As part of a wider qualification reform at upper secondary level in England, the assessment of practical work is changing, following concerns that the legacy model of assessment was having a negative impact on teaching and learning. The OCR examination board is running a longitudinal survey of teachers' views on practical work, focusing on the purpose of practical science, the type and quantity of practical science undertaken, challenges associated with practical work, and the impact on assessment. This article introduces the study and presents some initial baseline findings from the year before the reforms were introduced.