MSA Primary Science Subject Leader Regional Network: 2025-26 Meetings

Please note that this Network is open to all schools who are in Manchester.

SEERIH, at The University of Manchester, is a specialist hub which supports teacher development.

To facilitate forward planning in schools, all three meetings are open to book now. Please book tickets for the sessions you are able to attend. We encourage teachers attend all sessions wherever possible, in order to get the most out of the experience.

The network welcomes new and established primary science subject leaders of all experience levels to:

• share and improve practice
• speak with other subject leaders in your region about the issues that are affecting each of you.
• engage in expert-led professional development inputs to support you with up-to-date issues, skills and resources.

Attending these termly networks is an interactive and practical way to help you to:

• tackle the issues in your school's science curriculum
• support you in your role as a leader
• raise the profile of science
• improve the outcomes for your pupils.

Expectations of attending the network include engaging with pre-course tasks/reading and submitting your response to a gap task. This is a compulsory element of the network to ensure the CPD is meaningful and impactful.

Your timetable:

Autumn term meeting: 5 November 2025, 13:00-16:00. Engineering Building B 2B.025

Purposeful and Practical Primary science

Practical work is a distinctive aspect of science teaching, but its role in primary science isn't always clear, with teachers often unsure how to use it most effectively to support learning. This session explores a range of potential purposes for practical work in primary science, with a key focus on ensuring the intended science learning is explicit and focused.

Outcomes:

• To know when and how to make good use of practical work to enhance learning in science
• To understand how to plan for these opportunities
• To explore a host of practical ideas and activities matched to the current National Curriculum for primary science.

Spring term meeting: 10 March 2026, 13:00-16:00. University Place 5.212

What a good one looks like – Moderating primary science

Assessment is at the heart of teaching and learning. This half-day session will provide an opportunity to compare work across year groups and develop a clear understanding of progress and what ‘secure’ looks like in each year group. Discussions with other science leaders will ensure next steps in science can be identified, leading to greater cohesion across the whole school.

Outcomes:

• To explore current best practice in primary science assessment and understand current assessment expectations
• To explore approaches to whole school science moderation
• To be able to assess working scientifically.

Summer term meeting: 25 June 2026, 13:00-16:00. Engineering Building B 2B.026

The STEAMy relationship between art and science!

Teaching pupils to think both critically and creatively is key to the development of a society which understands and is fully engaged with the world around them. It’s important to provide our pupils with enough knowledge and understanding of the world around them so they make informed decisions: i.e. they are scientifically literate. This session aims to prepare our future scientists and technologists- in a range of creative contexts, including art.Outcomes:

• To experience a host of practical ideas for teaching science
• To cultivate, develop and raise science capital through a creative, cross-curricular approach
• To extend and enrich science activities for all ages across the primary school.

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