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

[JonahAndTheSale]

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?

My weekly planning per class is on the network. So theoretically if a cover teacher came in they could look at year 2, spring term, week 3 and it would match. I'd say it would roughly 70% of the time, but I do go off piste (I teach music so there's not much pressure academically-tons of pressure for performances etc) my planner has a couple of words with the pages of what we've done and any notes. I have to do plans for observations.

I'm primary (full time year 2 and SLT)
We do a weekly overview- like a blank timetable that we hand write (eg "maths place value") then we use our data tracking system to identify the learning objectives for maths and English (it automatically produces a planning grid, takes 5 mins). For maths we plan daily using 5min lesson plan. For English we know a bit more what each week will look like but again do daily 5 min lesson plans. Other subjects are planned fairly simply on the network so co-ordinators can access. None has to be handed in but all kept infielders should anyone want to look.

It seems crazy to have to plan so far in advance- you need to be reacting to the learning and progress of the children to plan what they need next.

*in folders

Also- differentiation is out. ALL children need to meet expected level with some deepening. Differentiation may happen with scaffolding but that's pretty much it.

Also- differentiation is out. ALL children need to meet expected level with some deepening. Differentiation may happen with scaffolding but that's pretty much it.

At my old school the planning requirements were like yours Jonah. Each lesson in depth with resources, 3 levels of differentiation + any SEN separate (they obviously hadn't had the no differentiation memo!).

I queried this and was told it wasn't going to reduce anytime soon.

I left.

The insane amount of work involved in planning was one of the reasons why I left teaching.

Push back before it gets worse. :(

Huh, since when is differentiation out? Does this apply to secondary, too? I'm pretty sure we're still supposed to be differentiating.

I'm secondary science and about to start my second year in teaching. No one looks at my planning unless I'm being observed.

I note the lesson title in my planner along with any equipment I have ordered/resources such as worksheet/video clip/game I need.

Generally, my planning is then done as I write my lesson ppt - we have to have LO and success criteria displayed all lesson so I use a ppt template for this.

While I'm delivering, the ppt jogs my memory as I go.

I probably plan in more detail than someone more experienced but I certainly don't write out detailed daily/weekly plans and nor do I annotate them as some of my friends who teach primary do.

I can tell from.my assessment during a lesson and from marking books where there are misconceptions/pupils are struggling so I will then make sure I address this in following lessons.

We have fairly detailed SoW but freedom to change to meet the objective. I just write the lesson number or title in my planner, plus anything that needs photocopying and where I've saved the PowerPoint.
For observations we have to have a lesson plan but it's up to each teacher whether they use 5 min one or the school proforma.

I have moved year groups this year (5/6 to 3/4) so no point planning what we'll be doing in a few weeks as it all depends. Not wasting my time. Luckily I work in a school where we're trusted to be professional and the progress shows it works. We're also supported to go off piste for good reasons and adapt as we go if necessary.

Ofsted have never looked at any of my planning, just books and data. OP, I'd definitely be looking for another job or colleagues with a bit more backbone. Every time I go to one of those dreadful moderation sessions there are a couple of poor souls in tears from exhaustion and trying to do as ordered by SMT. Their results are no better than anyone else's and they definitely don't enjoy their jobs as much.

Medium term plans = scheme of work

My planning is one line in my diary unless it's something with a lot of resources I need to remember.

We're asked for termly plans every term (4x a year)

Our HT is allowed to look in our diaries at any time but generally she doesn't.

There is no way I would be doing that much planning!! We're not even asked for that for observed lessons.

This is what concerns me about our change in leadership for this year.

2 head teachers ago we were expected to have long and medium term plans in place. And to produce a weekly forecast for what we would be doing. No differentiation required to be detailed, although obviously expected as needed.

The last HT we had said we could do the weekly forecasts to help ourselves, but we weren't required to submit them. We were trusted to do our jobs properly.

We have a new HT this year and that's the one thing we are nervous about. Whether any needless and time consuming changes will be put in place.

I have a friend in a local school who would spend a lot of her weekend planning as all plans were expected on the headteacher's desk on Mon morning for the following week. All differentiation expected to be detailed.

Planning that far in advance makes for wasted time as you sometimes need to change direction and pace etc depending on how the children cope with what you are doing.

The union is q clear that we are not required to submit lesson plans to SMT but that doesn't stop an awful lot of school SMT's in the local area placing a high paperwork load on their staff. Just today I was chatting to a friend who works in the next town, she is required to have recorded her planning online including the 4 way differentiation etc that they are asked to plan for. The school did require improvement, so perhaps that's something to do with it, but other local schools also have that high expectation of paperwork. I'd rather keep my time for doing things that directly benefit the children, rather than prove I'm planning in depth.

Secondary. We have a bought-in SOW.
In my planner, it will say Period 1 p54-55 for example then I do a ppt to go alongside with differentiation slightly by task but more by outcome. I prepare them the night before, it doesn't take long. Maybe 1-2 hrs a night.

You will have a regional secretary to get in touch with.

I am with the NASUWT and bypassed my in school rep because she was also having issues (different to mine).

NASUWT were 100% supportive and agreed with me all the way. Their involvement did put a strain on my professional relationship with the HT which I am hoping is beginning to be resolved but doubtful as she is revengeful and 70% sure she will get her own back this academic year but all problems were quietly and subtly rectified and nobody realised until I mentioned it to colleagues and why things that were going to happen, didn't.

I have no hatred or dislike towards my HT but she can be quite selfish, unsympathetic and unrealistic in her demands. I don't blame her vision or dreams that she has to move the school forward and to improve children's educational opportunities and attainment, but she goes about it the wrong way by alienating her staff. She is even known to ignore people for up to a term at a time - not even saying hello etc and can walk down a corridor and completely blank you.