ASE Annual Conference 2026 Programme Highlights
The ASE is delighted to be hosting its Annual Conference at the University of Nottingham from 8th to 10th January 2026. The three days include over 220 sessions with keynotes, speakers and workshops offering a broad scope of professional development, along with a fantastic exhibition of publishers, exam boards, organisations and resource suppliers, as well as social events and more. Our thanks are extended to AQA for being our main Conference Partner and also to Educake Ltd for sponsoring the 11-19 programme.
Our full programme is available on our programme application Sched. On this page we've pulled together a summary of the key audience focus days, and our confirmed keynote sessions.
ALL THREE DAYS: Sessions for both Primary and 11-19 are threaded throughout all three days
Thursday
Leadership, Teacher Developers (those who support and develop teachers throughout their professional journey), International sessions, BERG (Biology Education Research Group), PLUS Primary and 11-19/FE&Skills
Friday
Technicians, Early Career Teachers (ECTs) and Post-16/FE/Skills sessions PLUS Primary and 11-16 sessions
Saturday
Inspiration and Community, Research, PLUS Primary and 11-19/FE&Skills
Explore the Programme
On our conference programme application (Sched) you can filter by conference day, by audience (eg ECTs, primary technician, 11-19 or teacher developer) or by our conference themes:
Assessment, Curriculum, Global Science Education, Inclusion and diversity including SEND, Leadership, Practical work, Recruitment, retention and teacher wellbeing, Research, Subject knowledge and pedagogy, Sustainability and climate change, Technology in teaching and learning
We've also pulled together some sample programmes, just as examples for attendees interested in:
Primary science
11-19 science
Teacher Developers
Social Sessions
Conference is full of opportunities to meet old friends and new and there are some specific sessions on the programme for networking and meeting our committees. We'll also be running a few sessions open to all - see below and check back as our plans develop.
ASE Reception
The ASE Reception (formerly known as the Members Reception) is an open event for everyone (no tickets needed), whether you are an ASE Member or not - it's an opportunity to say hello and network with others after an inspirational first day at Conference. Join us for a glass of bubbly to celebrate the ASE! The ASE Book of the Year winners will also be announced. We look forward to welcoming everyone on Thursday evening of 2026. Thursday 8 January, 17:30 - 19:30 (and onwards with pay as you go bar)
Networking lunches
Please join one of the networking lunches available during Conference. Available for all conference attendees. Details of the sessions will be added in due course. Details TBC
Curry and Quiz
Back by popular demand. Friday evening at conference will see the return of our curry and quiz night. Tickets will be available in advance, book early to avoid disappointment! Friday 9 January, evening event
Presidential Address and Keynote Speakers
Presidential Address: Professor Louise Archer
New Year Resolutions? Current and future challenges for science participation
Join Professor Louise Archer, Karl Mannheim Professor at UCL, and ASE President, on the first day of conference. In keeping with seasonal tradition, this presidential address takes the opportunity to reflect back on the previous year and look ahead, identifying key future issues and challenges for science education in 2026 and beyond. The idea of ‘resolution’ is explored and applied to thinking about how to improve science engagement and participation, considering things that we need to commit to doing, be determined about, solve, make clearer and change.
11-19 Keynote: Professor Anu Ojha OBE
Space - Challenges and Opportunities in the Century of Change
Don’t miss the chance to hear from Professor Anu Ojha, Director of Championing Space at the UK Space Agency. In the sixty-eight years since the birth of the Space Age in 1967, the discoveries we have made have transformed our understanding of our home planet, solar system and universe. But has it been worth all the money spent when there are so many challenges here on earth?
Keynote for Early Career Teachers: Great minds on science education
James de Winter
ITE/Early Career and Research Consultant, University of Cambridge
Teachers need to be aware of educational research so that they can use it to inform and shape their classroom practice. What have some of the best minds in science education had to say about teaching and learning science, and what might it mean for your classroom? You could read all the books yourself, but if you don’t have time, come and listen to what I have found of value from reading as many books and papers as I have been able to over the last 25 years. From abstracted wisdom to practical ideas and all points in between.
International Keynote: The OECD Teaching Compass
Miho Taguma, Project Lead for The Teaching Compass, OECD
Navigating Curriculum Change and Teacher Agency in a Complex World
Drawing on examples from OECD countries and beyond, this keynote will show how the Teaching Compass can be applied to align teaching practices with long-term learning goals, foster cross-disciplinary collaboration (including STEM/STEAM), and equip educators to respond confidently to emerging challenges.
Primary Keynote: Reflections on the 2025 Primary Science State of the Nations Report
Lynne Bianchi, Professor / Director SEERIH, University of Manchester
Martin Pollard, Chief Executive, Primary Science Teaching Trust
Clare Harvey, Chief Executive, The Ogden Trust
Curious about the future of primary science education? Join us for exclusive insights into the 2025 State of the Nations Report, shaped by a UK-wide survey. Discover key trends, challenge the implications for teaching and leadership, and help influence tomorrow’s policy. Be part of the conversation driving change.
Keynote: Audrey Cameron
Join an inspiring session led by Dr Audrey Cameron—Chancellor's Fellow at the University of Edinburgh—whose groundbreaking work bridges science education and British Sign Language. Learn about the Scottish Sensory Centre's BSL Glossary project and how inclusive collaboration is shaping access, equity and excellence in science for deaf learners across the UK.
Keynote for Teacher Developers: The Curriculum Review
Jon Hutchinson, Director of Curriculum & Professional Development, Reach Foundation
Calling all science leads: this session spotlights essential insights from the Curriculum Review that directly impact your curriculum design. Gain clarity on key takeaways, understand what requires action, and leave equipped to shape meaningful and future-focused science learning in your school.
Conference Panel Sessions
This year we are including a number of exciting panel discussions, based around key themes and audience groupings.
- Panel session on International AI in Science Education (further details TBC)
- Panel session on International Sustainability and Climate Change
This session, chaired by Marianne Cutler, draws together a wealth of international science teaching and learning expertise.
- Panel: Thriving and surviving your first years of teaching
Early Career Teachers (ECTs) and those who have recently completed their ECT period are all welcome. Come along and listen to the panel - a mix of ECT mentors and teachers in their early career share their professional insight. Hear how they have steered their ongoing professional development. Listen to their top tips on how to manage wellbeing alongside the daily demands of teaching.
- Panel session on Secondary leadership (and aspiring leaders) - leading through challenge and change
This panel discussion is for leaders and aspiring leaders of secondary science. Come along and hear from experienced colleagues, working at the chalk face, who will share their insights into some of the key challenges facing schools and leaders. Topics will include: Recruitment and retention; Supporting non-specialists and non-scientists.
- Panel session on Leading Primary Science - Curriculum review - what next?
This panel discussion is for leaders and aspiring leaders of primary science. Come along and hear from experienced colleagues, working at the chalk face, who will share their insights into some of the key challenges facing schools and leaders. Is our curriculum design fit for purpose and what can we do about it?
- Panel session on Working Together to Improve Science Education
STEM education needs a reset. Despite decades of effort, the UK still isn’t delivering equitable, engaging science learning for all young people. In this session, Jo Foster (Director, IRIS) and other panel members share national data, grassroots insights, and early findings from a new leadership group working to rethink the future of science education. Come ready to reflect, challenge, and help shape what comes next.
Frontier Science Lectures
Each day of conference will feature lectures from cutting-edge science research, courtesy of our Frontier Science lectures; sharing science inspiration that goes beyond science education and features many of Nottingham’s eminent horizon-scanning science research topics, from both Nottingham and Nottingham Trent Universities.
Sessions confirmed include:
What are executive functions and how do they help children learn maths and science? , Lucy Cragg, Professor of Developmental Psychology, University of Nottingham
What makes a spider fly and does it matter? These and other stories from the Open Air Laboratories project, Sara Goodacre, Professor, University of Nottingham (School of Life Sciences') SpiderLab