CLEAPSS Science Home

Welcome to the new CLEAPSS Science Website

What is CLEAPSS

CLEAPSS resources give teachers ideas for exciting and engaging practical activities that fire pupils' imaginations and then, unlike many other sources of ideas, go on to show teachers and technicians in detail how to translate the ideas into safe and exciting experiences in the classroom.

CLEAPSS advice and documentation is recognised by the Health and Safety Executive and the Department for Education.. (read more)

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Latest news from CLEAPSS..

CLEAPSS and LabLogger are collaborating to support practical science!

The collaboration will use anonymised requisition data from LabLogger to build a picture of school science practical work. Participation is entirely voluntary (opt-in), and no personal data is shared in the process.

Real-time anonymised requisition data has the exciting potential to provide unique insights into what practical activities are actually taking place in schools across the UK. The data will also allow CLEAPSS to track data over time to build a more accurate picture of trends and providing answers to questions about the perceived decline in practical work.

CLEAPSS also plans to use the findings internally to identify areas of practical work where it can offer more tailored support as well to support CLEAPSS’ research and advocacy work to strengthen the place of practical activities in science education.

So, we need your help!

If you would like your school to participate in this exciting project and help us achieve these ambitious goals, all UK-based schools that use LabLogger can now activate the new ‘Share our anonymised Request History data with CLEAPSS’ setting on their Account Settings page.

More information on the new setting, as well as a short Q&A, is available by clicking on the information-icon on the top-right of the ‘Account Modifiers’ section of the Account Settings page on LabLogger.

If you want to know more about read GL489 our FAQs guide about this project.

Eye protection; a change in standards

The standards for eye protection have recently been reviewed and updated to an ISO (worldwide) standard.

Although the new standard is more demanding than previously, there is no need to replace your current stocks.

Suppliers will start to sell eye protection to the new standard during the autumn term, but they can still sell existing stocks to the old standard. Therefore, the likelihood is you will end up with a mixed stock of eye protection to either standard for a while.

Safety glasses were labelled EN166 and will in future be labelled EN ISO 16321 C Safety goggles were labelled EN 166 3 and will in future be labelled EN ISO 16321 3

Existing products certified to EN 166 can continue to be sold until the expiry of their certification, up to a maximum of five years from the date of issue.

For example, if a product is certified to EN 166 before the November deadline, it may remain valid until late 2029 depending on the certificate’s issue date. BSI have a blog about this change.

We also have a buying guide for eye protection

This information is simply to inform you about the upcoming changes. For a while, both standards will be in use.

You do NOT need to replace your current stock of eye protection — you can continue using them until they are worn out. There is no set deadline for users, so just be aware that you will have a mixture of both standards

How to audit your science department courses

Auditing Science Departments and H&S Management

The main emphasis of this course is on management issues, risk assessment and the auditing and monitoring of Health & Safety practice.

https://courses.cleapss.org.uk/Courses/Course-Details.aspx?CourseId=1002123

RSC Survey

More science technicians leaving because of stress and exhaustion

Royal Society of Chemistry annual survey also finds that science teaching staff are struggling to deliver practical lessons

https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/more-science-technicians-leaving-stress

Food Waste

CLEAPSS has worked closely with DEFRA to establish clear, definitive guidance for food waste disposal in science departments in schools. This follows uncertainty around how the changes in regulation affect handling of what could be consider to be food waste arising from science lessons, especially when the material has been contaminated, intentionally or accidently, by chemicals.

In short, food materials used in science should be double-bagged in opaque plastic and placed in general waste.

Please see our guide Disposal of food materials used, or intended for use, in secondary school science lessons.

What's new.. All new documents..

GL489 - Collaboration between CLEAPSS and LabLogger FAQ

CLEAPSS and LabLogger are collaborating to support practical science! The collaboration will use anonymised requisition data from LabLogger to build a picture of school science practical work. Partic.. full details

(20 Oct 2025)

PP122 - Lithium Sodium Potassium Reacting with Water

This procedure is required by every examination specification, as it illustrates the change in reactivity in Group 1 of the Periodic Table. However, the reaction between sodium and potassium with wate.. full details

(10 Oct 2025)

Tec Tip -Magnets and field lines, ways to clean up iron filings and an alternative method that uses twist ties

Magnets and field lines, ways to clean up iron filings and an alternative method that uses twist ties

(9 Oct 2025)

2025 Hazcard Updates ONLY

This contains all Hazcards updated in 2025 in one handy file. For a all in one file of ALL Hazcards see updates here.

(30 Sep 2025)

All CLP Hazcards - 2016 Edition (with 2025 updates)

All-in-one file of the 2016 Edition of CLEAPSS CLP Hazcards including all updates up to 30/09/2025. See Hazcard Index (GL121) for a summary of changes made.This is designed for downloading to mobile d.. full details

(30 Sep 2025)