Even the most passionate teachers experience a love-hate relationship with lesson planning. While it’s an undeniably essential tool for successful teaching, it can also feel like a major drain on time and energy. This is why so many are asking, ‘Do teachers have to hand in planning?’
As with many things in education, the answer isn’t entirely cut and dry. It depends on a combination of factors, from your school’s policies to broader expectations from teaching organisations.
Ofsted: Focused on Teaching, Not Paperwork
One primary concern for many teachers is whether or not lesson plan submission is mandated by Ofsted. Thankfully, Ofsted does not require teachers to submit lesson plans. Inspectors aren’t primarily looking for stacks of paperwork when they show up. Instead, they prioritise seeing evidence of high-quality teaching that fosters and supports student learning.
Here’s what a typical inspection will focus on:
- Syllabus alignment: Do your lessons demonstrate a clear connection to the overarching curriculum goals of your school?
- Student understanding: Do you have a firm grasp of your students’ individual strengths, needs and areas for growth?
- Progress tracking: Can you show tangible evidence that your learners are making progress over time?
- Effective strategies: Do you use a diverse range of teaching and learning strategies that keep pupils engaged and promote deeper learning?
Why Do Some Schools Need to See Lesson Plans?
Though Ofsted may not scrutinise them, schools have good reason to ask for lesson plans:
- Learning schedule coordination: Leadership ensures all necessary content is covered at the right pace, especially for exam preparation.
- Supporting new teachers: Trainees and new teachers get valuable feedback and mentorship through lesson plan review.
- Quality assurance: Lesson plan review helps maintain consistent teaching standards across the board.
- Cover teachers: In the event of unexpected teacher absences, detailed plans become essential lifelines for cover teachers, minimising disruption for students.
The Reality of Varying School Policies
Since no single national policy dictates how lesson plans should be handled, it boils down to what your own school expects. You might encounter scenarios like:
- Loose expectations: Some schools might simply expect you to be planning lessons without asking teachers for formal submission.
- Periodic submission: Your principal might want plans handed in at key points, like at the end of a half-term, or they might occasionally do spot checks.
- Planning formats: Your school may have specific templates or guidelines to ensure you’re including vital information like learning objectives, differentiation strategies and assessment plans.
Questions to Ask About Lesson Prep in Your School
To gain clarity on lesson planning in your school, consider asking:
- Does your school have a formal policy on detailed lesson plan submission, and if so, what’s the required frequency?
- Are you expected to use any specific planning formats or templates?
- Why does your school ask for lesson plan submission? How does it specifically benefit teachers and students?
- Is there a feedback process for submitted plans, with support from mentors or senior leadership?
Tips for Effective Lesson Planning
Whether your school has a strict submission policy or you just want to improve your planning for your own benefit, here are some key tips:
Focus on the medium term
Instead of bogging yourself down in hyper-detailed daily plans, consider starting with medium-term plans that outline the learning goals for a few weeks at a time. This gives you a larger framework and more flexibility to adjust as needed.
Prioritise curriculum links
Ensuring strong connections between your plans and the syllabus makes it easier to justify and explain your lesson choices if needed.
Embrace flexibility
Your plans are a roadmap, not a prison sentence. If a fantastic learning opportunity arises in class, don’t be afraid to seize the moment and deviate from your original plan.
Annotate and reflect
If you keep your plans primarily for your own use, take time to add brief notes after each lesson about what went well, where you struggled and any ideas for improvement. This will streamline future planning sessions.
Bespoke planners
Investing in high-quality teachers’ planners tailored to your style can transform your planning process. Look for planners with features like space for daily or weekly planning, reflection notes and curriculum mapping sections for terms or the entire academic year.
Manage Your Workload and Save Time with Penstripe Planners
Lesson planning doesn’t have to be a source of constant stress. By understanding your school’s policy, questioning practices that serve little purpose and finding tools that offer tailored support, you can make planning efficient and beneficial to your teaching practices.
One invaluable tool for educators is the bespoke teacher planner. At Penstripe, we specialise in creating fully customised teacher planners aligned with your school’s ethos, branding and lesson scheduling needs.
We offer a wide range of daily planner layouts (up to 9 periods), binding options and a vast library of content to help you stay organised, track progress and enhance your professional development.Contact us today to learn how we can create an effective planning solution that is perfect for your school’s unique needs. Take the next step by calling 0113 231 0995, emailing info@penstripe.co.uk or completing our online form.
Olaf Surtees has been with Penstripe for ten years; what he doesn’t know about teacher planners, student planners, and lesson planners isn’t worth knowing! He’s in charge of creating our blog content, helping teachers and administrators with helpful hints and tips, as well as our socials — see the links below to find out more.
