Today, the Royal Society of Chemistry has published the results of its annual Science Teaching Survey, which analyses the responses from 1,846 secondary and FE science teachers and technicians from across the UK and Republic of Ireland. The survey is conducted with support from the IoP and RSB. ASE welcomes the survey and report and continues to support it through our joint working with the Science Education Policy Alliance, and through our channels. 

The headline findings, as reported by RSC, are: 

• 72% of surveyed teachers say the current curriculum is ‘overloaded’, with 29% believing the content is out of date or irrelevant and that this is having a detrimental effect on the outcomes of students. 
• That the top issues impacting student learning outcomes are not enough non-contact time, an overloaded curriculum and insufficient school funding 
• That there are concerning trends in working conditions and staffing levels including, an increase in understaffing across all subjects, a decline in professional development time with only 18% of respondents saying they had access to sufficient CPD (down from 21% in 2023), and a decline in technician well being (this is still low with a score of 19% although this does mark an increase from a very low 13% in 2023). 
• The use of AI is highlighted, with 44% of teachers surveyed declaring they have used AI, but this has not had significant impact on their workload 
• A lack of awareness of essential skills for chemical science careers. 

Lynn Ladbrook, ASE's CEO said, 

"This is a timely report, highlighting critical issues that resonate strongly with our own research and feedback from science teachers and technicians.

At ASE, we have long expressed  frustration that the current science curriculum is outdated, content-heavy, and has failed to keep pace with developments in technology and new scientific thinking. Our members tell us these challenges not only negatively impact children’s learning but also take a significant toll on teacher well-being, contributing to high attrition rates in the profession.

We welcome this important survey but are deeply frustrated that its findings show little improvement over the years, underscoring that these issues are long-standing and systemic. The curriculum and assessment review represents a critical opportunity to address these challenges and implement the meaningful changes needed to get this right.

We remain committed to advocating for a science curriculum that is relevant, engaging, and manageable, equipping young people with the skills and knowledge they need for the future while supporting teachers to deliver high-quality, inspiring education. These priorities will be central to our response to the government's ongoing curriculum and assessment review, where we will raise these and other key concerns."

You can read the headline results in full, as well as download the dataset, from RSC’s website:
https://www.rsc.org/policy-evidence-campaigns/chemistry-education/education-reports-surveys-campaigns/the-science-teaching-survey/#headline-findings