Meaning of scheme of work

A scheme of work is a kind of plan that outlines all the learning to be covered over a given period of time (usually a term or a whole school year).

For independent schools, the content of a scheme of work is left largely up to individual teachers and the head of department, whereas in state-sponsored schools, they’re designed to cover the National Curriculum learning outcomes.

What is the difference between a syllabus and a scheme of work?

For non-teachers, the difference between a syllabus and a scheme of work might be a little trickier to grasp, so here’s a short explanation:

Syllabus and scheme of work in short meaning

A syllabus is a document outlining which topics and skills are to be covered for a subject. In England, the National Curriculum is the document that teachers at all state-sponsored schools are required to teach from and adhere to. One advantage of following the National Curriculum is that it’s easy to find resources for your lessons.

A scheme of work, on the other hand, outlines how the curriculum will be taught. This includes things like the order of lessons, what weighting will be given to each topic (in terms of teaching hours) and any assessment activities, if they’re deemed necessary.

Main function of scheme of work

The main function of a scheme of work is to help teachers plan and sequence their lessons in advance. That way, they can make sure that all course content is taught before the school year ends, and that the National Curriculum aims are covered.

Another function of a scheme of work is that they help teachers to consider and make the most of the resources at their disposal. For those not in the know, a teaching resource is anything that’s used to engage children in learning. That could be anything from a PowerPoint to an activity sheet. By organising lessons in this way beforehand, teachers can make sense of what they’ve got, and what they still need to make.