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Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

Original poster

Please tell me about the amount of planning your school requires you to do?

45 replies

JonahAndTheSale · 22/08/2016 19:23

How much planning do you have to do for your class and what format does it take?

We've had so many changes to the planning required in our school and it was completely changed again 2 years ago.

I've now been told that everything has to change again.

I don't think that smt stop to think about the huge administrative burden this is on teachers!

Just wonderd how much others have to do and what format it takes?

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 22/08/2016 19:25

Secondary. We have SOW for the year. I write in my planner 'multiplying fractions, page 96' and I'm done. No one ever looks at my planning.

Original poster
JonahAndTheSale · 22/08/2016 19:31

noble you are so lucky!

I have to submit planning each half term which specifies exactly which activity all my (three way differentiated) groups will be doing, for all subjects.

The plans have to link to learning objectives and specific worksheets, games, task that will be done each lesson.

It has taken me ages to get them sorted.

Now they are changing again as they aren't detailed enoughSad

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 22/08/2016 19:51

Detailed enough for who? Have you got a union rep who could raise the matter with the head? That sounds ridiculous. Ofsted don't require it.

GinandJag · 22/08/2016 19:56

You have to plan your lessons.

I'm a Science teacher and I can usually get away with a title and then I know what I am doing. My mind tends to work around the resources I am using - so I might decide on the practical, any worksheets/textbook resources, YouTube etc.

I don't list everything in the lessons unless it's observed.

altik · 22/08/2016 19:57

6th form.

No one ever looks at my planning. I'm trusted to ensure that it is done. Of course, I only teach examination classes so it would quickly become very obvious if I wasn't planning properly. I've also been there a long time - if I were a new teacher, they would pay much closer attention to me.

Original poster
JonahAndTheSale · 22/08/2016 20:00

They basically want a detailed lesson plan (similar to the type you might have had as a trainee teacher) for every single lesson, every day.

We have no union rep in our school.

Is there anywhere online that I could point to that states this level of detail is not required?

OP posts:
GinandJag · 22/08/2016 20:02

It's unrealistic, Jonah. You need to push back.

mineofuselessinformation · 22/08/2016 20:04

I try to write the name of the topic, LO and what content (e.g. PPT or docs), although if it's end of termish I might not - but I keep any resources used filed by class, so I can go to a specific lesson and know exactly what was covered. I also record when homework was set and taken in, and what it was.
I've been teaching long enough that that's enough for me, although I can see why newer teachers might want to write more detail.
I have been known to totally wing it if I've had a busy week and haven't had time to plan fully.

YorkieDorkie · 22/08/2016 20:04

We recently redid our planning. It's far easier and I now have each subject (for a week) on a double side of A4 and ghetto includes timetables and a tracking grid. D I'm required to go more, I'll leave. I've finally got s work/life balance and my teaching quality hasn't changed all. The only difference? It takes me 3 hours a week to do my planning which leaves for much more time for constructive marking and LEAVING BEFORE 6pm!!!

EvilTwins · 22/08/2016 20:05

Same as noble. I know what I'm doing and am trusted to get on. OFSTED don't ask to see lesson plans. They were interested in progress data but not in written-out plans when we were visited last year.

mineofuselessinformation · 22/08/2016 20:06

I should add that my school insists on some form of lesson plan for an observation, but I refuse to use the school proforma (because it's disjointed and a pain in the arse), so I use the Five Minute Lesson Plan instead - I like the layout, and it 'flows', so it's easy to fill in.

Iamcheeseman · 22/08/2016 20:11

OP are you primary or secondary? Your planning sounds much like mine (primary). It's horrendous

Original poster
JonahAndTheSale · 22/08/2016 20:12

Thanks for that.

Im in Northern Ireland so things are slightly different.

I asked when we were supposed to do all this extra work and was told "at home in the evenings" Shock

I work part time for the purpose of work/life balance, not to spend my evenings doing school work.

I have been teaching my current class for 10 years, so I know what I'm doing and am effective. I'm just filled with dread at the thought of this insane detail required.

OP posts:
MsMermaid · 22/08/2016 20:12

I'm like Noble, I write the topic and page number in my planner. Sometimes I don't even bother doing that as I can remember what I'm up to. I do a more detailed lesson plan for observations and possibly for a class/exam I haven't taught for a while, although I'd probably just use notes rather than a lesson plan. Nobody ever looks at these.

I'd leave teaching if I was expected to have a full lesson plan for every lesson. I hated doing it for my pgce, but at least that was short term. The problem is how you go about fighting it. How big is your school? Are there other teachers who'd back you up and all say "that's too much, we're not doing it" ?

Original poster
JonahAndTheSale · 22/08/2016 20:12

Yes I'm primary

OP posts:
Original poster
JonahAndTheSale · 22/08/2016 20:14

Nobody else in the school will complain. Just 10 teachers and they all just nod and do, while I fume and come across as the only negative one!

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 22/08/2016 20:17

What would happen if you didn't do it? Submitted the last plans? Would it be noticed? If so, what would they say if you said 'I didn't have enough time, I was doing x instead, please let me know if I should prioritise this over x?'

Original poster
JonahAndTheSale · 22/08/2016 20:26

No one has even not complied with the 'latest' thing in school.

We always just do it.

I suppose smt might discipline me or give a warning of some sort.

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 22/08/2016 20:35

With 10 years service?

Start looking for another job...

Scorbus · 22/08/2016 22:34

I have weekly plans (one side of A4) which outlines each subject for week (Primary) then a planning page for each Notebook file I make. It's all for me and I'm never expected to show these but I sometimes choose to for an obs that comes part way through a unit to show progression.

Yours sounds so over the top I'm amazed you have time to do all that and actually teach/Mark/assess.

footballwidow12 · 22/08/2016 22:40

Hi - I'm secondary SEN. We are expected to produce;

Curriculum map for specialist subject
Weekly plans for English and maths
Medium term (half term) plans for other subjects taught.
A weekly over view to be displayed in classroom with all learning objectives on.

Alongside termly IEPs.

Our planning files are submitted and scrutinised termly.

footballwidow12 · 22/08/2016 22:41

Oh and forgot to mention we have to produce a full all singing and dancing lesson plan for any observations (normally termly)

Acopyofacopy · 22/08/2016 22:55

This is madness!
Show this DofE paper on reducing workload to your SLT.

Feenie · 23/08/2016 12:15

Yes,.Yes to above document -- Nicky Morgan accepted the findings in full.