1. Reducing workload with planning and Resources
Research conducted by the teaching staff at Whitley Bay High School

2. We are… Linda Buckle (Deputy Headteacher)
Gareth Ellis (Library Manager and Research Lead)
Whitley Bay High School
A large comprehensive high school
A Teaching School
Ethos and drivers:
Relationships
Teaching and Learning
CPD
Educational research

3. Our Successful Bid
We proposed to: • eliminate time consuming lesson plans • produce a framework and methodology for effective shared planning using the VLE; • Plan a conference to share our work, and the outcomes.

4. School / Departmental culture
As with everything in schools within school variation and uneven practice is more of an issue than between school variation
Openness
Sharing lessons and resources
Quality - agreement on what good planning and good teaching and learning looks like
Level of student engagement and enjoyment
Professional development
Equality
Accountability

5. Our steps: Baseline data Keeping a planning diary
Assessing the planning quality and workload in departments
Qualitative data on when, where and how teachers work.
Restructuring Tuesday training to work on this research project
Using Tuesday p.5 to structure and adapt planning methods
Re-visit the diary to evaluate the impact of project

6. But this is not the full picture
Lots of questions not really addressed in this or any other research:
When teachers work
Where they work
To what extent do you plan your planning
How work patterns shift in different stages of a career and life
Use made of weekends and holidays

7. But this is not the full picture
Teachers at different stages in their career and their life

8. What we found out

9. What day of the week does the majority of planning take place on?
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

10. What day of the week does the majority of planning take place on?
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

11. Average each day over the week (per teacher)
AAS

12. On average, how much time is spent planning each lesson?
10 – 20 minutes 20 – 30 minutes 30 – 40 minutes 40 – 50 minutes 50 – 60 minutes

13. On average, how much time is spent planning each lesson?
10 – 20 minutes 20 – 30 minutes 30 – 40 minutes 40 – 50 minutes 50 – 60 minutes

14. Time / No of lessons
AAS

15. Which category of teacher (based on experience), plans for the longest amount of time?
1 – 3 years teachers 4 – 6 years teachers UPS 1 – 2 teachers UPS3 teachers

16. Which category of teacher (based on experience), plans for the longest amount of time?
1 – 3 years teachers 4 – 6 years teachers UPS 1 – 2 teachers UPS3 teachers

17. Which category of teacher (based on experience), plans for the shortest amount of time?
1 – 3 years teachers 4 – 6 years teachers UPS 1 – 2 teachers UPS 3 teachers

18. Which category of teacher (based on experience), plans for the shortest amount of time?
1 – 3 years teachers 4 – 6 years teachers UPS 1 – 2 teachers UPS 3 teachers

19. Which key stage is the most demanding for planning time?
Key Stage 2 Key Stage 3 Key Stage 4 Key Stage 5

20. Which key stage is the most demanding for planning time?
Key Stage 2 Key Stage 3 Key Stage 4 Key Stage 5

21. Who did the most planning on average?
Primary Middle High School

22. Who did the most planning on average?
Primary Middle High School

23. Shared Planning?
It is important from the outset to explain the distinction between “joint planning” and “shared planning”. Shared planning differs from joint planning in that:
joint planning usually involves only a small number of people planning on a short term basis, together simultaneously – it does not save time;
shared planning involves a middle leader strategically facilitating a team of teachers in the planning of a module of lessons; the process involves the delegation of planning and is overseen and accountable;
shared planning enables the consistent delivery of high calibre lessons across a department or school and distributes the workload.
It also by its nature, has a training impact. Standards naturally rise through the process of modelling.

24. Practicalities
What is the best way to share the planning with others once it has been completed?
VLE / Cloud / One Drive / Share Point
Shared network
Capacity to tweak and alter
Nurturing the understanding that planning can (and often should) be altered by individual teachers
Opportunities for staff to work together regularly

25. My department currently plans in the following way…
GJE

26. The Importance of Middle Leaders
This project had the benefit of giving huge opportunities for developing the skills of these colleagues and sharing good practice:
Identifying the priorities for planning
Knowing their staff skills and attributes well
Enabling the careful structuring and planning of courses particularly new GCSEs.
Allowing them to build a departmental culture of sharing and equal accountability
Utilise the skills of the best planners and teachers to model good practice for those not so successful (motivated!)
To bond as a group with the same focus across the school

27. Question (Has the project, or do you expect the project to:)
Preliminary results
Question (Has the project, or do you expect the project to:)
Yes No
Improve the quality of planning?
94.5% 
45.5%
Saved you planning time?
84.5% 
15.5%
Improved confidence with VLE?
31%
69%
Encouraged dept teamwork?
96%  4%

28. and the data…Progress 8
Has improved by this is a significant improvement for 350 entries
P8 Scores: +0.3
Maths +0.46
English +0.33
Ebacc Humanities +0.61
Ebacc Sciences +0.38
Ebacc Languages +0.13
Open +0.07

29. School Conclusions Specific recommendations
Set time aside for shared planning. 
Divide the work in such a way as to exploit teachers’ specialisms. 
Agree from the outset on the fundamentals, whilst remaining flexible to individual predispositions. 
Encourage continuity and progression in the students’ experiences. 
Be prepared to make significant investment of time in the early stages. 
Build on the existing team spirit within subject departments. 
Make sure that everyone is on board and understands the aims. 
Accept that shared planned is no panacea. 
Ensure that the ICT infrastructure can support the demands that will be made of it. 
Make provision for staff in one-person departments to plan with colleagues elsewhere. 

30. What we are working on now
Planning focus continues and is having increasing impact
Assessment: new assessment policy made up of principles. Trialling ways to reduce workload, focus on feedback rather than marking. Feedback and planning united
Incorporation of these ideas on planning and assessment onto an SSIF Bid on improving boys’ progress at GCSE English

32. For more information Contact us Visit the website
By phone: By
Visit the website
Follow us on Twitter:
@whitleybayhigh
Read:
Our final report (Dfe to publish)
Our poster
SecEd in January