Primary Context - Planning

Planning in the Primary Schools

Planning in schools occurs at many levels. The ultimate aim of any plan is to bring about continuing and progressive improvements in pupil learning and achievement.

At school level, planning should help the school to provide for implementation of the curriculum and also detail school policy and procedure relating to a number of key areas so that continuity and progression in pupils’ learning are promoted. At classroom level, planning should ensure sufficient preparation to support high quality teaching and learning and support learning for all pupils.

Whole School Planning

Planning at whole school level involves the development of both curriculum plans and organisational policies.

Section 21 of the Education Act (1998) mandates that schools shall make arrangements for the preparation of a plan and shall ensure that the plan is regularly reviewed and updated. The Act also requires schools to plan in accordance with the most recent departmental updates and to communicate the plan to all stakeholders, including parents.

School planning therefore is based on the rationale that planning should address identified priorities from within the school itself, based on knowledge of the learning needs of the pupils and an on-going commitment on the part of the school community to continuously improve the provision for those pupils. Schools and teachers should decide on the best approach to planning based on their own individual contexts.

Curriculum Planning

In planning for the implementation of the curriculum, schools will need to consider the nature and purpose of each curricular area. The whole school plan should be developed collaboratively and should provide information to support teacher planning. Curriculum plans should be available to all staff and parents and are often published on a schools website.

Organisational Planning

Planning at an organisational level is influenced by policy, guidelines and local arrangements. There are a number of mandated policies which a school must have in place. A list of these policies can be found here along with links to supporting resources. Schools may have additional policies in place to detail local arrangements and share protocol and procedure with school personnel and the wider school community.

Classroom Planning

In the overall context of school planning, teachers will plan for implementation of the curriculum in the classroom. This planning will be informed by the school plan but will more importantly, be based on a concern for the strengths, needs, interests and abilities of the children in the class.

All teachers have a professional responsibility to plan in accordance with the Rules for National Schools (1965) and the Teaching Councils Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers.

Rule 126 states that each teacher is required to make adequate written preparation for his/her school work, as follows:

to prepare at the beginning of each school year or school term a long term programme of work in each subject in accordance with the Primary School Curriculum, the school plan and the learning needs of his/her pupils; the long term programme of work to include a class timetable, outlining the weekly allotment of time for each subject; to prepare fortnightly or, in the case of probationary teachers, weekly in advance a short-term plan of work.
In the case of class teachers, at the close of every month, the portion of the curriculum dealt with during the month should be noted in a progress record, the format of which will be agreed at school level. The progress record is an important school record, the custody of which is one of the duties of the Principal teacher. It should be available in the school at all times during the school year to which it relates and for at least one complete school year after the end of that year.

Learning support and resource teachers are required:

to plan appropriate learning programmes in respect of pupils in receipt of supplementary of resource teaching, and;
to maintain group or individual pupil progress records, as appropriate

[Note that under the general allocation model there is no longer a distinction between learning support and resource teachers with both now referred to as Special Education Teachers (SET)]

Section 4 of the Teaching Council's Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers refers to Professional Practice. The Code states that teachers should

maintain high standards of practice in relation to pupil/student learning, planning, monitoring, assessing, reporting and providing feedback plan and communicate clear, challenging and achievable expectations for pupils/students
inform their professional judgement and practice by engaging with, and reflecting on, pupil/student development, learning theory, pedagogy, curriculum development, ethical practice, educational policy and legislation

In accordance with these regulations then teachers will engage in both long term and short term planning and the preparation of a cúntas míosúil which are informed by the school plan and aligned with best practice.

Long Term Planning

A long-term plan should provide an overall summary of the aims to be achieved in each subject area. The following headings may provide a useful guide when considering what to include as part of your long term plan:

Subject
Aims
Content - Strands and strand units

An overview of the content objectives to be taught and/or examples of learning activities
Skills and concepts to be developed

Approaches and Methodologies
Resources
Differentiation
Assessment
Linkage and Integration

Short Term Planning

Short-term planning takes the work outlined in the long-term plan and details what the children will be enabled to learn, how they will learn and how the learning will be assessed. The following headings may be included as part of teachers short term plan:

Date
Class level
Content Objectives/Learning Outcome (for PLC): Strand - Strand Unit
Skills
Learning Objectives
Learning Activities or Learning Experiences
Resources
Differentiation
Assessment
Linkage and Integration

Cúntas Míosúil

The cúntas míosúil differs from long term and short term planning in that it is a record of teaching and learning that has occurred and the part of the curriculum which has been dealt with during the month. This record will be useful in informing next steps for the coming month and in this way will support your short term planning.

The format for cúntas míosúil is generally agreed at whole school level.

Remember

There are a number of key messages that we would encourage you to bear in mind when approaching planning

Your first and main point of reference when planning is the primary school curriculum
The main focus of your planning should always be the learning needs of the children you are planning for
Your plan is a working document that you should use and engage with as you prepare to teach. Planning is a process which involves continuous reflection, amending and adjusting.
The focus of planning is on the provision of rich and authentic learning experiences for children which will support their achievement of the objectives/outcomes set out in the curriculum
Teacher’s preparation should be practical, useful, user-friendly and adaptable but comprehensive enough to be meaningful.

Further Supports

The NIPT website provides information regarding planning for probationary teachers and includes a planning toolkit which may be useful whether you are a probationary or more experienced teacher. See https://www.teacherinduction.ie/en/supports/nqt-planning-support

Teachers supporting pupils with SEN can access a range of resources and materials to inform and support planning through the schools section of the NCSE website.See https://ncse.ie/

The NCCA hosts an online curriculum planning tool which is also available as Gaeilge . See https://ncca.ie/en/primary/curriculum-planning

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