Schemes of Work for Kenyan Teachers: CBC and 8-4-4
A scheme of work is a teacher's plan for covering a subject over a term, week by week, drawn from the CBC curriculum design or the 8-4-4 syllabus. DARASA drafts one for the class and subject you choose, in CBC or 8-4-4 format, and you edit it and download it as a PDF.
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Key facts
- CBC format
- Strand, sub-strand, learning outcomes, key inquiry question, learning experiences, resources, assessment
- 8-4-4 format
- Topic and sub-topic
- Length
- You choose the number of weeks; the default is 12
- Curriculum data
- Official KICD strands where built in (selected learning areas from Pre-Primary to Grade 5); otherwise drafted from general curriculum knowledge, for you to check
- Output
- Edit any week, then download as a PDF. Drafting needs internet.
Last updated: 4 October 2026
What a scheme of work is, and why teachers prepare one
A scheme of work breaks a subject into what will be taught each week of a term. For CBC classes it follows the KICD curriculum design for the grade and subject; for 8-4-4 classes it follows the syllabus. It sits between the curriculum and your daily teaching: your lesson plans are drawn from it, and your record of work covered shows how closely you kept to it.
Teachers in Kenya are expected to keep professional documents, and the scheme of work is one of the main ones. TSC's teacher checklist for appraisal lists approved and updated schemes of work among the records a supervisor checks each term, alongside lesson plans, lesson notes and weekly records of work. Your head teacher will tell you exactly what your school requires.
What a CBC scheme of work usually includes
This is the layout most Kenyan schools use for CBC. Your school or sub-county may ask for a variation, so follow their template where there is one.
Week and lesson
When the content is taught: the week of the term and the lesson number within it.
Strand and sub-strand
The broad area and the specific part of it, taken from the KICD curriculum design.
Specific learning outcomes
What the learner should be able to do by the end of the lesson, written so you can check it.
Key inquiry question
The question that drives the lesson and gives learners something to investigate.
Learning experiences
What learners will actually do: activities, groups, practical work and discussion.
Learning resources
The materials the lesson needs, such as charts, counters, textbooks or digital tools.
Assessment methods
How you will check learning, such as oral questions, observation, a short exercise or a quiz.
Reflection
Many templates add a column for your notes on how the lesson went and what to change.
Example: part of a CBC scheme of work
A short sample for a Grade 4 Mathematics term, so you can see how the columns fit together. It is an illustration only: take the exact strand, sub-strand and outcomes for your grade and subject from the KICD curriculum design.
| Week · Lesson | Strand · Sub-strand | Specific learning outcome | Key inquiry question | Learning experiences | Resources | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · 1 | Numbers · Whole numbers | Read and write numbers in symbols and in words | Why do we need to write numbers in words? | In groups, learners read numbers from number cards and write them in words | Number cards, place value chart | Oral questions, written exercise |
| 1 · 2 | Numbers · Whole numbers | Identify the place value of digits in a number | How does the position of a digit change its value? | Learners use a place value chart to name the place value of each digit | Place value chart, counters | Observation, short quiz |
| 2 · 1 | Numbers · Addition | Add whole numbers in everyday situations | When do we add numbers in daily life? | Learners solve addition problems from shopping situations using counters | Counters, play money | Written exercise, observation |
Sample only. The wording is invented for illustration and is not taken from the KICD curriculum design.
CBC and 8-4-4 schemes of work compared
Both run week by week. The main differences are what the scheme is built from and how each lesson is described.
| CBC scheme of work | 8-4-4 scheme of work | |
|---|---|---|
| Built from | The KICD curriculum design for the grade and subject | The syllabus for the subject |
| Content organised by | Strand and sub-strand | Topic and sub-topic |
| Lesson goals | Specific learning outcomes, written as what the learner can do | Objectives for the lesson |
| Inquiry | A key inquiry question for each lesson | Not part of the usual format |
| Activities | Learning experiences, centred on what learners do | Teaching and learning activities |
| Assessment | Assessment methods planned for each lesson, in line with continuous assessment | Usually covered in a remarks or evaluation column |
General guidance on the usual formats. Schools can vary the columns, so use your school's template if it has one.
How to prepare a scheme of work, step by step
This works with any tool, on paper or on screen.
- 1
Start from the curriculum design or syllabus
Open the KICD curriculum design (CBC) or the syllabus (8-4-4) for your grade and subject. It tells you the strands or topics, the outcomes and, for CBC, the suggested number of lessons for each sub-strand.
- 2
Count your teaching weeks
Use the school calendar to count the real weeks in the term, then take out opening and closing weeks, exams, CATs and school activities.
- 3
Spread the sub-strands or topics across the weeks
Give each sub-strand or topic the number of lessons the design suggests, in a sensible order, and leave a little room for revision.
- 4
Write the outcomes and the key inquiry question
For each lesson, state what the learner should be able to do and, for CBC, the question that drives the lesson.
- 5
Plan the experiences, resources and assessment
Decide what learners will do, what you need to teach it, and how you will check that they learned it.
- 6
Review it as the term goes on
Compare the scheme with your record of work each week. If lessons were missed, adjust the weeks that follow instead of leaving the scheme out of date.
How to create a scheme of work in DARASA
- 1
Add your classes and subjects
Set up the classes you teach, with their subjects, in Classes.
- 2
Open the Planner
Go to Planner and choose Schemes of Work.
- 3
Choose class, subject, and weeks
DARASA drafts each week in the right format for the class: CBC or 8-4-4.
- 4
Edit and download
Change any week to suit your scheme, then download it as a PDF.
Common mistakes with schemes of work
Copying one from another school or year
Term dates, class sizes and resources differ. Use a copied scheme as a starting point, then adjust it to your own calendar.
Planning more weeks than you have
Forgetting exams, CATs, holidays and school activities leaves the last weeks of the scheme impossible to teach.
Vague outcomes
"Understand fractions" cannot be checked. An outcome you can see, such as "shade fractions of a shape", can.
Leaving assessment until the end
Planning how you will check learning in each lesson keeps assessment continuous, as CBC intends.
Never updating it
A scheme that no longer matches what you taught is of little use. Adjust it when lessons are missed or moved.
Ignoring the curriculum design
Strands, sub-strands and outcomes should come from the KICD design for your grade, not from memory.
Scheme of work, lesson plan or record of work?
A scheme of work covers a whole term, week by week. A lesson plan details a single lesson: the objectives, introduction, lesson development, conclusion, resources, and assignments. A record of work covered notes what you actually taught each week. DARASA has the scheme of work and the lesson plan in the Planner.
Where the content comes from
For learning areas where official KICD strand data is built in, DARASA drafts from the official strands and sub-strands. Today that covers selected learning areas from Pre-Primary to Grade 5. For other levels and subjects it drafts from general curriculum knowledge, so check it against your curriculum design before you use it.
Either way the scheme is a draft you control: every week can be edited before you download it.
On this page, the description of what a scheme of work includes and how it differs between CBC and 8-4-4 is general guidance on common formats, not an official KICD or TSC template. The worked example is invented for illustration.
Sources and where to check
For the official curriculum content, use the KICD curriculum designs. For record-keeping requirements, check with your head teacher and TSC.
- Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD)
Publishes the CBC curriculum designs by grade and subject: the strands, sub-strands, outcomes and suggested lessons.
- Teachers Service Commission (TSC)
Sets the professional standards and appraisal (TPAD) under which teachers keep records such as schemes of work.
- Education News Hub: TPAD teacher's checklist of professional documents
The supervisor checklist that lists approved and updated schemes of work, lesson plans and weekly records of work.
- Education News: 10 professional documents every teacher needs for effective CBE implementation
A Kenyan education news article describing the main teacher documents and how a scheme of work relates to the lesson plan.
- Education News: New CBE schemes of work mark a game changer in Senior School
Describes the elements of a CBE scheme of work, from week and lesson to reflection.
Common Questions
How do I create CBC schemes of work?
A scheme of work maps out a term week by week: the strand and sub-strand, specific learning outcomes, key inquiry question, learning experiences, resources, and assessment. In DARASA, choose the class and subject and the scheme-of-work tool drafts each week using KICD's official strands and sub-strands where they're available, which you can then review, edit, and download. 8-4-4 classes get schemes of work in the topic and sub-topic format.
What is included in the lesson planner?
Four tools in one place. Lesson plans: CBC plans use the strand, sub-strand, learning outcomes, and a key inquiry question, while 8-4-4 plans use topic and sub-topic, each with an introduction, lesson development, conclusion, resources, assignments, and a self-evaluation. Schemes of work: draft a term with AI from the official KICD strands where they are available, then edit and download it as a PDF. A Monday-to-Friday weekly timetable. And a school calendar for term dates, national exams, activities, and holidays. You can also upload lesson plans, timetables, or calendars you already have.
Which grades and levels does DARASA support?
DARASA has 16 levels built in: Pre-Primary 1 and 2, Grades 1 to 12 for CBC, and Forms 3 and 4 for the 8-4-4 classes still running. When you create a class you pick its level, and DARASA sets CBC or 8-4-4 for you. Official KICD strand and sub-strand data is built in for selected learning areas from Pre-Primary to Grade 5. For other levels DARASA drafts lesson plans and schemes of work with AI, which you review and adjust.
Does DARASA support both CBC and 8-4-4?
Yes. You can mark each class as CBC or 8-4-4, from pre-primary to Form 4, and DARASA grades, plans, and reports for that class accordingly. CBC classes are graded by strand and sub-strand, and 8-4-4 classes by subject and exam score. Lesson plans and schemes of work follow the same split: CBC uses strands, sub-strands, and key inquiry questions, while 8-4-4 uses topics and sub-topics. Many schools are running both until the last 8-4-4 cohorts finish Form Four, so you can teach both in one account.
Does DARASA work offline?
Yes, once DARASA is open. Your changes are saved on your device first and sync to the cloud automatically when you're back online, so a dropped signal doesn't cost you your work. Open DARASA while you have a connection, then keep going. You do need internet to sign in, to sync across devices, and for the AI tools such as the marking scheme generator and schemes of work.
What is a scheme of work?
A scheme of work is a teacher's plan for covering a subject over a term, week by week. It breaks the CBC curriculum design or the 8-4-4 syllabus into weekly teaching, and your lesson plans are drawn from it.
What does a CBC scheme of work include?
A CBC scheme of work usually lists, for each week and lesson, the strand and sub-strand, specific learning outcomes, key inquiry question, learning experiences, learning resources and assessment methods, and often a reflection column. Schools can vary the layout, so check your school's template.
Is a scheme of work the same as a lesson plan?
No. A scheme of work covers a whole term, while a lesson plan details one lesson. Lesson plans are drawn from the scheme of work.
How is a CBC scheme of work different from an 8-4-4 scheme of work?
A CBC scheme is organised by strand and sub-strand and states specific learning outcomes and a key inquiry question for each lesson. An 8-4-4 scheme is organised by topic and sub-topic with objectives. Both run week by week.
Do teachers have to prepare a scheme of work?
Yes. Teachers in Kenya are expected to keep an approved, updated scheme of work for each subject they teach, and TSC's teacher checklist lists it among the records supervisors check each term. Your head teacher can confirm your school's exact requirements.
Can I use a DARASA scheme of work without checking it?
No. DARASA's scheme of work is a draft. Where official KICD strands are built in it drafts from them, and for other levels and subjects it drafts from general curriculum knowledge, so check it against your curriculum design before you use it.
How many weeks can a scheme of work cover?
You choose the number of weeks when you generate it; the default is 12. You can then edit any week.
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