A scheme of work is one of the most important planning documents a teacher produces — and one of the most time-consuming to write well. This guide gives you a free template, explains what each section should contain, and shows you how to generate a complete scheme in seconds if you need one fast.
What Is a Scheme of Work?
A scheme of work is a structured plan that maps out all the topics, learning objectives, teaching methods, and assessments for an entire term or academic year. It sits above individual lesson plans — it is the document that shows how all your lessons fit together across the term.
In Nigeria, teachers are required to submit a scheme of work to school administration at the start of each term. In the UK, schemes of work are expected as evidence of curriculum planning during Ofsted inspections. In Kenya, the CBC framework requires term plans aligned to the competency-based curriculum. Across most school systems, some version of this document is a professional requirement.
A good scheme of work helps you:
- See the full term at a glance and spot gaps before they happen
- Show curriculum coverage to your head of department or administration
- Hand over classes to a substitute teacher without losing continuity
- Align your teaching to the required curriculum standard across the term
Free Scheme of Work Template
Use this structure for any subject, grade level, or curriculum framework.
SCHEME OF WORK
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| School Name | |
| Teacher Name | |
| Subject | |
| Class / Grade | |
| Term | |
| Academic Year | |
| Curriculum Standard | e.g. WAEC, UK National Curriculum, CBC, Common Core |
| Total Weeks |
Weekly Breakdown
| Week | Topic / Sub-topic | Learning Objectives | Teaching Methods | Resources | Assessment | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | By end of week, students will be able to... | |||||
| 2 | ||||||
| 3 | ||||||
| 4 | ||||||
| 5 | ||||||
| 6 | MID-TERM BREAK | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | ||||||
| 8 | ||||||
| 9 | ||||||
| 10 | ||||||
| 11 | ||||||
| 12 | Revision | |||||
| 13 | END OF TERM EXAMS | — | — | — | — | — |
What to Write in Each Column
Week
The week number in the school calendar. Include mid-term breaks and exam weeks so the document reflects your real teaching weeks.
Topic / Sub-topic
The specific content from your curriculum syllabus for that week. Pull this directly from the WAEC syllabus, the National Curriculum programme of study, the CBC learning area guide, or your scheme's parent document. Do not write the topic from memory — reference the curriculum document to ensure the language matches.
Learning Objectives
What students will be able to do by the end of that week. Use action verbs: identify, explain, calculate, compare, evaluate. Avoid vague language like "understand" or "know about" — these are not measurable.
One well-written objective per week is better than three vague ones. For example:
Weak: Students will learn about photosynthesis.
Strong: Students will be able to explain the role of chlorophyll, light, water, and carbon dioxide in glucose production.
Teaching Methods
The approach you will use to deliver that week's content. Examples: direct instruction, group discussion, practical experiment, case study, peer teaching, project work, video analysis. Vary these across the term to reflect different learning styles.
Resources
Textbooks, worksheets, laboratory equipment, online materials, or handouts needed for that week. Listing these in advance helps you identify anything that needs to be prepared or requested ahead of time.
Assessment
How you will check that students achieved the week's objectives. This can be informal (exit ticket, class questioning, observation) or formal (quiz, test, assignment). Include at least one formal assessment every 3–4 weeks.
Remarks
Notes added after teaching — what went well, what to adjust next term, pacing issues, or topics that needed more time than planned. This column is completed retrospectively.
How to Write a Scheme of Work Step by Step
Step 1 — Count your teaching weeks
Start with the school calendar. Count the actual teaching weeks in the term — excluding mid-term breaks, exam weeks, public holidays, and events. Most terms run 10–13 teaching weeks. This is your available time.
Step 2 — List all topics from the syllabus
Open your curriculum document — the WAEC or NERDC syllabus, the National Curriculum programme of study, or the CBC teacher's guide — and list all the topics specified for your subject and grade level for this term. Do not add topics not in the syllabus, and do not omit topics that are in it.
Step 3 — Distribute topics across your teaching weeks
Match topics to weeks based on their complexity. A straightforward topic might take one week. A complex topic with multiple sub-topics might need two or three. Budget at least two weeks at the end for revision and assessment.
Step 4 — Write learning objectives for each week
For each topic, write one clear, measurable objective. Reference the specific language and expectations of the curriculum standard. The objective should answer the question: "What will students be able to do at the end of this week that they couldn't do at the start?"
Step 5 — Choose teaching methods and resources
Select the method best suited to the content and your students. Some topics are better taught through direct instruction; others through practical work or discussion. Match your resource list to what the method requires.
Step 6 — Plan your assessments across the term
Map out your formal assessments before the term starts. Decide which weeks will include quizzes, which will include take-home assignments, and when you will hold your end-of-term exam. Build in formative checks every 2–3 weeks so you catch gaps before the formal assessment.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Copying last year's scheme without updating it. Curriculum documents are updated periodically. Check that your topic list still matches the current syllabus version before reusing a previous scheme.
- Writing the same objective for multiple weeks. Every week should move learning forward. If weeks 3 and 4 have the same objective, one of them is not planned properly.
- Ignoring the remarks column. This is where the scheme gets better each term. Notes about pacing, student difficulties, or activities that worked well turn a static document into a reflective planning tool.
- Planning too many topics for the available weeks. Count your actual teaching weeks and be realistic about what can be covered well. A scheme that tries to cover 14 topics in 10 weeks will produce rushed, shallow teaching.
Generate a Complete Scheme of Work in Seconds
Writing a complete scheme of work manually — counting weeks, pulling topics from the syllabus, writing objectives for every week — takes several hours for an experienced teacher. For a new teacher or one covering an unfamiliar subject, it can take a full day.
Lessonquill's scheme of work generator does this in under 30 seconds.
You enter your subject, grade level, topic list, curriculum standard, and number of weeks. The generator produces a complete, week-by-week scheme with learning objectives derived from your curriculum, teaching methods, assessment plans, and key vocabulary for every week — formatted and ready to submit.
Supported curricula: WAEC / NECO, NERDC, CBC (Kenya), DepEd K-12, Common Core, UK National Curriculum, IB, CBSE / ICSE, CAPS, and Cambridge International.
Generate a free scheme of work →
No credit card required. A 12-week scheme generates in under 30 seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a scheme of work and a lesson plan?
A scheme of work covers the full term — it maps topics, objectives, and assessments across all teaching weeks. A lesson plan covers a single lesson in detail — activities, timing, materials, and evaluation for one class period. The scheme of work comes first; lesson plans are written within the framework it provides.
How long should a scheme of work be?
One page per term is the norm for a concise scheme. Some detailed schemes, particularly in UK schools, run to 2–3 pages per term. The length matters less than whether every week has a clear topic, objective, and assessment plan.
Does a scheme of work need to be approved?
In most school systems, yes. In Nigeria, schemes are submitted to the head of department or principal at the start of term. In UK maintained schools, schemes are reviewed by the head of department. Having a completed scheme ready before the term begins is both a professional requirement and a practical planning advantage.
Can I use the same scheme of work every year?
You can use it as a starting point, but it should be reviewed and updated each year. Curriculum updates, changes in the exam syllabus, pacing issues from the previous year, and student needs all require adjustments.
Summary
A scheme of work covers the full term in one document — topics, objectives, teaching methods, resources, and assessment, week by week. The seven columns in the template above are enough for most school systems.
Write it before the term starts, reference your curriculum document directly for topics and objectives, plan your formal assessments in advance, and use the remarks column to improve it each term.
If you need one quickly, Lessonquill generates a complete scheme of work from your inputs in under 30 seconds — aligned to your curriculum standard and formatted for submission.