Purposeful Planning for Learning: Shaping Learning and Teaching in the Primary School

Purposeful Planning for Learning puts the passion and depth back into how teachers plan for learning in the primary classroom. Offering a unique perspective on what constitutes purposeful planning for learning, this book encourages a mindset where planning is integral to, supportive of and informed by learning, including learning that is social, emotional, physical and cognitive.

Written by a variety of teacher educators and primary teachers, this book reconceptualises planning by focusing on different themes such as outdoor learning, assessment, questioning and inclusion, that all influence and inform planning. In each chapter, you can find:

• Voices of teachers and teacher educators
• The unpicking of practice and key terminology
• Vignettes that shed light on classroom life (examples from practice) and
• Opportunities for reflection (points to ponder)

This cross-curricular resource provides aspirational, professional and practical insights into current issues that surround planning. It includes student and experienced qualified teacher insights which will serve as inspiration to support the reader in making real changes in their classroom.

Natasha Serret was a primary teacher and is now a senior lecturer working with the Primary Education team at Nottingham Trent University, where she is the course leader for BA Primary Education. She has collaborated on several research projects, with universities in the UK and across Europe, that have focused on outdoor learning in science, Cognitive Acceleration in Science Education (CASE) and assessment in science education.

Catherine Gripton is a lecturer, author and researcher with many years of experience in primary teacher education. She is an assistant professor in the School of Education at the University of Nottingham and has a special interest in 3–7 education and early childhood mathematics. Catherine was formerly a teacher in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire primary schools.