I am a new primary teacher and am really worried about planning. The schemes of work I have been given have not been revised to the new national curriculum.

Don’t panic. Ask if the schemes you have been given are the school’s most recent. If they have not been revised, ask when this will happen and what you should do in the meantime.

It’s probably best to use what you have, but check it with the new national curriculum (www.nc.uk.net) or phone 01787 884444 if you haven’t got a copy.

Don’t plan too far in advance. You are bound to need to alter things when you know the pupils better. Don’t spend time planning for things which might change - concentrate on what will definitely be useful. Make sure you are clear about what planning is expected of you and how it is monitored, though as a ne teacher you will probably need to plan in more detail.

Set up systems such as lesson plan formats and gather resources. Concentrate on planning the first couple of weeks in detail.

Remember to focus your attention on setting up the room, getting the pupils to bond, routines, organisation and behaviour management.

You also need to get a good picture of what pupils can and can’t do - they might have regressed over the holidays. You need to have these measures in place so that you can teach effectively. This will necessitate activities that demand less high-stress teaching input.

Try to do things with the pupils such as writing class rules and a quiz about resources and procedures. Then you can concentrate on the curriculum.

Email your questions to: friday@tes.co.ukSara Bubb cannot enter into personal correspondence