Given the relative lack of research on the assessment of primary school students’ attitude towards science in China, this study designed and developed an assessment tool for primary school students’ attitude towards science and used this tool to conduct large-scale assessment and comparison among more than 60 000 fifth-grade students in 277 schools in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province. The results show that Chinese primary students generally have a positive attitude towards science, with a small part that need to be improved. Students of different genders have no significant difference on their attitudes towards science. Students with other academic performances in science have substantial differences in their attitudes towards science, and students with higher academic levels have more positive attitudes towards science. Based on the above results, this study puts forward some suggestions to promote the development of students’ attitudes towards science and research and practice of science education.