What is a plenary?

The role of plenaries is, in many respects, similar to that of starters: plenaries conclude the lesson in a calm, settled manner, link what has been learned with forthcoming lessons and reinforce key concepts or vocabulary from the main body of the lesson. Indeed, most of the activities within this resource are equally suitable as starters or plenaries.

The DfES offers the following advice about plenaries:

‘The final plenary [...] helps pupils to focus on the most important rather than the most recent points that they have learned and the progress they have made. It should aim to refocus pupils on the objectives that have featured in the lesson. It is also a time to look back and look forward and to relate work in the lesson to other work. For the teacher, the plenary is an opportunity to assess learning and plan accordingly.

Plenaries are also useful part way through a lesson: staging posts when the teacher draws the class together, crystallises understanding and directs the class to the next phase of work. Plenaries will vary in length, two minutes on one day, 20 minutes on another, depending on the style and format of what the teacher has planned.’

Key Stage 3 Strategy, Foundation Subjects: ‘The Plenary’, DfES 0192/2002

There are two main pitfalls to avoid with plenaries. First, plenaries are often forgotten about until the final minute or two of the lesson, as students are getting ready to leave. It is important that sufficient time is given to reflecting on what has been achieved, embedding learning and looking forward to the next lesson. Second, the plenary should not always simply be an opportunity to discuss what students have done during the lesson. Like starters, plenaries work well if students are on-task and interacting. A plenary could require students to create, discuss, do, draw, listen or write about their learning.