Term 2 Scheme of Learning

Every teacher in Ghana knows the feeling. The energy of Term 1 has worn off, the novelty of a new academic year is long gone, and you are somewhere in the middle of the school calendar trying to keep learners engaged while the curriculum keeps moving. This is Term 2, and it is where the real work of teaching happens.

A well-prepared Scheme of Learning is what separates classrooms that drift through the middle of the year from classrooms that use it to build serious academic momentum.

Term 2 does not get the attention that Terms 1 and 3 receive in most conversations about the school year. But it is where most of the learning either happens or does not happen.

It is where habits are formed, where the curriculum either moves forward with purpose or stalls, and where the quality of a teacher’s planning shows most clearly in learner outcomes.

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Table of Contents

Understanding Where Term 2 Sits in the Year

Term 2 occupies a specific and important position in the Ghanaian basic school calendar. It comes after the foundation has been laid in Term 1 and before the consolidation and assessment pressure of Term 3. This makes it the term with the most instructional room to breathe, and also the term most vulnerable to poor pacing and lost time.

Many teachers find Term 2 difficult precisely because it lacks the urgency of Term 1 beginnings and Term 3 endings. Without that urgency, it is easy for weeks to pass without the kind of focused, purposeful teaching that moves learners forward. A properly prepared scheme forces that focus back into the term.

What the Curriculum Requires in Term 2

Under the NaCCA Standards-Based Curriculum, Term 2 content builds directly on what was introduced in Term 1. The strands and sub-strands covered in the second term are more advanced versions of what came before, which means that any gaps left unaddressed in Term 1 will show up as obstacles in Term 2 planning and delivery.

In Mathematics, Term 2 typically moves learners from basic number operations into fractions, measurement, and early algebraic thinking depending on the year group. In English Language, reading fluency and extended writing tasks take on greater emphasis. In Integrated Science, the curriculum shifts toward more investigative and analytical content. Across subjects, the learning indicators in Term 2 assume that Term 1 learning is in place.

This is why the Term 2 Scheme of Learning must begin with an honest look at where learners actually are, not just where the curriculum assumes they should be.

Starting the Term 2 Scheme

Before mapping out the content for Term 2, the most effective teachers take a brief but deliberate look back. What topics from Term 1 did most learners struggle with? Which learning indicators were only partially met? Were there weeks in Term 1 where teaching was disrupted and content was not properly covered?

The answers to these questions should shape the opening weeks of your Term 2 Scheme. Building in one or two consolidation lessons at the start of the term to close Term 1 gaps is not a sign of failure. It is good professional judgment. Learners who are still shaky on Term 1 content will not thrive in Term 2 if that shakiness is ignored.

Keeping Learners Engaged Through the Middle Term

One of the underappreciated roles of the Scheme of Learning is that it forces teachers to think about variety. When you are planning week by week and specifying resources and core competencies, you naturally begin to notice if you are teaching the same way every lesson. The scheme becomes a mirror for your instructional habits.

Term 2 is a good time to build in project tasks, peer learning activities, group work, and community-linked assignments. The Standards-Based Curriculum encourages learner-centered approaches, and Term 2 offers more time to attempt these than the pressured final weeks of Term 3 ever will.

Administrative and Professional Expectations

Your Term 2 Scheme of Learning will be reviewed by your headteacher and is subject to inspection by circuit supervisors and district education officers. Beyond the supervisory requirements, your scheme is a professional record of your instructional intentions for the term.

Keep it updated as the term progresses. If you deviate from your planned scheme because a topic needed more time or an unexpected school event disrupted a week, note the adjustment. A scheme that reflects what actually happened in your classroom is far more valuable professionally than one that looks perfect on paper but bears no resemblance to the reality of your teaching.