A guide to effective
practice in
curriculum planning
An exploration of the principal stages
involved in effective curriculum planning
March 2024
, 1
Contents
List of Figures 6
List of Tables 7
List of Effective Practice Points 8
Summary 9
Expiry or review date 9
Who is this publication for? 9
Introduction 10
Why plan and cost curriculum? – taming the uncertainty 14
The link to strategic planning 15
Governance and curriculum planning 17
The link to quality and the student experience 20
Balancing efficiency and quality 20
Key aspects of effective planning 21
Key aspects of planning that are important to understand: 21
Planning conditions before commencement: 21
Funding and payment rules: 22
The detail: 22
Approaches to planning complex programmes 23
Apprenticeships 23
Key aspects to understand in apprenticeship curriculum/business planning 24
Special educational needs and disability (SEND) and high needs (HN) provision 28
2
, Key aspects that are important to understand when planning SEND/HN provision 30
Planning to plan – establishing the planning architecture 33
Curriculum planning tools – part science, part art 34
Expected outputs from an effective curriculum planning tool 35
Planning to meet skills needs 36
Contribution analysis 37
What is financial contribution? 37
Why plan and analyse financial contribution? 37
Finer points of contribution analysis 38
Checking actual performance 39
The value of understanding contribution 39
Benchmarking 41
Business/curriculum planning models: review, plan, validate, monitor, review… 42
Standard planning cycle 42
Invest/divest assessment framework 42
Standard study programme curriculum planning cycle 45
Simplified study programme planning cycle 45
Influencers that guide curriculum planning 46
Average class size model 47
Timeline and key milestones 49
In-year monitoring, reconciliation, and adjustment 53
Case studies of effective practice: summaries 54
Appendix 1: Example Curriculum Planning Timeline 60
Appendix 2: Fault finding 64
3
, Appendix 3: Curriculum planning case studies 66
Case Study: Basingstoke College of Technology 66
Introduction 66
Overview 67
Approach 67
Curriculum planning model 68
CEO/principal’s comment 71
Case Study: East Kent College Group 72
Introduction 72
Overview 73
Approach 73
Curriculum planning model 76
CEO/principal’s comment 79
Case Study: Sparsholt College Group 80
Introduction 80
Overview 81
Approach 81
Curriculum planning model 82
CEO/principal’s comment 85
Case Study: The Luminate Education Group 86
Introduction 86
Overview 87
Approach 88
Curriculum planning model 88
4
practice in
curriculum planning
An exploration of the principal stages
involved in effective curriculum planning
March 2024
, 1
Contents
List of Figures 6
List of Tables 7
List of Effective Practice Points 8
Summary 9
Expiry or review date 9
Who is this publication for? 9
Introduction 10
Why plan and cost curriculum? – taming the uncertainty 14
The link to strategic planning 15
Governance and curriculum planning 17
The link to quality and the student experience 20
Balancing efficiency and quality 20
Key aspects of effective planning 21
Key aspects of planning that are important to understand: 21
Planning conditions before commencement: 21
Funding and payment rules: 22
The detail: 22
Approaches to planning complex programmes 23
Apprenticeships 23
Key aspects to understand in apprenticeship curriculum/business planning 24
Special educational needs and disability (SEND) and high needs (HN) provision 28
2
, Key aspects that are important to understand when planning SEND/HN provision 30
Planning to plan – establishing the planning architecture 33
Curriculum planning tools – part science, part art 34
Expected outputs from an effective curriculum planning tool 35
Planning to meet skills needs 36
Contribution analysis 37
What is financial contribution? 37
Why plan and analyse financial contribution? 37
Finer points of contribution analysis 38
Checking actual performance 39
The value of understanding contribution 39
Benchmarking 41
Business/curriculum planning models: review, plan, validate, monitor, review… 42
Standard planning cycle 42
Invest/divest assessment framework 42
Standard study programme curriculum planning cycle 45
Simplified study programme planning cycle 45
Influencers that guide curriculum planning 46
Average class size model 47
Timeline and key milestones 49
In-year monitoring, reconciliation, and adjustment 53
Case studies of effective practice: summaries 54
Appendix 1: Example Curriculum Planning Timeline 60
Appendix 2: Fault finding 64
3
, Appendix 3: Curriculum planning case studies 66
Case Study: Basingstoke College of Technology 66
Introduction 66
Overview 67
Approach 67
Curriculum planning model 68
CEO/principal’s comment 71
Case Study: East Kent College Group 72
Introduction 72
Overview 73
Approach 73
Curriculum planning model 76
CEO/principal’s comment 79
Case Study: Sparsholt College Group 80
Introduction 80
Overview 81
Approach 81
Curriculum planning model 82
CEO/principal’s comment 85
Case Study: The Luminate Education Group 86
Introduction 86
Overview 87
Approach 88
Curriculum planning model 88
4
