Updated Guidance on Preparation for Learning, Teaching and Assessment (2026): Key Changes and Differences

The Department of Education has just published an updated version of the Guidance on Preparation for Learning, Teaching and Assessment for all primary and special schools.

The original guidance was first introduced in 2021, and marked a significant shift in how teachers viewed preparation for teaching and learning, broadening the understanding of “planning” beyond simply written documents and paperwork. The updated 2026 version reflects the much broader redeveloped Primary Curriculum and the Primary Curriculum Framework (2023).

Overall, this is not a radically different document. Much of the core philosophy remains the same:

• preparation is ongoing and evolving.
• teacher agency is emphasised.
• planning should be practical and purposeful.
• recorded preparation should remain concise and flexible.

However, there are some important changes in emphasis and several new additions which schools and teachers should be aware of.

1. Assessment now has a much stronger emphasis throughout the document

One of the biggest changes in the updated guidance is the explicit inclusion of assessment as a core part of preparation for learning, teaching and assessment.

In fact, even the title of the document has changed from:
“Preparation for Teaching and Learning”
to:
“Preparation for Learning, Teaching and Assessment”.

The introduction now states:

“Guidance on assessment further strengthens this foundation by ensuring that assessment supports learning and progression, promotes empowerment and inclusion, and affirms the central role of teachers’ professional judgement.”

There is also much more detail included regarding assessment within the “Knowledge of the Children and their Prior Learning” section. The guidance now explicitly states that assessment is:

• “a shared endeavour”
• where “teachers and children work together”
• to use information “to inform learning and teaching”.

The 2026 guidance also emphasises the “continuum of assessment”:

• intuitive assessment.
• planned interactions.
• assessment events.

This is a noticeable shift compared to the 2021 version, where assessment was certainly present, but not nearly as central throughout the document.

2. A new emphasis on whole-school curriculum planning

Another major addition is the inclusion of an entirely new section on Whole-school Curriculum Planning.

The guidance repeatedly emphasises that preparation should align with:

• whole-school curriculum plans.
• agreed whole-school approaches.
• school-specific curriculum decisions.

For example, the document states:

“A whole-school approach to short-term preparation strengthens coherence, consistency and progression across classes.”

It also states that:
“Teachers should also adhere to guidance provided in whole-school curriculum plans in relation to specific whole-school approaches.”

To me, one of the clearest messages throughout the updated guidance is that schools are being strongly encouraged to develop their own unique curriculum approaches and whole-school curriculum plans for each curriculum area.

There is a much stronger sense now that curriculum enactment is intended to look somewhat different from school to school depending on context.

The close relationship between whole-school curriculum planning and individual teacher preparation is strongly underscored by the simultaneous publication of both the updated Guidance on Preparation for Learning, Teaching and Assessment and the new Guidance on Whole-school Curriculum Planning. The two documents clearly signal that whole-school curriculum plans and teacher recorded preparation are intended to work hand in hand to support coherent, responsive and context-specific curriculum enactment.

3. Teacher agency is still heavily emphasised

The updated guidance repeatedly refers to teachers as:
“committed, skilled and agentic professionals”.

Teacher agency remains one of the dominant themes throughout the document. Teachers are repeatedly described as making professional decisions about:

• what children learn.
• how learning is sequenced.
• how learning is paced.
• which Learning Experiences are most appropriate.

The document also continues to strongly emphasise that:

• preparation is ongoing.
• preparation is dynamic.
• documents should evolve throughout the year.
• plans should not be rigidly adhered to.

This was already present in the 2021 version, but it is reinforced again throughout the updated guidance.

However, if I am being honest, I still find the guidance somewhat frustrating in places. The document repeatedly stresses teacher agency and flexibility, but at the same time it still specifies sections that should be included in long-term and short-term recorded preparation!

Personally, I think there is still a tension between the stated emphasis on teacher agency and the continued expectation that particular elements appear within recorded preparation.

4. More emphasis on inclusive practice and supporting diverse learning needs

The updated guidance includes considerably more detail regarding the role of the class teacher in supporting children with diverse learning needs.

There is now greater emphasis on:

• adapting pedagogy.
• varying lesson structure and pace.
• using visual supports and technology.
• matching tasks to children’s strengths, needs, interests and individuality.

Interestingly, while the term UDL (Universal Design for Learning) is not explicitly used, much of the language strongly reflects a UDL-style approach.

For example:
“Teachers can select appropriate experiences and activities to promote active engagement and anticipate where support or challenge may be required…”

This feels like a subtle shift away from older language around “differentiation” towards a broader emphasis on designing learning experiences that are accessible and flexible from the outset.

5. Monthly short-term preparation is now explicitly acknowledged

One practical clarification that many teachers will notice is that the updated guidance now explicitly acknowledges that short-term preparation may be:

• weekly.
• fortnightly.
• or monthly.

This is significant because previous discussions around planning acknowledged only weekly or fortnightly preparation. This is the first time that monthly short-term preparation has been so clearly referenced within the guidance itself.

6. “Focus(es) of Learning” replaces “focus of the new learning”

The terminology around short-term preparation has also evolved slightly.

The 2021 guidance referred to:
“the focus of new learning”.

The updated guidance now repeatedly refers to:
“Focus(es) of Learning”.

This may seem like a small wording change, but I think it is important.

The updated wording:

• allows for multiple focuses.
• reflects broader curriculum integration.
• acknowledges that learning may involve concepts, skills and dispositions simultaneously.
• aligns more closely with the language of the redeveloped curriculum.

The guidance also now very explicitly states that the Focus(es) of Learning should be informed and guided by the relevant Learning Outcomes.

This is quite an important clarification, as many teachers and publishers had begun generating generic “focuses” that were not always clearly linked to curriculum Learning Outcomes.

7. More emphasis on evidence-based pedagogy

The “Knowledge of Pedagogy” section has been expanded significantly.

The updated guidance now explicitly refers to:
“evidence-based pedagogical approaches and strategies”.

It also includes, for the first time, a visual overview of pedagogical approaches referenced within the redeveloped curriculum specifications, including:

• inquiry.
• play and playful pedagogy.
• dialogic pedagogy.
• scientific inquiry.
• experiential learning.
• culturally responsive approaches.
• relational pedagogy.
• sensory and embodied approaches.
• explicit teaching.
• and more.

This is a substantial addition compared to the 2021 guidance, and it is interesting to note the emphasis on evidence-based approaches. 

8. Changes to recorded preparation and support plans

The 2021 guidance specifically referred to:
“student support plans/IEPs”.

The updated version instead uses the broader term:
“children’s support plans”.

This reflects greater flexibility regarding what support planning may look like in different contexts.

9. Greater emphasis on the learning environment and outdoor learning

The section on the learning environment has also been expanded.

For the first time, the guidance explicitly references:

• indoor and outdoor learning.
• the school grounds.
• the local environment.

It states:

“The classroom, the school grounds and local environment are viewed as an active teaching resource that supports engagement, collaboration and inclusive practice.”

This reflects the growing emphasis within the redeveloped curriculum on:

• place-based learning.
• outdoor learning.
• experiential learning.
• and authentic contexts for learning.

It also reflects the fact that “Learning Environments” is one of the 8 Principles of Learning, Teaching and Assessment in the Primary Curriculum Framework. 

10. Long-term preparation now includes sequencing and pacing

Another interesting addition is that the updated guidance suggests that long-term preparation may include:
“the sequencing and pacing of children’s learning (guided by the whole-school curriculum plan)”.

This is particularly interesting because, in the past, some schools (including my own) were advised during inspections not to specifying when learning would occur.

The wording now seems to acknowledge that schools may wish to make broader sequencing decisions at whole-school level as part of curriculum enactment.

11. Some sections from the 2021 guidance have been removed

One noticeable omission is that the detailed sections from the 2021 guidance relating specifically to Learning Outcomes in the Primary Language Curriculum have been removed entirely.

Personally, I think this is a pity.

I actually found many of those sections quite helpful, particularly the practical explanations around:

• selecting Learning Outcomes.
• recording focuses of learning.
• avoiding over-recording.
• and using progression continua appropriately.

That said, there probably was some duplication now that schools also have:

• curriculum specifications.
• enactment guides.
• online toolkits.
• progression supports.
• and the broader Primary Curriculum Framework.

12. A new glossary of terms has been added

The updated guidance now includes a glossary of curriculum terminology.

This includes definitions of terms such as:

• enactment.
• teacher agency.
• child agency.
• curriculum specifications.
• toolkits.
• Learning Outcomes.
• and the Primary Curriculum Framework.

Given how much new terminology has emerged with the redeveloped curriculum, this addition is probably helpful for many teachers.

13. A vague new statement regarding NQTs and SETs

One new addition that I suspect may frustrate some teachers is the following statement:

“There are specific preparation requirements for newly qualified teachers and for teachers in special education roles. The specific requirements for these teachers should be established from up-to-date Circulars and Guidelines.”

Personally, I find this wording rather vague and unhelpful. The document does not actually explain what these requirements are, instead directing teachers elsewhere to locate them. 

Final Thoughts

Overall, I would describe this as an evolution rather than a complete overhaul of the 2021 guidance.

There is nothing radically different in the updated document, but there are definitely some important shifts in emphasis:

• more focus on assessment.
• stronger alignment with the redeveloped curriculum.
• greater emphasis on whole-school curriculum planning.
• more explicit references to inclusive practice.
• a stronger focus on evidence-based pedagogy.
• and increased alignment between teacher preparation and whole-school approaches.

At the same time, many of the core messages remain the same:

• preparation should be concise.
• preparation should be flexible.
• preparation should evolve over time.
• and excessive paperwork is not encouraged.

Personally, I still think one of the biggest weaknesses of the guidance is the lack of concrete examples. For a document that repeatedly emphasises flexibility and teacher agency, I think practical examples of what concise, effective recorded preparation might actually look like would have been incredibly helpful for teachers and schools.

What This Means for TeachingPlans.ie Resources

As the updated guidance has now been published, some small revisions and updates will need to be made to certain recorded preparation templates and sample documents available on TeachingPlans.ie so that terminology and guidance references remain fully aligned with the updated 2026 document.

These updates will be carried out gradually over the coming weeks. However, it is important to note that the overall philosophy and structure of the guidance has not changed dramatically, and therefore existing templates and resources remain broadly aligned with the updated guidance.