Substitute Teacher Plan

Hand your class over with confidence

When you are out unexpectedly, a good substitute plan is the difference between a smooth day and a chaotic one. This generator builds a tidy one-page hand-off form covering the four things every cover teacher needs: the day's schedule, what to teach, how the room runs, and who to ask for help. Fill it in by hand or print a stack of blanks to keep in your desk drawer for emergencies.

The layout is deliberately compact so the whole plan fits on a single page that the cover teacher can keep in view all day.

What's on the plan

• Daily schedule table — a time column and a lesson/activity column with 3 to 10 rows.
• Lesson notes — a ruled box for instructions, page numbers, and what to set if you run short.
• Classroom routines — register, breaks, behaviour expectations, and the fire-drill plan.
• Key contacts — a reliable pupil, the next-door teacher, and the office or emergency number.

What you can customise

• Schedule rows — match the number of periods in your day.
• Routines box — show or hide it depending on how much detail you need.
• Key contacts — include the three-column contacts panel or leave it off.
• Name & date — add teacher and date fields at the top.
• Title — rename it for your school or key stage.

How to use it

1. Set the number of schedule rows and toggle the routines and contacts sections.
2. Add Name & Date fields if you want them.
3. Preview the live PDF to check the layout.
4. Download or print on A4 or US Letter and complete it before you leave — or keep blank copies ready for unplanned absences.

Tips for a smooth cover day

Keep the lesson notes specific but realistic: a cover teacher may not know your routines, so spell out the parts pupils could otherwise talk their way around. Name a sensible, reliable pupil in the contacts box, and always list the next-door teacher and the office number. Pair the plan with a clearly labelled tray of resources so the substitute can find everything without hunting.