How to Plan Curriculum: First Steps in Curriculum Planning

Learn how to plan curriculum and develop a clearer understanding of the decisions involved in structuring effective learning with CPDCourses.com. Curriculum planning involves much more than deciding which topics to teach. It requires careful consideration of learning goals, learner needs, content, sequencing, activities and assessment.

Whether you work in teaching, training or another learning-focused role, developing curriculum-planning knowledge can help you think more systematically about how learning should progress. You can also browse our complete CPD course catalogue to explore professional-development opportunities across teaching and other subjects.

What Is Curriculum Planning?

Curriculum planning is the process of deciding what learners should learn, why that learning matters and how educational content should be organised to support meaningful progression.

An effective curriculum is more than a collection of topics or activities. Its different elements need to work together so learners can develop knowledge and skills in a logical way.

Curriculum planning may involve considering:

• Intended learning outcomes
• Learners’ existing knowledge and starting points
• Relevant subject content
• The sequence in which learning is introduced
• Suitable teaching and learning activities
• Opportunities to check understanding
• Progression between topics
• Ways of reviewing the effectiveness of learning

If you are interested in developing your knowledge across a wider range of education topics, explore our collection of online teaching courses.

What Is the First Step in Curriculum Planning?

One of the most important early stages in curriculum planning is establishing the purpose of the learning.

Before selecting individual activities, resources or assessment methods, it is useful to identify what learners should know, understand or be able to do as a result of the programme.

Clear goals provide direction for later curriculum decisions. Useful questions at the beginning of the planning process include:

• Who are the learners?
• What do they already know?
• What do they need to learn?
• What should they be able to achieve?
• Which knowledge or skills need to come first?
• How should their learning develop over time?
• How will progress be identified?

Starting with these questions can help turn a collection of individual topics into a more coherent learning journey.

Understanding Learner Needs

Effective curriculum planning begins with an understanding of the learners for whom the programme is being developed.

Learners can differ considerably in prior knowledge, confidence, experience, ability, communication preferences and additional learning needs. These differences can influence how content is organised and how learning opportunities are presented.

Understanding learners does not necessarily mean designing a completely separate curriculum for every individual. Instead, it involves recognising different starting points and considering accessibility, progression and flexibility during planning.

For learners who want to develop this aspect of their practice further, our Inclusive Teaching Strategies course provides complementary learning around diverse learner needs and inclusive classroom practice.

Defining Clear Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes provide direction for curriculum planning.

They describe what learners should know, understand or be able to demonstrate after completing a particular stage of learning.

Clearly defined outcomes can help educators decide:

• Which content needs to be included
• Which material should be prioritised
• Which learning activities are appropriate
• How topics should connect
• What learners need to achieve before progressing
• How understanding might be assessed

Outcomes should have a genuine purpose. When used effectively, they create a clearer connection between the purpose of a curriculum and the learning experiences provided.

Selecting Relevant Curriculum Content

Once the intended outcomes have been established, curriculum planners need to determine what content will help learners achieve them.

More content does not automatically result in a better curriculum. Including too much material can make a programme difficult to navigate, while insufficient content can leave important gaps.

Curriculum planners therefore need to make deliberate decisions about relevance and priority.

Questions worth considering include:

• Does this content contribute to an intended outcome?
• Is it appropriate for the learners?
• Does it build on previous learning?
• Is the level of complexity appropriate?
• Is there unnecessary repetition?
• Are important areas missing?
• Does this content prepare learners for what follows?

These decisions can help create a more focused and purposeful curriculum.

Sequencing Learning Effectively

Deciding what to teach is only one part of curriculum planning. Educators also need to consider the order in which learning takes place.

Learners may need foundational knowledge before they can confidently engage with more complex concepts. Poor sequencing can introduce difficult material too early or leave gaps that affect later understanding.

A logical learning sequence helps establish connections between different stages of a programme. Curriculum planners can consider what learners need to understand first, which concepts depend on previous knowledge, when greater complexity should be introduced and where opportunities for consolidation are needed.

If sequencing is a particular area you want to develop, our Designing a Learning Sequence course provides a focused route into this aspect of learning design.

Connecting Curriculum Goals with Learning Activities

After defining goals, selecting content and considering sequence, attention can turn to learning activities.

Activities should support an educational purpose rather than simply filling time or making a lesson appear busy.

Depending on the subject and learning environment, activities might include:

• Individual exercises
• Group discussions
• Collaborative tasks
• Demonstrations
• Practical exercises
• Problem-solving activities
• Case-based learning
• Guided reflection
• Structured assessment tasks

The most appropriate activity depends on what learners are expected to achieve.

A useful planning question is therefore not simply, “What activity should I use?” but, “How will this activity contribute to the intended learning?”

Curriculum Planning and Assessment

Assessment should be considered as part of curriculum planning rather than treated as an unrelated final step.

If curriculum outcomes establish what learners are expected to achieve, assessment provides a way of examining whether relevant learning has taken place.

Alignment between curriculum, learning activities and assessment can help make a programme more coherent.

For example, if an outcome requires learners to demonstrate a practical capability, an assessment that measures only factual recall may not provide suitable evidence of that capability.

Considering assessment during the planning process can therefore help educators make more informed decisions about both learning activities and expected outcomes.

Checking Understanding During Learning

Assessment does not necessarily need to happen only at the end of a programme.

Opportunities to check understanding throughout learning can help identify misconceptions, gaps or areas where learners need additional support.

Depending on the learning context, this might involve:

• Questioning
• Short knowledge checks
• Discussion
• Observation
• Practice exercises
• Reflection
• Feedback activities

Information gathered during learning can help educators decide whether to move forward, revisit a concept or adjust an activity.

Planning an Inclusive Curriculum

Effective curriculum planning should also consider whether learners have meaningful opportunities to participate.

Potential barriers can arise from the way information is presented, the assumptions made about prior knowledge, the accessibility of resources or the methods used to engage learners.

Considering inclusion during curriculum development can help educators identify potential barriers earlier.

For more focused professional development in this area, our Inclusive Teaching Strategies training explores approaches to supporting diverse learners and creating more inclusive learning experiences.

Balancing Structure and Flexibility

A curriculum needs sufficient structure to provide direction, but effective planning can also leave room for appropriate flexibility.

Learners do not always progress at exactly the same pace. Unexpected difficulties can arise, while some areas may require more attention than initially anticipated.

A well-planned curriculum can provide clear direction while allowing educators to respond appropriately to learner needs.

The goal is not to abandon the planned sequence whenever circumstances change. Instead, flexibility involves making informed adjustments while keeping the intended learning outcomes in view.

Reviewing Curriculum Effectiveness

Curriculum planning is not necessarily a one-time activity.

Learning needs can change, subject content can develop and experience may reveal that some parts of a programme are more effective than others.

Useful review questions include:

• Are the intended outcomes still appropriate?
• Does the sequence work logically?
• Are learners encountering avoidable difficulties?
• Is the content relevant?
• Are activities supporting the intended outcomes?
• Is there unnecessary duplication?
• Are important areas missing?
• Does assessment reflect the intended learning?

Regular review can support informed improvements rather than changes made without a clear purpose.

Curriculum Planning for Teachers

Teachers frequently make curriculum-related decisions, whether planning an individual lesson, a sequence of lessons, a unit or a broader programme of learning.

Understanding curriculum principles can help teachers see how individual classroom activities fit into a wider learning journey.

This can support more deliberate decisions about what needs to be taught, when concepts should be introduced, how learning should progress and how understanding can be checked.

Teachers interested in planning their wider professional development can also explore our Teaching CPD guide, which provides a broader route into continuing professional learning across education.

Curriculum Planning for Trainers and Tutors

Curriculum planning is not limited to schools.

Trainers, tutors, facilitators and other professionals responsible for structured learning may also need to determine what participants should learn and how that learning should progress.

A workplace training programme still needs a clear purpose. Content should be relevant, activities should support intended outcomes and learners should have appropriate opportunities to demonstrate understanding.

Curriculum-planning principles can therefore be applied across a variety of formal and informal learning environments.

Curriculum Planning and Inclusive Teaching

Curriculum planning and inclusive teaching are closely connected but are not exactly the same discipline.

Curriculum planning considers the overall structure, purpose and progression of learning. Inclusive teaching focuses more directly on making learning accessible and meaningful for diverse learners.

Considering both can help educators develop a broader understanding of how learning programmes are designed and how individual learners experience them.

If inclusive practice is one of your main development priorities, our online Inclusive Teaching Strategies course provides a logical complementary learning option.

Common Curriculum-Planning Mistakes

Understanding common planning problems can help educators make better decisions.

Starting with Activities Instead of Outcomes

It can be tempting to choose interesting activities first and decide what they are intended to achieve afterwards.

Starting with intended outcomes provides a stronger basis for choosing activities that genuinely support learning.

Including Too Much Content

Trying to cover every possible topic can make a curriculum difficult to navigate.

Prioritising material that directly supports the intended outcomes can create a clearer learning experience.

Ignoring Learner Starting Points

Content may be too basic for some learners or too advanced for others if prior knowledge is not considered.

Understanding likely starting points can help planners create more appropriate progression.

Poor Sequencing

Even relevant content can become difficult to understand if concepts are introduced in an unhelpful order.

Our course on designing a learning sequence provides further focused learning for those interested in developing this aspect of planning.

Treating Assessment as an Afterthought

Planning assessment only after teaching activities have been decided can create a mismatch between intended outcomes and the evidence used to judge learning.

Considering assessment earlier can support better alignment.

Why Develop Curriculum-Planning Knowledge?

Developing your understanding of curriculum planning may help you:

• Define clearer learning purposes
• Consider learner starting points
• Connect outcomes with content
• Organise learning more logically
• Select purposeful activities
• Consider assessment earlier
• Recognise potential barriers to participation
• Review curriculum effectiveness more systematically

These capabilities may support your continuing professional development, but completing a short online course does not guarantee employment, promotion, qualified teacher status or another regulated professional credential.

Flexible Online Professional Development

Online study provides a convenient way to develop your curriculum-planning knowledge around existing professional and personal commitments.

It can be particularly useful for teachers, trainers, tutors and other education professionals who want greater control over when and where they study.

You can explore additional learning options through our wider collection of Teaching CPD courses, covering a range of topics connected with classroom practice and professional development.

Choosing Your Next Teaching Course

Your next learning step should reflect the aspect of education you most want to develop.

If your priority is understanding how learning is ordered and connected, the Designing a Learning Sequence course offers a closely related learning route.

If you are more interested in accommodating different learner needs, consider our Inclusive Teaching Strategies course.

For broader information and practical professional-development content, you can also explore our CPD resources and guides.

Develop Your Curriculum-Planning Knowledge

Build a clearer understanding of how learning goals, content, sequencing, activities and assessment work together through flexible online professional development with CPDCourses.com.

Explore our full range of CPD courses and continue developing the knowledge relevant to your teaching, training or educational-development goals.