CPD planning tutorials
The aim behind these planning tutorials is to provide teachers with planning for a unit of work. Rather than try to follow a written plan, which can present some challenges, you will be guided through a unit of work via video with each step explained along the way. This gives opportunities for you to explore the thinking behind the planning and will demonstrate how to adapt and adjust planning as needed.
Each unit is based around a high-quality text. There will be more than enough ideas: you will have to choose the ones that are pertinent for your class at this moment in time. In addition, the ideas demonstrated could be applied to other units of work. There will be a strong focus on the craft of writing!
Each unit will come with one or more videos exploring and explaining the planning and a PDF of the presentation. You can watch it as many times as you like and use the PDFs as a planning or teaching tool.
See below for available units.
Suitable for Year 1 & Year 2
Little Red Reading Hood is a wonderful take on the original story. In this version, our heroine is an avid book fan, which leads the wolf to distract her with books and capture the librarian. We’ll be exploring this rich text to develop language, vocabulary and grammar, plus three engaging writing opportunities: telling wolf off, recommending a book for LRRH and creating some important writing for the local library - how to spot a wolf in disguise! There will also be an opportunity to enjoy a linked poem and create an additional verse as a class.
Suitable for Year 1 & Year 2
Is Black Rock dangerous? That’s the mystery that Erin has to solve. We’ll be exploring this beautiful text, not only discovering the secret, but discovering a wealth of opportunities to develop language and vocabulary. Alongside this we’ll be creating warning posters, helping Erin recount the truth about Black Rock and informing scientists about newly discovered sea creatures!
The Darkest Dark is one of the best texts I have seen to inspire and promote children’s writing. We hear from Chris Hadfield himself about his fear of the dark as a child and his dream of becoming an astronaut. We’ll use the text to develop language, vocabulary and reading for meaning, including having playful fun with writing: excuses as to why we are too far too busy following our dream to do something ordinary.
We’ll use his inspiring recount of watching the first moon landing to write our own recount of a special event; have fun learning how astronauts brush their teeth in space leading us to create some instructions for budding astronauts; create our own autobiography for others and our future selves; and explore overcoming the fear stories in an age appropriate way.
Suitable for Year 1 & Year 2
Does the lake really vanish? We’ll help curious Meara discover what really happens to the lake. Explore the power of mystery as both a reader and a writer and unravel some of the complexities of the text through developing reading for meaning. Alongside encouraging visitors to the lake through writing some helpful and interesting information about it, we’ll also enjoy creating our own story around the mystery of the lake.
Suitable for Year 1 & Year 2
Fancy being a detective? Hermelin’s on the lookout for a new assistant. That’s just one of the engaging writing opportunities on offer in this unit. They’ll be lots to ‘investigate’ in this unit, grammar in context (who knew the past progressive could be so interesting) and an opportunity to contribute to Hermelin’s memoirs by helping him write up his detective stories (dramatic tension is a must). An engaging text to explore the year 2 & 3 English objectives.
Suitable for Year 2 & Year 3
This rich text offers a wealth of opportunities for English. We’ll explore the use of language and vocabulary for effect, using this to write a setting description from an animal’s point of view. We’ll look at authentic texts to explore the craft of creating an informative and persuasive leaflet inviting visitors to the new forest. There will also be an opportunity to explore story structure through creating our own wishing story. Within this outcome we’ll explore and develop some effective writing techniques: how to show all is not well, how to show how characters change throughout a story and the language of time and place.
Suitable for Year 3 & Year 4
This popular unit of work gives a range of shorter and longer writing tasks focusing on the craft of writing. By including a unit of work focusing on integrating dialogue and narrative to create atmosphere, we’ll be providing strong foundations for upper key stage 2. An opportunity to write a review of the show to encourage visitors will explore effective recount and persuasive writing for a real purpose and audience. We’ll finish by exploring the rabbit’s story, giving children an opportunity to develop a storyline for this mysterious character. The use of language and vocabulary throughout this rich text will be utilised in all outcomes. As with all units of work, grammar will be taught in context to ensure that it is used appropriately and effectively within writing.
Suitable for Year 3 & Year 4
Discover the mysterious character of the tear thief; explore how text and words work together to create an engaging and intriguing experience for the reader; and immerse children in rich language and vocabulary. This unit will invite children to create effective one sentence book reviews, create a memory book of tears for the tear thief and develop the back story of the tear. We’ll also be creating some other ‘thief’ books for the series: The ? Thief. Developing character and setting will be key to our stories, including understanding and using circular endings.
Suitable for Year 3 & Year 4
Fancy doing something a bit different with non-fiction? ‘Who are you Calling Weird?’ contains some fascinating information about weird and wonderful creatures all over the world! Alongside exploring the text, we will use the text to consider ways of creating informative and engaging information reports of our own, with a clear purpose and audience. They’ll be plenty of opportunities for writing throughout the unit.
We’ll explore a range of writing techniques for formal writing; have a close look at paragraphing and structure, with consideration for developing ideas within paragraphs and selecting appropriate structures; and we’ll also explore interesting and unusual ways of creating engaging non-fiction.
If you don’t have this fabulous book in school, do check availablity on Amazon on Ebay before buying.
Suitable for Year 5 & Year 6
Suitable for Year 5 & Year 6
Should all stories have happy endings? What happens if they are stolen? Jub, the keeper of happy endings, has them stolen in this fabulous picture book. We’ll explore the text to develop both reading and writing. They’ll be an opportunity to explore integrating dialogue and narrative in our writing, become a police officer and write an official crime report of the theft. And finally, there will be an opportunity to explore key elements of a fairy story and create one of our own.
What people are saying
“Innovate Education provides brilliant, easy-to-follow planning videos packed with engaging lesson ideas. These resources have greatly boosted my confidence in planning English lessons and introduced me to a whole new world of diverse structures and methods for teaching English. This has made a significant difference to the quality of the children’s work and I am eagerly awaiting for more text-planning materials!”
“My year 1 class are progressing brilliantly with their writing, thanks to Julie’s ideas and advice. They are fully engaged with the texts recommended by Julie and her text-based planning has been brilliant to work from and adapt for my class. The children have thoroughly enjoyed the experience days which I use as a ‘hook’ at the start of each unit. The children’s writing outcomes show how they are all making individual progress.”