A realistic first-term pacing guide does not aim to cover one quarter of the syllabus simply because one quarter of the calendar has passed. It converts actual September-November teaching time into a sequence that establishes routines, develops foundational knowledge, introduces assessed skills, and leaves room for adjustment.
For most IB Diploma Programme teachers, a strong first term includes one substantial foundation unit, one connected application unit, repeated formative assessment, and an introduction to coursework skills. Exact content varies by subject, but the planning method is consistent.
Start with usable teaching time
The IB recommends 150 teaching hours for SL courses and 240 hours for HL courses across the programme. These are whole-course recommendations, not instructions to complete a fixed percentage by November. The official DP curriculum overview also distinguishes HL from SL by scope and depth, so HL planning should not simply add homework to an SL sequence.
Count scheduled contact time, then subtract lessons likely to be affected by orientation, assemblies, holidays, reporting, trips, testing, and other predictable interruptions. One practical calculation is:
The 0.85 factor is planning advice, not an IB rule. It provides a 15% buffer for interruptions, feedback, reteaching, and lessons that take longer than expected. A class meeting four times weekly for 55 minutes across 11 weeks appears to have about 40 hours, but a realistic planning total is closer to 34 hours.
What September-December should accomplish
The first term must establish more than content coverage. Students need to understand how knowledge is used, communicated, and assessed in their subject.
By the end of November, students should normally have:
-
learned a coherent body of foundational content
-
practised an important assessment response type several times
-
received and applied subject-specific feedback
-
completed a short timed task under controlled conditions
-
encountered the purpose and structure of coursework or the internal assessment
-
developed routines for retrieval, note management, data handling, reading, or source evaluation
-
produced evidence that helps the teacher adjust the next unit
This reflects the principle that teaching should be informed by assessment. The IB’s assessment principles describe formative assessment as ongoing assessment used to guide teaching and improve performance. A pacing guide therefore needs decision points, not only completion dates.
A realistic 11-week first-term model
This framework suits many Year 1 classes beginning in September. Teachers with shorter terms can combine adjacent phases. Year 2 teachers should place greater emphasis on retrieval, coursework milestones, and cumulative assessment.
| Weeks | Main purpose | Typical work and evidence |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Establish the baseline | Orientation, prerequisite diagnostic, first concepts, and modelling of one assessed skill |
| 3-4 | Build foundations | Explicit teaching, guided practice, retrieval, discussion, practical work, or text analysis |
| 5-6 | Apply learning | Unfamiliar contexts, structured writing, independent questions, and a marked formative task |
| 7 | Consolidate and adjust | Reteaching, differentiated practice, extension, reflection, and retesting |
| 8-9 | Develop a connected unit | New content linked to earlier foundations, reduced scaffolding, and coursework skill practice |
| 10 | Integrate | Mixed-topic practice and a short timed assessment |
| 11 | Review and replan | Corrections, self-assessment, coverage audit, and priorities for the next term |
Protecting Week 7 for adjustment matters. If every week contains new syllabus content, the guide assumes students will understand everything on the first attempt. That is rarely realistic when students enter the DP from different prior curricula.
Adapt the model to your subject
A general framework becomes useful only when translated into the way learning develops within a discipline.
| Subject type | Sensible first-term emphasis | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | Prerequisite fluency, notation, reasoning, calculator use, and multi-step problems | Racing through topics without cumulative problem-solving |
| Sciences | Core concepts, data processing, uncertainty, practical routines, and evidence-based explanation | Separating practical skills from theory |
| Individuals and societies | Concepts, case studies, source use, command terms, and analytical writing | Delaying analysis until large amounts of content are taught |
| Language and literature | Close analysis, annotation, discussion, comparison, and structured commentary | Making the first assessment the first formal analysis |
| Language acquisition | Frequent receptive and productive practice across prescribed themes | Teaching skills and grammar as isolated blocks |
| Arts | Process documentation, experimentation, reflection, and technical foundations | Assessing progress only through polished products |
Sequence content according to dependency, not simply the order in a guide. Mathematics and science methods may rely directly on earlier concepts. Humanities and language students need repeated practice with evidence, interpretation, organization, and evaluation before extended responses.
Teachers should also confirm that they are using the guide for the correct examination session. Subjects change on different schedules, recorded through official IB curriculum updates.
Build assessment into the pace
Use a short diagnostic check during the opening two weeks to identify prerequisite gaps. It should answer a specific instructional question, such as whether students can manipulate algebra, interpret sources, process data, or construct an analytical paragraph.
Schedule a meaningful formative checkpoint every 2-3 weeks. Each checkpoint should produce an action: reteaching, different practice, correction, or reduced scaffolding. RevisionDojo’s guide to meaningful formative assessment explains this cycle.
By November, students should also complete one cumulative task combining content and assessed skills from several weeks. This need not be a full examination paper. A 25-minute data response, essay section, oral response, problem set, or practical analysis may provide more useful evidence.
The IB uses internal and external components, as summarized in its DP assessment overview. First-term teaching should prepare students for the thinking these components require without turning every lesson into examination rehearsal.
Introduce coursework carefully
Students should understand the purpose and broad structure of the internal assessment during the first term, but they do not necessarily need to begin the final product. Premature topic selection can produce weak questions because students lack sufficient subject knowledge or methodological judgment.
Instead, teachers can show an appropriate sample, unpack relevant criteria, practise one component through normal unit content, and discuss suitable questions or methods. Students may record possible interests without making a final commitment.
Recognize an overloaded pacing guide
Revise a guide if every lesson introduces new content, assessment dates have no feedback lessons, or SL and HL receive identical allocations. Other warnings include treating practical work or writing as optional, presenting coursework only as a deadline, and measuring coverage by slides delivered rather than student performance.
Label outcomes as essential, flexible, or movable. This protects foundational understanding when interruptions occur and prevents a date chosen months earlier from overriding current evidence.
Make weekly planning sustainable
The term overview should guide weekly decisions rather than dictate every lesson. A sustainable rhythm includes concept development, modelling, guided application, independent practice, and a brief retrieval or assessment check.
RevisionDojo’s IB teaching guide offers practical planning principles. Teachers can also use IB subject resources, Questionbank and teacher workflows, and guidance on using mock exams effectively. Early in Year 1, focused mini-mocks are usually more useful than complete papers.
Conclusion
A realistic first-term pacing guide protects depth, feedback, and adjustment instead of maximizing topics mentioned before December. Calculate usable hours, sequence learning by dependency, teach assessed skills early, and reserve time to act on evidence.
By November, students should have secure foundations, clear routines, and experience applying feedback. RevisionDojo Study Notes, the Questionbank, Jojo AI, and short teacher-built assessments can support this structure when they inform the next teaching decision rather than add workload.