Buckinghamshire Primary Science Conference

February 26, 2026

In-person at St Clements Dane School, Chorleywood, WD3 6EW

Cost: £100 per teacher, or

One free place per Science Oxford member school (At checkout, please use the promo code provided to your school for the member place. Please note, for free teacher places, a non-attendance fee of £100 will be charged.)

Register by 19th February 2026

Be part of Science Oxford’s annual Buckinghamshire Primary Science Conference – a day dedicated to enriching your approach to primary science and sparking inspiration across your school community. Hear from a diverse line-up of expert speakers offering practical insights and fresh ideas to help you enhance science teaching and learning.

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Agenda

9.30am: Arrival and market place

10.00am: Keynote address

‘Inspiring and equipping the next generation of STEM talent – harnessing the primary years’

Francesca MacLennan, Director of Science Education and Engagement, The Oxford Trust

How can we as educators light the spark of curiosity for primary-aged pupils and foster belief for all that STEM careers are exciting, fulfilling and accessible to them? Discover ways to build science and engineering capital in the classroom alongside an already crowded curriculum, whilst showing real world relevance and revealing global challenges that require pioneering solutions. Amaze, motivate and nurture a love of science in the classroom and tap into your local STEM networks to maximise impact. Francesca will share a wealth of first-hand examples from throughout her career.

10.45am: Workshop

‘Classroom-friendly climate science’

Rebecca Ellis, Primary Science Teaching Trust

We know that opportunities to teach ‘the scientific principles that explain climate change and sustainability and the global efforts to tackle them’ will be explicit in our new Science curriculum. In this session, we will look at how schools are introducing climate science to primary children (aged 7-12) with the lens of how scientists are helping us adapt to change. We will explore resources, including the Primary Science teaching Trust’s climate-focused ‘Did you know?’ articles and teacher guides.

11.45am Coffee break and market place

12.00pm Workshop

‘Thinking, Doing, Talking Science’

Rebecca Ellis, Primary Science Teaching Trust

The Thinking, Doing, Talking Science approach empowers teachers to create opportunities for higher order thinking and to craft inclusive, yet challenging, science lessons. It is suitable for all teachers in key stage 1 and key stage 2 and is compatible with any curriculum or scheme of work. In this taster session we will:

Explore what we mean by higher-order thinking
Practise various discussion techniques from the Bright Ideas Time
Start to consider how higher-order-thinking can be maximised when ‘doing’ practicals and science enquiries.

1.00pm Lunch and market place

1.45pm Keynote address

‘Finding science across the curriculum’

Kulvinder Johal, Primary Science Teaching Trust

School timetables are more pressured and squeezed than ever, so we will explore relatable, tangible ways in which we can easily find and weave science into other parts of the curriculum, without too much cost or planning, science by stealth.

2.30pm: Coffee break and market place

2.45pm: Workshop

‘Making connections between science and maths’

Kulvinder Johal, Primary Science Teaching Trust

Linking core subjects is a great way to deepen learning, reinforce learning. This session will look at opportunities in each year group where maths skills can be drawn out and applied in science lessons, so we can better make those connections.

3.45pm: Evaluations and close

Meet the speakers

Francesca MacLennan is Director of Science Education & Engagement at the Oxford Trust, where she leads its education and engagement programmes, under the Science Oxford brand.

In her career spanning over 25 years, Francesca has worked in various roles in science education and talent development, including primary science teaching, STEM outreach, professional development and graduate training programmes. As a leader, educator, engagement specialist and training programme builder, as well as a Fellow of the Primary Science Teaching Trust, she has a wealth of experience leading programmes throughout the educational stages, from the early years right through to the postgraduate level. Francesca is trustee of the ENTHUSE Charitable Trust, linked to STEM Learning. She is also co-editor of a book of insect poems for children aged 8 plus entitled, ‘The Bee Is Not Afraid Of Me’, inspired by her work with entomologists.

Francesca is passionate about raising STEM career aspirations and developing future talent, actively working to ensure science careers are accessible to all. She aims to excite young people about the opportunities they have to utilise their skills to find pioneering solutions to global challenges, both today and in the future.

Kulvinder Johal was awarded a Primary Science Teaching Award in 2012, endorsed by the Royal Society of Biology. She had been leading science at a large, Multicultural, inner London school for several years. She had led a range of year groups across the primary range until taking over the role of assistant headteacher.

Kulvinder has been a member of the Association for Science Education (ASE) Primary Science Committee and is part of the Science on Stage steering committee. Kulvinder has served for 6yrs on the Royal Society Partnership Grant committee and the Public Engagement Committee. She has written for the TES, Primary Science magazine and also helped judge the Teach Primary resource awards.

In 2019 Kulvinder took on the role of Regional Mentor for London and the Southeast. This role allows her to work collaboratively with teachers to promote and inspire them to deliver practical primary science, particularly linking science to cross-curricular topics and active learning outdoors. She is also currently the PSTT Priority Area Mentor, supported 30 schools intensively in science.

Rebecca Ellis is a Primary Science Mentor for the Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT). With teaching experience spanning 2000-2025, she is passionate about supporting teachers to provide inclusive challenges by combining an oracy-rich approach with purposeful practicals.

Rebecca is a content creator for Explorify and developed the ‘Climate Challenge’ collection, the ‘Celebrating Scientists’ section, the ‘Early Years’ activities and the ‘Explorify for Inclusion’ guidance.

Before teaching, Rebecca was a research scientist. She is part of the PSTT’s ‘Did you know?’ team who make cutting-edge science accessible to primary children.