Narrowing the Attainment Gap - Helping Disadvantaged Students to Thrive in Science (Primary)

Joint Primary and Secondary Science Teacher Conference.

Join us for a full day of workshops, including a tour of the facilities at the fantastic Astra Zeneca site in Cambridge.

Workshops confirmed so far include:

Keynote: To Narrow The Gap, We Need a Map – Thinking About Student Thinking (James de Winter)

Knowing what students think about a scientific idea is critical for teachers but that just tells us where to start. Drawing from work on alternative conceptions, diagnostic questioning and what we know about students thinking and learning in science, this session aims to offer ways for teachers to consider what to do next and support students to (re)construct their understanding. The session will include examples and resources from across the primary and secondary curriculum.

1) Empowering Every Learner: Practical Ways to Promote Equity and Inclusion (Dr Jo Montgomery)

Reflecting on the Science Capital Teaching Approach and ASPIRES research, we will explore real, practical strategies, resources, tweaks and techniques that can be successfully used in curriculum design and teaching and learning to promote science identity and build science capital, and why it is essential to address this before the age of 10 to tackle social justice and equity.

2) Developing Disciplinary Literacy (Claire Seeley)

This one-hour session explores how to develop disciplinary literacy by integrating scientific vocabulary, purposeful reading to learn, and reading for pleasure across the curriculum. With a strong focus on inclusion, it highlights the role of oracy in deepening understanding and supporting learners to articulate ideas confidently. 

3) Active Learning Through Effective Practical Work (Claire Seeley)

In this session, teachers will explore how purposeful practical activities deepen pupils’ understanding of primary science. Drawing on research into disciplinary science, it promotes inclusive, accessible “hands-on, minds-on” learning for all learners. 

4) Embedding Careers in Primary Science Education (Dr Clare Warren)

This session explores why introducing career‑related learning in primary science is essential for broadening pupils’ aspirations and challenging stereotypes from an early age. Together, we will examine a range of high‑quality resources that help teachers make meaningful links between science learning in school and real‑world STEM roles. Participants will critically review these materials and consider how to integrate them into engaging lessons.