ASE NW Newsletter June 2014
Welcome to the ASE NW newsletter. We will endeavour to issue these termly to keep you up to date with what is happening in the NW region and nationally. I would like to give a warm welcome to Pat Dower, the new ASE Field Officer for the North of England, see his profile below. I am sure Pat will do an excellent job for the region and has already made his mark by enrolling more ASE members at the Northern conference than his predecessors!
Pat Dower: New Field Officer for the North of England
I’d like to take this opportunity to greet all ASE members in the region. As I write this I am several weeks into my role as ASE Field Officer for the North of England and enjoying every minute of it so far.
A little bit about my background… Education was a very positive choice for me after enjoying but not settling in a few roles after graduation. An engineering firm in the shadow of Spaghetti Junction finishing the turbine blades for Rolls Royce jet engines and the fisheries department of Yorkshire Water Authority provided some very welcome experience as a real scientist. Since then I have spent the bulk of my career so far as a teacher in 11-16 and 11-18 schools. After being subject leader in two science departments and having a spell in senior management, I took the plunge of leaving school to work with the National Strategies as a local authority Science Consultant. Working across a wide range of schools, plus local and national networks was a huge privilege and was some of the best professional development I have ever had. Bringing things up to date, I now work as an education development consultant for my own company. It is the flexibility of this role which has allowed me to enjoy a great variety of work and most importantly join the ASE team.
I am sure that my role as Field Officer will evolve as the Association continues to do so. I see the role as a simple one when boiled down to basics. Help the members in the North get as much as possible out of being in the ASE; spread the word to potential new ones and help the many great ASE events and conferences go from strength to strength. Simples!
I look forward to getting to know you soon.
Pat
ASE Events 2013-2014
Date / Event / Contact7 June / London Teachers Conference, STEM Education Centre, Institute of Education, London /
13 June / National Primary Conference, NSLC, York /
Course - NY007A13
25 June / South East Area Conference, University of Surrey, Guildford /
3 /4 July / National Technicians Conference, NSLC, York /
Course - NY609A13
4 July / West of England Technicians conference, Broadlands School, Bristol /
3 /4 July / Expert science educators (ATSE/NAIGS but open to all) conference, University of Hertfordshire /
27 September (rescheduled from 29 March) / Fundamental, Mathematics and Science Learning Centre, University of Southampton /
15 November / West of England Conference, @Bristol (½ day) /
22 November / Yorkshire Northern Area Conference, University of Huddersfield /
7-10 January 2015 / Annual Conference,
University of Reading /
Keep looking on the Regional pages of the ASE website and the TeachMeet Wiki for details of Events in your area or contact us for support with running your own event.
Follow @theASE and use #ASEConf or find us on Facebook
Northern Area ASE Conference report
The conference was a successful event with roughly 180 delegates and a great buzz on the day. There were great evaluations with 100% rated at very good or good overall.
Planning is at an early stage for the next Northern Conference in spring 2015. If you have any suggestions for workshops and presenters you would like to see at the conference, please email Joyce Porter at , Rachel Eppy at or Pat Dower
Maintaining Curiosity and Assessing without levels
The NW NAIGS group and NW ASE committee are planning a CPD day early in the Autumn Term with a focus on Brian Cartwright’s recent report on Maintaining Curiosity. You can read the report onhttp://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/maintaining-curiosity-survey-science-education-schools. An important excerpt from the summary is shown below:
‘The report highlights the importance of teaching science for understanding. For pupils to achieve well in science, they must not only acquire the necessary knowledge, but also understand its value, enjoy the experience of working scientifically, and sustain their interest in learning it. Pupils in schools need to discover the concepts revealed through observing scientific phenomena and conducting experimental investigations for themselves. Then they are more likely to continue to study science and use that learning for work, for family, and to contribute as informed citizens. ‘
The day will also consider Assessing without levels, an issue which we know is a great concern for teachers moving forward with the new curriculum. To register your interest in this event please email Joyce Porter at , Rachel Eppy at or Pat Dower