AI use to their students as part of wider digital literacy in the new Curriculum.
• Discuss the fairness implications of generative AI in science learning with colleagues, leaders and students.

This session will begin with an introduction to the Operation Spitfire 4 Schools project as a case study of place-based learning. The curriculum aims to increase engagement with STEM careers and increase civic pride within Stoke-On-Trent and Staffordshire. Each lesson is linked to a career in the past within Stoke-On-Trent and Staffordshire and a career opportunity that exists now within Stoke-On-Trent and Staffordshire.

The government white papers: Every Child Achieving and Thriving and the Post 16 Education and Skills reforms focus heavily on streamlining careers pathways. The work of the Futures Forum in Stoke-On-Trent will be shared with participants which streamlines careers into distinct careers pathways. WMBACC - myFUTURE | Supporting Skills, Careers & Progression . Participants will have time to consider the careers pathways available in their local area.

Participants will be given time to research a STEM career in the past and the future in their local area using the Neon Futures resource from Engineering UK and to reflect on how these might be linked to a lesson in their science curriculum.

Reflection and Questions. Participants will share how they have mapped a career in the past and the future to a lesson in their science curriculum.

Participants will have a framework that they will be able to use to map local STEM careers in their local area from both the past and the future to their existing STEM curriculum. They will have an example of a STEM career from the past and the future in their local area to share with their colleagues that maps to a lesson they teach.

Background: We know that the UK is facing a shortfall of over 173,000 engineering and technology workers, costing the economy around £1.5 billion each year. As demand rises in advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and defence, these shortages in engineering and design risk undermining critical infrastructure and the UK’s global competitiveness. Locally, Staffordshire faces a pressing need for 2,600 new skilled engineers every year for the next decade, to support both replacement needs and economic growth in priority sectors such as advanced manufacturing. Yet, the STEM pipeline is challenged by low interest and awareness - particularly among girls, young people from under-resourced (lower socio-economic) communities, and those from minoritised communities. Operation Spitfire 4 Schools was set up to directly address these challenges. Through a curriculum rooted in local heritage but designed to inspire future opportunity, OS4S provides early-stage engagement at KS2 and KS3, precisely the stage identified in Louise Archer's 2026 ASE key note speech as critical to challenging stereotypes and broadening aspirations.

I have explored Mars with the Curiosity Rover, orbiters and Martian meteorites.

This talks summarises how we have reached a new understanding about the evolution of Mars and its Habitable, ‘Warm and Wet’ ancient past, and how we plan to continue exploring Mars with new missions – robotic and human.

The biennial Science on Stage Festival took place in Klaipeda, Lithuania in May 2026.  

The Science on Stage Festival brings together hundreds of teachers from across Europe and beyond to share and innovate strategies for teaching science at all levels, from early years through primary to secondary.  In this session, members of the Science on Stage delegation which represented the UK at the Festival will describe and demonstrate some of the best bits from Klaipeda.

This session is being co-ordinated and chaired by Stuart Farmer, Chair of the Science on Stage UK National Steering Committee, along with some of those representing the UK in Klaipeda.