I clearly remember my first encounter with Wynne, an internationally recognised tour de force in primary science education and assessment, when many years ago and recently out of the classroom, I sat in on an ASE committee that Wynne was chairing. Immediately welcoming, generously supportive and encouraging, as Wynne was to so many others in our community, Wynne became my first port of call on all primary science matters from preparing responses to government consultations to actively engaging on ASE primary science projects.

With the evidence base firmly at her fingertips, attention to detail and persuasive clarity with the written word, Wynne also had a talent for engaging and developing primary science teachers at all stages of their career. I recall our project team for ASE’s Key moments in history and science: a fossil hunter’s story, working with a group of teachers from about ten primary schools, spanning senior leaders to early career teachers. As pre-pilot work over several days, the rest of our small team, including me, found it tricky to meaningfully engage the group but on the last day, it was Wynne’s turn, aged 82 years. Immediately drawing the teachers in, this was a masterclass in dialogic teaching, assessing the effectiveness of pedagogic approaches towards intended learning outcomes. As a result, we reshaped the project significantly and it went on to be highly popular and successful.

I count myself as very lucky to have worked with Wynne over many years - always such a pleasure and personal learning experience. Likewise, ASE and our wide community of primary science educators, and beyond, continue to benefit from Wynne’s legacy which influences curriculum, pedagogy and assessment policy and practice.

Professor Wynne Harlen OBE (1937-2025): a personal reflection

In October 1985 a young(ish) lecturer in science education knocked on the door of the recently appointed Professor in Science Education at the University of Liverpool, Wynne Harlen. After an hour of gentle but rigorous discussion, she agreed to act as supervisor of a research thesis he was about to commence exploring the role of science co-ordinators in primary schools. That meeting was the beginning of an amazing journey of 40 years in which I came to know Wynne as my supervisor, “boss”, colleague, mentor and friend. It is true to say that in many ways, I owe my career to Wynne’s guiding wisdom, challenge and encouragement; for which I am truly grateful.

Like so many others who have benefitted in the same way, I have been lucky to know and work with Wynne, personally. The truly amazing thing, however, is that there are many thousands of teachers, researchers, students and children who, through her books, articles and presentations, have benefited from her insights and clarity of expression; be that on assessment, primary science or curriculum development. Wynne’s ability and willingness to make time to engage with such a wide range of people, from pupils to the highest levels of government, was without doubt one of her many strengths.

Wynne’s commitment to improving and contributing to the place of primary science, was nowhere better demonstrated than in her support for ASE, serving on committees, editing Primary Science Review, giving presentations at both the Annual Conference and a myriad of regional events. I felt very privileged to be Chair in 2001, when, as part of our Centenary Annual Conference, the Association presented Wynne with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to science education. Furthermore, it was an honour, as Chief Executive, to invite her to be President of the Association in 2010; an invitation she accepted gladly.

The list of activities to which Wynne contributed and led is too long to include here but, from a personal perspective, I can’t think of her without recalling the SPACE Project which underpinned the Nuffield Primary Science curriculum materials. As recently as 2022-24, the ASE’s own Mary Anning Project challenged some of the ways in which we think about science. However, the two ‘Big Ideas in Science’ publications stand out. These were the result of two seminars held on the shores of Loch Lomond in 2008 and 2013 and attended by a truly international group of experienced science educators with whom Wynne had worked over her extensive career. The reports, which were widely circulated, with the help of ASE, in the UK and across the globe, have led to extensive debates about how we approach science education.

For me the ‘Big Ideas’ project reflected Wynne as the truly amazing person she was: a highly respected, committed, meticulous, hard-working individual willing to listen to alternative perspectives in order to ‘get things right’. Most importantly she was a caring, empathetic, and generous human being; she will truly be missed.

I had several contacts with Wynne at ASE through the years since the 1970's but I got to know her quite well when she and I edited, respectively, the 2006 ASE Guides to Primary and Secondary Science Education. Wynne was very generous in sharing her experience and advice which enabled a fruitful collaboration. Some of the chapters were included in both volumes, with appropriate adaptations by the authors and editors to serve each set of readership. The result was a pair of Guides that illustrated the unity of science education across the phases. 

Wynne was very agreeable to work with, clever, understanding and wise.  Although so distinguished in the field of science education she was always respectful of the opinions and experience of others however humble, particularly those representing grassroots practice. 

Much of Wynne's work helped to raise the status of the primary science curriculum.  Her legacy will include much of her philosophy which unobtrusively pervades the best of modern practice.

I was interested to read Wynne's life story in the tribute by her daughter on the memorial page.  I assumed that she was still living in Scotland and was surprised to learn that she has spent her last few years living only a few miles from me.  Had I known, I may have been able to visit her in her Care Home to enliven the routine there with nostalgic chats about the heyday of science curriculum development!