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UK Lesson Plan Template

A free lesson plan template for UK teachers: WALT, success criteria, starter, main activities, plenary, differentiation and adult deployment. Download as Word, PDF or Google Docs. No sign-up.

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The programme of study statement(s) this lesson covers.

We are learning to…

What I'm looking for… or "I can…" steps pupils can check against.

Words students need to understand and use.

What pupils already know, and any misconceptions to look out for.

Slides, worksheets, manipulatives, equipment.

A quick task that gets everyone thinking straight away.

Main activities

Teaching input, modelling and independent work, with timings.

Pull the learning together and check it against the success criteria.

Plan for groups and needs, not named pupils.

Who the teaching assistant works with and what they do.

Questioning, mini whiteboards, hinge questions, marking.

Optional practice or an extension task.

What went well, even better if, and who needs a follow-up.

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    Week

    Plans appear on the day set in their Date box. Click a plan to open it.

    UK planning templates

    EYFS planning templateWeekly planning across the seven areas, plus continuous provision.Scheme of work templateUnit overview and lesson-by-lesson grid.Medium and long-term planningWeek-by-week half-term plan and a year curriculum map.Lesson observation formObservation form linked to the Teachers’ Standards.Cover workClear instructions for a cover lesson, with space for feedback.

    What goes in a UK lesson plan?

    A typical UK lesson plan has a learning objective (WALT), success criteria (WILF), links to the National Curriculum, a starter, main activities, a plenary, differentiation for support, stretch, EAL and SEND, and how teaching assistants will be deployed.

    • WALT ("We are learning to…") states the learning, not the task.
    • WILF ("What I'm looking for…") lists the success criteria pupils can check their work against. Build them with the success criteria builder.
    • Starter, main, plenary is the familiar three-part lesson. Many schools now use "retrieval practice" as the starter and mini-plenaries during the main part.
    • Adult deployment says who the TA works with and what they do: the Education Endowment Foundation's guidance stresses planning this deliberately.

    Does Ofsted require lesson plans?

    No. Ofsted has said for years that it does not require any particular format of lesson plan, or written plans for every lesson. Plan in the way that helps you teach well and follow your school's own policy. This template is here for when a written plan is useful: observations, ECT and trainee teaching, cover, or a new topic.

    Also for UK teachers: EYFS weekly planning, scheme of work, medium- and long-term planning, the lesson observation form and cover work. The format menu also has an EYFS activity plan.

    Worked example: Year 4 maths lesson

    A complete Year 4 lesson on equivalent fractions, written with the template above. Load it into the form to adapt it for your class.

    UK lesson plan

    Equivalent fractions

    SubjectMathsYear group / classYear 4
    DateLength60 minutes

    National Curriculum links

    Year 4 Fractions: "recognise and show, using diagrams, families of common equivalent fractions".

    Learning objective (WALT)

    WALT: recognise and show equivalent fractions using diagrams.

    Success criteria (WILF)

    I can fold or shade a shape to show a fraction.

    I can find a fraction that is equal to another using a diagram.

    I can explain why two fractions are equivalent.

    Key vocabulary

    equivalent, numerator, denominator, whole, equal parts

    Prior learning

    Pupils can find unit and non-unit fractions of shapes. Watch for the misconception that a bigger denominator means a bigger fraction.

    Resources

    Paper strips for folding, fraction walls, mini whiteboards, differentiated worksheet

    Starter (5 min)

    Odd one out: three shaded diagrams (1/2, 2/4, 1/3). Which is the odd one out, and why?

    Main activities

    TimeActivity
    10 minTeacher input: fold paper strips into halves, quarters and eighths; compare 1/2, 2/4 and 4/8 on a fraction wall.
    10 minGuided practice on whiteboards: find a fraction equivalent to 1/3 using the wall.
    20 minIndependent work (three levels): shade diagrams to show equivalent fractions; reasoning question "Is 3/6 equal to 1/2? Prove it."
    5 minMini-plenary: share one misconception spotted.

    Plenary (10 min)

    Pupils show on whiteboards a fraction equivalent to 3/4 and explain using the success criteria.

    Differentiation (support / stretch / EAL / SEND)

    Support: pre-folded strips and a fraction wall to hand. Stretch: find all fractions equivalent to 1/2 with a denominator up to 20 and spot the pattern. EAL: vocabulary cards with diagrams. SEND: follow individual support plans.

    Adult deployment (TA / support staff)

    TA works with the support group during independent work, using folding strips.

    Assessment for learning

    Hinge question after input; marking against the success criteria; note pupils for a pre-teach before the next lesson.

    Homework / extension

    Find two equivalent fractions in a recipe or on a pizza at home.

    Planned time: 60 minutes of 60

    Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

    Questions teachers ask

    What does WALT and WILF stand for?

    WALT means "We Are Learning To" and introduces the learning objective. WILF means "What I'm Looking For" and introduces the success criteria.

    What is a plenary?

    The part of the lesson, usually at the end, where pupils review what they have learned against the success criteria. Mini-plenaries can also happen during the lesson.

    Do teachers in England have to write lesson plans?

    There is no national requirement, and Ofsted does not ask for a set format. Schools set their own expectations, and trainees and ECTs usually write fuller plans.

    Does the template use UK spelling and A4?

    Yes. The UK and EYFS formats use UK spelling and terms, and their Word downloads are A4.

    Where are my plans saved?

    In your browser on this device only. Nothing is uploaded. Don't include pupils' names or personal details.

    Related

    Lesson plan makerMake a lesson plan in minutes with 14 formats (5E, Madeline Hunter, UDL, SIOP, UK, EYFS and more). Export to Word, PDF or Google Docs. Free, no sign-up.Lesson plan templatesDaily, weekly, blank, simple, elementary, secondary and SPED templates.Success criteria builderWILF lists and printable self-assessment checklists.Classroom toolsWheel, name picker, groups, timers, noise meter, seating charts and printables.

    Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.