Schemes of work

What is a scheme of work

A scheme of work is essentially a series of lessons, designed to achieve the course objectives in the best way. A scheme of work can be for a long or short term course and the content will depend on a number of factors:

• ·         the course aims and objectives: these may be dictated by modules or units mapped to an awarding body’s syllabus or national curriculum

• ·         the learners: their age, ability, interests, needs etc.

• ·         the time and resources available

• ·         whether you need to embed functional skills (maths, ICT) and help learners develop their study skills, e.g. how to take notes etc.

• ·         the teaching and learning strategies you are going to employ: there is no one right method but adopting an inclusive approach is essential

• ·         equality and diversity considerations

• ·         assessment methods: there will need to be scope for revision, particularly if the learners are preparing for an exam or coursework. There should also be opportunities for peer and self assessment and study outside the course hours

• ·         how the course will be evaluated

Schemes of work are flexible working documents but will usually include the following: the aims and learning outcomes of the course; suggested materials and resources, the topic or language point being presented, reference to the ESOL core curriculum (although not always) and reference to functional skills. 

Please click on the link to see some examples of schemes of work.

How will you decide how to sequence content in a scheme of work?

 1. The different starting points of your learners

It seems logical to sequence the activities in a scheme of work from easiest topic or skill to most challenging. Of course, this is a subjective assessment as what is easier for some may prove more challenging for others. However, using the data from initial and diagnostic assessments there will be some indication of what is likely to be known and unknown for the learners. When devising a scheme of work, it is essential that you have considered the different needs and attainment levels of your learners and considered how to support and challenge them

It is also worth remembering that some topics or skills will need to be allocated more time. It is not always easy to assess this before knowing the capabilities of your learners and this is one of the reasons why there should be flexibility in a scheme of work.

You can organise your schemes of work according to topic, skills, acquisition of language (there are various arguments put forward in favour of each approach; I would advise you to look at course books, consider the needs of your learners etc. before deciding on which approach to use.)

2. The different personalities of your learners

It often takes time for learners to get used to their teacher’s delivery and to the other members of the group. Some learners may be forthcoming in discussions and willing to take risks whilst others will lack confidence and be reluctant to experiment with different approaches to learning. You will have to consider the diverse personalities of your group when devising a scheme of work, encouraging learners to become more self-reliant and move out of their comfort zones during the course. For example, without really knowing your learners, it could be risky to set a discussion on a controversial topic for the first session of a learning programme.

You might find the following checklist helpful when devising a scheme of work.

		√
Needs	·         Does it correspond to the needs of your learners, their age, abilities, preferred ways of learning, personalities, etc.? ·         Is there room for manoeuvre, e.g. to support learners and stretch those who are more able?
Structure	·         Is the content mapped to an external syllabus or curriculum? ·         Is the content organised in a logical way? ·         Are there opportunities for review? ·         Is there a sufficient amount of variety (activities and resources) in the lesson? ·         Is there a focus on the learners actively participating? ·         Have functional and study skills been embedded if appropriate?
Assessment and evaluation	·         Are formative methods of assessment varied and appropriate? ·         Are learners aware of the schedule of summative assessments? ·         Are there opportunities for self and peer assessment? ·         Are there opportunities for learners to evaluate the course?
Support	·         Are support systems in place, e.g. through supported independent study sessions, tutorials? etc. ·         Is preparation for assignments, exams and coursework included?