It
is really important for you to have a clear English plan and budget
to frame your work. Nothing is more frustrating than to find you
have insufficient funding to support your program. The English budget
depends on the size of the school as well as school priorities.
Most schools have an established planning budgeting process. The
framework suggested below is intended as a guide.
A
Framework for budgeting and Resourcing
- Consult
with your colleagues to develop your English plan for the year
ahead. This is usually done in October or November of the previous
year, but may need to be revised early the next year if there
are staff changes.
Intended
Outcomes
These
detail what you intend to achieve in the following year in English.
Outcomes should include:
- professional
learning plans for teachers;
- curriculum
initiatives, such as the development of a curriculum statement
- statements
of student achievement in English - for example
"Students
will develop their understandings of the structures and features
of visual texts."
"Students
will improve their skills in attentive listening."
- an
information program for parents.
Strategies
List
the strategies you intend to use to achieve the outcomes - for example
-
Providing
professional learning opportunities related to viewing and speaking
and listening
-
Class-work
specifically focusing on the explicit teaching of aspects of
viewing and speaking and listening;
-
Allowing opportunities for planning and sharing units of work
-
Providing
opportunities for students to participate in a range of viewing,
speaking and listening experiences.
Human
Resources
Identify
your program manager and team. Decide who will help you achieve
the intended outcomes and implement necessary strategies -
for example
6
teacher relief days @ $220
action learning facilitator @ $500
Resources
Be
sure to include the cost of books, videos, software, hardware,
professional development, conference registration, and excursions
- for example:
Videos 4 @ $30
Teacher resources $300
1 Tripod @ $100
Attendance
at Viewing for Learning workshop $50
Indicators
of Success
These
indicate whether outcomes have been achieved and are used to evaluate
the success of the plan - for example
"Students
produce advertisements using a video camera.“
”Teachers
incorporate visual texts and viewing experiences into
their
teaching program.“
"School
displays show evidence of viewing outcomes." .
- Decide
on your priorities and draw up the action plan.
- Check
expenditure regularly throughout the year to ensure the program
remains within its budget. A good
relationship with the school’s business manager is essential!
- Regularly
consult the plan to ensure that you are on track to achieve
the outcomes.
- At
the end of the year, review the plan and evaluate its success.
- Use
the evaluation to inform your planning for the next year.
For
More Information
Keep
in contact with English co-ordinators in other schools to
see how their planning and budgeting operates.
