Ash Morris works across secondary science education and curriculum and is a Subject Matter Specialist at Ofqual. She has previously held curriculum and national science leadership roles and is also involved with WomenEd, with particular interests in girls and women in STEM, leadership and psychology. In this interview, she reflects on her unexpected route into teaching, what makes a strong science curriculum, how assessment should support learning and what schools can do to help more girls and women thrive in STEM.
Question 1
What first inspired you to become a science teacher?
I didn’t initially set out to be a science teacher. After completing a psychology degree, I returned to my old secondary school as a member of support staff while I worked out what I wanted to do next. I ended up taking on some long-term cover in the science department, which really changed the direction I was headed in!
I became fascinated by the challenge of taking concepts that felt complicated, and finding ways to make them accessible for students.
That’s what drew me into teaching, the process of helping others understand. The school encouraged me to pursue teaching and supported me through my teacher training, which gave me the opportunity to turn what started as a temporary role into a career in science education.
Question 2
What drew you towards curriculum and science leadership?
I genuinely love thinking about how students build knowledge over time. I became increasingly interested in decisions behind the curriculum, what students need to know, when they need to know it and how we can sequence learning so that new ideas build meaningfully on what has come before.
Science leadership has always felt about much more than managing a department. It’s about being curious about how students learn, making deliberate decisions about the curriculum and then being willing to evaluate, adapt and improve it.
Question 3
What makes a really strong secondary science curriculum?
A strong science curriculum is one that anticipates common misconceptions and gives teachers a shared understanding of how to identify, address and challenge them. It should build progressively, revisiting key ideas and developing them over time, so that students can make connections between topics rather than seeing them as separate units.
I also think it’s important for science to be as aligned with maths as possible, so students encounter consistent approaches and can apply their mathematical knowledge across subjects. And, wherever possible, science should be connected to real life, helping students understand how the concepts they learn in the classroom relate to the world around them.
Question 4
How can schools make science feel connected rather than a collection of separate topics?
Science is already connected to almost every aspect of students’ lives, particularly their own bodies and the experiences they have every day. I think schools should make these connections more explicit, helping students see how science explains things they experience for themselves. This could be as simple as linking muscle pairs to movement in PE or dance, exploring how the body responds to exercise, or using osmosis to explain what happens when we cook food.
I also think it’s important that these connections are built into the curriculum rather than becoming another initiative or creating additional workload for teachers. Consistency with other subjects, particularly in areas such as mathematical approaches, can help students make connections naturally. Ultimately, the aim is to help students see science not as a collection of separate topics, but as a way of understanding themselves and the world around them.
Question 5
What do teachers sometimes misunderstand about curriculum design?
I think curriculum design can sometimes become overcomplicated. Science is already a content-rich subject, so there can be a temptation to add too much ‘above curriculum’ content or additional ideas, when the priority should be making sure students have a good understanding of the knowledge they’re expected to learn.
A strong curriculum means making deliberate decisions about what matters, sequencing it well and giving students enough opportunity to revisit and deepen their understanding.
Question 6
How should assessment support, rather than drive, the science curriculum?
Assessment should give teachers useful information about what students understand and what they need next. This means checking understanding regularly through formative assessment and responding to what we find, whether that means reteaching a concept, addressing a misconception or moving on because students are secure.
Summative assessment can also inform the curriculum over time. If students across a year group consistently struggle with the same concept, that should make us question whether we need to change the sequencing, revisit prerequisite knowledge or give them more opportunities to build understanding. Equally, looking at what students have done particularly well can help us identify what has worked.
Question 7
How has working at a national level shaped your thinking about science education?
Working at a national level has really strengthened my understanding of the importance of transition between primary and secondary science. We need to understand what students have already encountered at primary school and build from that, rather than assuming that secondary science starts from a blank slate or that every student arrives with the same knowledge and vocabulary.
It has also made me think much more carefully about the language we use with students. What’s appropriate and accessible at one stage of development may not be appropriate at another, and that’s okay. Progression is about introducing ideas and vocabulary at the right time and then developing that understanding as students are ready for it.
Question 8
How has joining Ofqual influenced your thinking about assessment?
Although I’m relatively new to my role with Ofqual, the process of applying and being appointed has already made me reflect more deeply on what good assessment looks like. It made me think carefully about my own experience of curriculum and assessment, and why I believe I’m well suited to contributing to work at a national level.
It has reinforced for me that assessment is about much more than producing a grade or a set of data. Good assessment should give us confidence that we are assessing the knowledge and understanding we actually intend to assess. I’m looking forward to developing that thinking further through my work with Ofqual.
Question 9
What could schools do better to encourage more girls to continue with STEM subjects?
Role models and advocates are really important, but I think it needs to go beyond a poster on a classroom wall or an annual Women in STEM event. Science and maths teachers who are women can talk openly about their own journeys, helping students see that there are lots of different routes into STEM and that you don’t have to be a certain ‘type’ of person to pursue it.
I also think it comes down to the everyday culture in a department. Making sure women are represented in the scientists we teach about, creating a classroom where girls feel their ideas are valued and being thoughtful about the language we use can all help build that sense of belonging.
Even small things, such as naturally saying ‘she’ when talking about an engineer, electrician or police officer rather than always defaulting to ‘he’, can help challenge the stereotypes children pick up about who does certain jobs. Ultimately, it’s about making STEM feel like a place where girls can see themselves and their futures.
Question 10
Why do you think some pupils lose confidence in science as they move through secondary school?
Science genuinely gets harder as students move through secondary school. There is more knowledge to remember, the concepts become more abstract and students are likely to get things wrong more often. For some pupils, that repeated experience of finding something difficult can make them decide that they are simply not good at science.
We need to help students understand that struggling to recall something doesn’t mean they can’t learn it. Regular opportunities to retrieve and revisit knowledge can help students experience that shift from not knowing, to knowing. Building that confidence through success, rather than avoiding challenge, is really important.
Question 11
What role can teachers play in challenging stereotypes about who is “good at science”?
I think teachers have a really important role in helping students understand that being good at something takes time, practice and the willingness to keep learning. We accept that we need to practise to become good at things like driving, but in education, students can sometimes feel that if they don’t understand something straight away, they’ll never get there.
Science is also such a broad subject, with so many different skills and areas of expertise. Someone might be brilliant at communicating scientific ideas, analysing data or carrying out experiments, and all of these strengths deserve to be recognised and celebrated.
I think it’s important that we help students recognise their own strengths and show them how these might translate into different careers in science. Being ‘good at science’ doesn’t have to mean being good at everything.
Question 12
What has your involvement with WomenEd taught you about leadership in education?
My involvement with WomenEd has given me the opportunity to connect with women in education from across the world and learn from their experiences. Hearing from leaders working in very different education systems has broadened my perspective on leadership and the challenges women face in education.
I think one of the biggest things it’s taught me is the importance of listening to different perspectives and recognising that there’s no single way to lead. It’s also made me reflect on the importance of creating space for others, recognising their experiences and making sure that leadership isn’t just about your own voice, but about helping others feel heard and valued.
Question 13
What can schools do to develop and retain more women in leadership positions?
I think schools need to be more open and proactive in recognising the different experiences women go through throughout their lives and careers. Pregnancy, fertility treatment and menopause can all have an impact on someone’s working life, and these shouldn’t be things women feel they have to manage quietly alongside their jobs. Having supportive policies, understanding leadership and a culture where people feel comfortable having these conversations can make a real difference.
But I also think we need to recognise that this goes beyond individual schools. The wider education system needs to consider how it supports women at different stages of their careers, particularly when it comes to progression into leadership. We need to create an environment where women don’t feel they have to choose between their personal lives and their ambitions, and where leadership is genuinely accessible to them.
Question 14
How has your interest in psychology influenced the way you think about teaching and learning?
Studying psychology for five years has really shaped how I think about teaching and learning. I think it helps you take a step back and look at the bigger picture of what’s actually happening when a student is learning.
Of course, getting the science right is incredibly important, but I think sometimes we can focus so much on subject knowledge and accuracy that we lose sight of the student. We need to think about what they already know, what they need to understand and what might be getting in the way. Sometimes it’s about working backwards from what we want students to learn and thinking carefully about how to make that happen.
Question 15
What changes in science education would you most like to see over the next few years?
There’s a huge amount of content to cover in a very limited amount of time, so I think we need to look carefully at what we’re asking students to learn and make more room for areas that feel particularly relevant to their lives and futures, such as sustainability, AI and biotechnology.
I also think we could do more to make the science behind everyday life explicit. We teach students about complex chemical reactions and biological processes, but how often do we connect these to things they experience at home? Whether it’s the chemistry of baking bread, why soap removes grease, how our bodies digest food or what happens when we cook an egg, these are all opportunities to show students how science helps them understand the world around them.
It’s about finding the right balance between building a strong understanding of science itself and giving students the knowledge to make sense of the world they’re growing up in.
Question 16
What advice would you give to a science teacher considering their first leadership role?
Don’t feel like you need to have everything figured out before applying for a leadership role. You’re going to learn as you go, and both the mistakes and the wins will help you grow. Having a good team around you and a mentor you can learn from makes a huge difference.
Leadership is about more than managing a team. You’re part of that team, and building relationships where people respect you, your ideas and the contribution you make is really important.
Be open to learning and take every opportunity to develop your knowledge. Go to exam board discussions, attend webinars and talk to other leaders. You don’t need to know everything before you start, but you do need to be willing to keep learning.
Question 17
What is the one thing you would most like every young person to gain from studying science?
A real understanding of the world around them: their bodies, the food they eat and the planet they live on. And, alongside that, a respect for it.
Understanding science helps us make better choices, question what we hear and see, and understand the impact we have on the world around us. I’d love every young person to leave school with the knowledge to understand the world they live in and the confidence to make a difference.
Ash’s answers return again and again to one idea: science should help young people understand themselves and the world around them. Whether she is talking about curriculum sequencing, assessment or encouraging more girls into STEM, her focus is on deliberate choices that help every student feel that science belongs to them.