Congratulations! You’ve secured your first teaching post and September is fast approaching. Between safeguarding training, classroom décor and learning 200 new names, the last thing you need is sleepless nights spent writing lesson plans from scratch.
Enter Lesson Deck. Built in the UK by former teachers, this AI-powered platform creates fully differentiated, curriculum-aligned lesson plans (with resources!) in minutes. Below we’ll show you exactly how Lesson Deck can transform your planning routine—and your work-life balance—from day one.
The Reality Check: Why New Teachers Feel the Crunch
- You’ll spend an average of 6–10 hours a week planning during your NQT year (DfE, 2023).
• OFSTED looks for clear curriculum intent, adaptive teaching and evidence of assessment—all of which have to appear in your plans.
• The first term sets the tone with parents, mentors and, most importantly, pupils.
Time is precious, accuracy is vital and burnout is real. That’s why smart tools matter.
What Is Lesson Deck?
Lesson Deck is an online lesson-planning assistant that combines large-language-model technology with the entire UK National Curriculum and major exam-board specifications. It:
- Asks you a few quick questions (year group, topic, learning objectives, student needs).
- Generates a complete 60-minute lesson plan in seconds.
- Adds starter activities, main tasks, plenaries, assessment questions, homework and extension ideas.
- Supplies downloadable worksheets, slides and model answers.
- Lets you tweak tone, pitch or length instantly.
10 Reasons NQTs Love Lesson Deck
- Cuts planning time in half – reclaim your evenings.
- Curriculum perfect – built-in references to KS1-KS4 programmes of study, GCSE specs and OFSTED’s EIF.
- Differentiation done for you – stretch tasks, scaffolds and SEND strategies.
- Embedded assessment – hinge questions and retrieval practice included automatically.
- Resource library – one-click export of slides, worksheets and model answers (Word, PDF, PowerPoint, Google formats).
- Consistency – every plan follows a clear, mentor-friendly structure (intent-implementation-impact).
- Rapid edits – adjust for mixed ability, shorter periods or remote learning with a toggle.
- Cross-curricular links – generates literacy/numeracy ties to impress SLT.
- Cloud based – nothing to install; works on school or personal device.
- Free starter tier – your induction year budget stays intact.
Walk-Through: Planning a Year-8 Science Lesson in 90 Seconds
- Sign up at Lesson Deck.
- Choose subject “Science – KS3”.
- Type topic: “Sound waves”.
- Select objectives: “Explain how sound travels; interpret wave diagrams”.
- Tick class needs: “25 % EAL, one visually impaired student, high prior attainment group”.
- Hit Generate.
Lesson Deck outputs:
- Clear Learning Intentions linked to KS3 Physics PoS.
• 5-min retrieval starter with low-stakes quiz.
• Engaging .
• Worksheet
• Exit ticket
• Homework
Need it shorter for a 50-minute period? Select required minutes and the AI revises timings automatically.
Aligning With UK Policies & OFSTED
Lesson Deck’s templates embed:
- Key vocabulary, literacy strategies and links to subject-specific reading.
• Cross-curricular maths where appropriate.
• Adaptive teaching notes referencing the SEND Code of Practice (2015).
• “Why this, why now?” curriculum narrative for your mentor folder.
During an observation, simply open the PDF or share the live link—inspectors see every strand of ‘Intent, Implementation, Impact’ at a glance.
From Surviving to Thriving: A Real NQT Story
“Using LessonDeck.ai freed up 7 hours a week. That meant more formative marking and, honestly, more sleep. My mentor loved the clear differentiation and I sailed through my first formal observation.”
— Tariq, NQT Maths, West Midlands
Ready to Get Started?
- Visit LessonDeck.ai.
- Create your free account.
- Generate your first lesson in under a minute.
- Share your feedback.
Start September ahead of the game—because your energy belongs in the classroom, not behind a laptop at 11 pm.
Quick Links
- Sign up: Lesson Deck