Planning Ahead: Summer Term Tips For Drama Teachers

The summer term is full-on. You’re juggling revision sessions, performance deadlines, reports, and possibly a costume rail that seems to grow by the day. But even in the middle of all this, there’s value in stepping back and gently planting a few seeds for the term ahead. In this article, we’ve created some summer term tips for drama teachers and a downloadable checklist at the end of the article to help you.

This isn’t a to-do list to add pressure – just a way to jot down your thoughts, tidy a few things, and give your future self a helping hand.

You might want to take five minutes over coffee to sketch a plan, or use a free tool like Trello to organise ideas visually and tick things off at your own pace. However you approach it, a little forward planning now can make a huge difference come September.

This article contains affiliate links. For more information, see our Affiliate Disclosure.

1. Are you keeping your current syllabus, adding a new qualification or switching things up?

Now is a good time to take stock of what’s been working well and what might need a refresh. If you’ve been using the same set texts or assessment formats for a while, you might be feeling the itch to explore something new – or return to something you’ve loved before. Changing texts might seem like a lot of work but it can also add a new spark into your teaching and offer a different perspective to consider.

Think about:

• Are you still happy with your current exam board?
• Could you introduce a new set text or a practical focus next year?
• Would a fresh theme or approach re-energise your students – and you?
• Is there a new qualification you are planning to introduce such as a BTEC or Dance GCSE?

Set time aside to:

• Research new syllabus or new set texts
• Revise or create new schemes of work
• Create resources, handouts, and PowerPoints
• Order copies of plays

2. Planning for a potential move?

If you’re changing schools or stepping into a new role, the summer term offers a golden opportunity to prepare. You can reflect on your time so far, gather your resources, and think about what you want to bring forward into your next chapter.

Think about:

• Have you applied already or do you need to look around
• What other opportunities or responsibilities are there in your existing role
• Is anyone in your department moving on?

Set time aside to:

• Review your schemes of work and download anything saved on shared drives (provided that is within your school’s use policy)
• Make a handover doc if you’re leaving – future-you might be grateful if you return!
• Jot down reflections on what you’d like to do differently in a new setting
• Get a clear job description for any new role and make sure you understand who you report to
• Read and sign any new contract
• Make sure that any pension you already have will be transferred or keep records of it
• Organise a celebration or a thank card/present for a colleague who is moving on

3. Applying for new roles or leadership positions?

You don’t need to rewrite your whole CV just yet, but it’s worth keeping a note of what you’ve achieved this year – especially in a subject like drama, where your contributions often go way beyond the classroom.

Think about:

• The skills you have and how they might transfer into a new role
• Any new skills you’d like to develop

Set time aside to:

• List school productions, projects, and enrichment work you have done
• Collate your CPD and certificates
• Collect examples of student success or feedback
• Reflect on your leadership qualities and what kind of department you’d love to build or be part of
• Identify specific new courses or skills that you’d like to gain

4. Admin prep – boring, but brilliant

Taking a bit of time to update your admin systems now can make a big difference come September. Even simple tasks – like reorganising your resource folders or reviewing your tech kit – can create a sense of calm before the summer break.

Think about:

• What’s working and what isn’t?
• What is redundant and needs to be thrown out?
• What new systems could you introduce?
• Who else can help?

Set time aside to:

• Audit props, costumes, lighting and AV equipment
• Review your curriculum map and assessment trackers
• Organise your digital files so they’re easy to find next year
• Sort your resources by year group or play or work scheme and clearly label them
• Research useful planning tools (see end of this document) that can help you work smarter, not harder

5. Transition and taster sessions

If you’re welcoming a new Year 7 intake – or reaching out to local primary schools – this term is a great chance to build relationships and excitement for the subject early on.

Think about:

• What are you planning for the new intake come September?
• Is there anything you can do this term that could smooth the process out?
• Do you have any performances that you could invite the incoming parents to see?

Set time aside to:

• Run a short drama session for your incoming students, such as a drama club
• Share a welcome letter or postcard from the department
• Create a noticeboard or social post that highlights drama’s role in your school
• Send out flyers/invites to upcoming performances

6. End-of-year performances and celebrations

This term often brings summer productions, showcases and celebration evenings. These events can be hectic to organise but they’re powerful for building community, confidence and visibility for your subject.

Think about:

• Is everything organised for the show: rehearsals, transport, props, set, costumes, lighting, sound, FOH, chaperones, dressing rooms, permissions, rights and licences…?
• Consider filming or photographing the event for your archive
• How can students get involved in staging, tech or front of house?

Set time aside to:

• Hold regular production meetings to check the progress of each department
• Regularly check on the budget and ticket sales
• Confirm any additional rehearsals needed
• Confirm all staff know when and where they are needed and their roles
• Get DBS checks for any volunteers
• Check on your marketing and promotional activities
• Invite parents, SLT or feeder schools to share the celebration
• Have a plan for get-in, show week and get-out, returning props/set etc.
• Have a contingency plan in the event of emergencies e.g. power cuts

7. Year 10 practicals and prep for Year 11

If your Year 10s are heading into their final year, now’s the moment to give them a solid foundation. Creating performance opportunities now can boost their confidence and give you a clearer sense of where they are.

Think about:

• Things you can do to help the year 10s transition to year 11
• Planning for any performances and upcoming exams

Set time aside to:

• Gather feedback from students to help them reflect on their growth
• Start experimenting with groupings or material for next year’s assessments
• Ensure all students are aware of any performance exam dates and confirm in writing to parents/school newsletter
• Confirm what is acceptable for costumes and props
• Have a contingency plan in the event of emergencies

8. Celebrating your drama students’ achievements

Drama is personal – your students often bring their whole selves to the work. Take time to acknowledge that, and celebrate them not just for their results but for their courage, creativity and progress.

Think about:

• Who you’d like to recognise – students and staff, individuals or whole classes
• Will this be a formal or informal setting?
• Prizes or rewards

Set time aside to:

• Confirm awards and winners
• Organise an event in person or virtually such as a day-trip out, an award ceremony or an online announcement
• Write a few short notes of appreciation or details of their contributions
• Notify the school newspaper after the winners are announced
• Write a press release for your local community
• Build a memory board or end-of-year gallery of favourite moments

9. Add your own specifics

Every drama department is different – and so is every teacher. Use this space to jot down the bits that matter most in your world right now.

Think about:

• Things that are specific to you, your role or your department
• Things you want to achieve in your personal and professional life
• Any big deadlines or showcase dates?
• Trips, events or CPD you’re planning?
• Personal or departmental goals for next year?

Set time aside to:

• Write your ideas down in a systematic way
• Look into planning tools to help

10. Set time aside to reflect

It’s easy to be so focused on the to-do list that we forget to honour how much we’ve already done. This term, try carving out time – even just ten minutes – to reflect on your personal highlights and challenges.

Think about:

• Planning time to relax, such as a holiday
• What’s been your proudest moment this year?
• What have you learned about teaching or yourself?
• What would you love to do more (or less) of next year?

Set time aside to:

• Celebrate with friends and colleagues
• Reward yourself for your hard work and effort
• Remind yourself you have done well

Helpful tools for planning and scheduling

Every drama teacher has their own way of staying organised – some swear by highlighters and sticky notes, others love a colour-coded planner. But if you’re looking to streamline your workflow or keep track of longer-term goals, there are some excellent free digital tools that can support your planning, whether you’re at your desk or on the move.

Here are a few favourites to explore:

🔹 Trello
Trello works like a digital corkboard, where you can create “cards” for each task or idea and move them through columns such as To Do, In Progress, and Done. It’s perfect for visual thinkers and can be used to map out rehearsal schedules, curriculum planning, props lists – even whole-school productions. You can also add attachments, checklists, and deadlines to each card.

🔹 Notion
Notion is a powerful, all-in-one workspace that lets you build your own dashboards, calendars, databases and notes. It takes a little bit of setup, but once you get the hang of it, it’s incredibly versatile. You could use Notion to plan lessons, store links to drama resources, or keep a journal of teaching reflections throughout the year.

🔹 Google Keep or Google Tasks
If you prefer simplicity, Google Keep and Google Tasks are excellent options for jotting down quick reminders, lesson tweaks, or last-minute ideas. They sync easily across devices, so you can check your list while queuing for coffee or waiting for your Year 10s to arrive.

We’re currently testing a few of these tools ourselves and may share a full guide (with some affiliate links) in future posts. If you’d like to stay in the loop or receive planning templates straight to your inbox, be sure to join our mailing list.

✨ The right tool doesn’t just save time – it helps free up your mental space so your creativity and passion can shine.

Download our free checklist

We’ve created a downloadable checklist based on this post that you can download here:

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