AI works best when you ask it to complete one clear planning task at a time. Instead of typing “plan a lesson on energy”, tell it the year group, lesson length, topic, prior learning and what you want it to produce.
The prompts below are designed to be copied and used immediately. Simply replace the words in square brackets with your own information. Always check the answers, calculations and curriculum content before using anything with pupils.
- Plan the complete lesson
Copy this prompt:
“Plan a [LENGTH]-minute [SUBJECT] lesson for [YEAR GROUP] on [TOPIC]. Pupils have already learned [PRIOR LEARNING]. By the end of the lesson, they should be able to [LEARNING OUTCOME]. Include a retrieval starter, teacher explanation, modelling, guided practice, independent practice, checks for understanding and an exit ticket. Give realistic timings and explain what the teacher and pupils will do at each stage.”
- Write a clear learning objective
Copy this prompt:
“Write one clear and challenging learning objective for a [YEAR GROUP] lesson on [TOPIC]. State exactly what pupils should be able to explain, calculate, compare or complete by the end. Avoid vague words such as ‘know’ and ‘understand’. Add three simple success criteria.”
- Identify the prior knowledge
Copy this prompt:
“What should [YEAR GROUP] pupils already know before learning about [TOPIC]? List the essential prior knowledge and explain how it connects to the new lesson. Do not include information that pupils will not need.”
- Create a retrieval starter
Copy this prompt:
“Create a five-minute retrieval starter for a [YEAR GROUP] lesson on [TOPIC]. Write six short questions that retrieve the prior knowledge pupils need for today’s lesson. Include the answers and one final question that connects the old learning to the new topic.”
- Predict common misconceptions
Copy this prompt:
“What common misconceptions might [YEAR GROUP] pupils have about [TOPIC]? For each misconception, explain what pupils may incorrectly believe, give me a question that will reveal the misunderstanding and suggest a simple way to correct it.”
- Create an interesting opening
Copy this prompt:
“Give me five quick and interesting ways to introduce a [YEAR GROUP] lesson on [TOPIC]. Use questions, predictions, demonstrations or real-life examples. Each opening must take less than three minutes and lead directly into the learning. Avoid activities that are entertaining but have little educational purpose.”
- Write a simple teacher explanation
Copy this prompt:
“Write a clear teacher explanation of [CONCEPT] for [YEAR GROUP]. Build the explanation in small steps, starting with what pupils already know. Use accurate but simple language, define the important vocabulary and include one helpful example. Warn me about any phrases that could cause confusion.”
- Explain a difficult idea in different ways
Copy this prompt:
“Explain [CONCEPT] to [YEAR GROUP] pupils in three different ways: a short verbal explanation, a helpful analogy and a real-life example. Explain any limitations of the analogy so that it does not create a misconception.”
- Identify the essential vocabulary
Copy this prompt:
“Identify the ten most important words pupils need for a lesson on [TOPIC]. For each word, give a simple definition, an accurate subject definition, an example and a sentence in which the word is used correctly. Highlight any words that have a different meaning in everyday language.”
- Create an ‘I do, we do, you do’ sequence
Copy this prompt:
“Create an ‘I do, we do, you do’ teaching sequence for [SKILL OR TYPE OF QUESTION]. Start with one example that I can model fully. Follow this with two examples that the class can complete with me. Finish with four questions for pupils to attempt independently. Increase the difficulty gradually and include complete answers.”
- Write a teacher think-aloud
Copy this prompt:
“Write a short teacher think-aloud for modelling how to answer this question: [PASTE QUESTION]. Show pupils how I identify the important information, choose a method, complete each step and check the answer. Include one deliberate mistake that I can notice and correct.”
- Plan strong classroom questions
Copy this prompt:
“Write 12 questions I can ask while teaching [TOPIC] to [YEAR GROUP]. Begin with simple recall and gradually move towards explanation, application and deeper reasoning. Include the expected answer, one likely wrong answer and a useful follow-up question for each.”
- Create a hinge question
Copy this prompt:
“Create one multiple-choice hinge question to check whether pupils understand [KEY CONCEPT]. Include one correct answer and three believable wrong answers based on common misconceptions. Explain what each answer reveals about pupil understanding. Tell me what to do next if most pupils are correct, divided or incorrect.”
- Create ramped independent questions
Copy this prompt:
“Write ten independent questions on [TOPIC] for [YEAR GROUP]. Begin with simple questions that build confidence and increase the difficulty gradually. Finish with questions that require pupils to apply their learning in unfamiliar situations. Include answers and full workings where appropriate.”
- Make the lesson accessible to everyone
Copy this prompt:
“Review this lesson plan and suggest ways to make it accessible to pupils with reading difficulties, attention difficulties, weak working memory, English as an additional language or gaps in prior knowledge. Improve the instructions, explanations, vocabulary, modelling and scaffolding without lowering the learning objective. Do not make assumptions about individual pupils. Here is the lesson plan: [PASTE PLAN].”
- Add meaningful challenge
Copy this prompt:
“Create five challenging extension questions for pupils who understand [TOPIC] quickly. Deepen the same learning through explanation, comparison, problem-solving and unfamiliar applications. Do not simply give pupils more questions of the same type or move them onto unrelated content. Include model answers.”
- Review and improve the finished lesson
Copy this prompt:
“Act as a constructive and experienced teaching colleague. Review the lesson plan below. Check the learning objective, sequence, explanations, misconceptions, level of challenge, questioning, guided practice, independent practice, inclusion and timings. Identify anything that is unnecessary or unlikely to improve learning. Give me the five most important improvements and then produce a revised lesson plan. State any assumptions you have made and flag anything I need to check. Here is the plan: [PASTE PLAN].”
A useful instruction to add to the end of any prompt is:
“Use UK English. Do not invent curriculum requirements or sources. Ask me up to three questions before answering if you need more information.”
AI should provide a starting point, not the final decision. It cannot see the pupils sitting in front of you or know how they will respond. The teacher still needs to check the accuracy, select the best ideas and adapt the lesson as learning develops.
The Department for Education’s FACTS framework offers a helpful reminder: focus the prompt, analyse the output, check for bias, tailor it to your setting and strengthen the prompt when necessary. The EEF’s guidance also emphasises activating prior knowledge, explicit teaching, modelling, checking understanding, guided practice and the gradual development of independence.
Sources and further reading:
Department for Education: Using AI in education settings
Department for Education: Interacting with generative AI
Department for Education: Use cases of generative AI in education
Education Endowment Foundation: Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning
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