Free CBC Lesson Plan Template (KICD Format · Editable Word Download · 2026)

Free, no-strings-attached, KICD-format CBC lesson plan template in Microsoft Word. Built from the same engine that powers our 91 paid Term 2 packs — same eleven sections, same KICD layout, but empty so you fill it with your own content. Drop in your email below and the editable .docx lands in your inbox.

What's inside the template

The free template has the exact structure of every paid pack on the lesson plans hub. Just empty for you to fill in:

1. Branded cover page with placeholder fields for school, teacher, grade, term, year, enrolment.
2. Reference materials list — KICD curriculum design, learner's book, teacher's guide.
3. Empty Scheme of Work table with all nine KICD columns: Week · Lesson · Strand · Sub-strand · SLOs · Key Inquiry · Learning Experiences · Learning Resources · Assessment · Reflection.
4. One complete empty Lesson Plan with all eleven required sections — header block, strand, sub-strand, SLOs (a/b/c), key inquiry question, core competencies, values, PCIs, learning resources, organisation of learning (5-step time-allocated structure), and the reflection field.
5. Inline guidance — every placeholder includes a tiny tip ("action verb + observable outcome", "open-ended question, ties to SLOs") so you write SLOs and KIQs that pass HoD inspection on the first try.

Why an empty template instead of a free pre-filled plan

Pre-filled free lesson plans look helpful but break in three ways:

1. They're someone else's school name. You can't easily change a PDF.
2. They're for a topic that may not match your scheme.
3. They've been downloaded by hundreds of teachers — your HoD has probably seen the exact same plan five times.

An empty template gives you the right structure and lets you fill it with content that's true to your class, your learners, and your sub-county's pacing. It's the right tool when you have an hour to plan and want to do it once well.

If you don't have an hour — get a pre-written pack instead

If filling 36 lesson plans for the term feels like too much (because, realistically, it is — that's why most teachers reuse last year's), our paid Term 2 packs do that work for you. Same KICD format, professionally written, fully editable so you only personalise the header. KSH 300 per learning area until 7 June 2026 (launch offer; was KSH 500).

👉 Browse all 91 Term 2 lesson plan packs

How to use the template once you've downloaded it

1. Open in Word (or Google Docs, or LibreOffice — all three work).
2. Fill the cover header: school name, your name, your TSC number, grade, term, year, enrolment.
3. Open your KICD curriculum design on your laptop or phone, side-by-side. Copy the strand and sub-strand verbatim. Don't paraphrase the SLOs — copy them word-for-word.
4. Write the Key Inquiry Question as an open question (not yes/no, not an instruction). Examples in our KICD lesson plan format guide.
5. Pick 2-3 core competencies the lesson genuinely develops. Don't list all seven.
6. Plan the 5-step organisation: introduction → 4 lesson development steps → conclusion. The template comes with time allocations (5+7+8+8+5+2 = 35 min). Keep them.
7. Print and teach. Fill the reflection field after the lesson — even one sentence. HoDs and QASOs check that field specifically.

What happens after you grab the template

You join our (small, polite) email list. About once a fortnight we send a useful resource — a sample lesson plan, a Term 2 calendar reminder, an exam prep tip. Unsubscribe in one click whenever you like. We don't sell or share emails. That's it.

Related guides

• KICD Lesson Plan Format 2026 — The Exact Template + Sample
• CBC Lesson Plans Kenya 2026 — Free Samples + Editable Packs
• Term 2 Lesson Plans 2026 — Editable Word Packs
• Lesson Plan vs Lesson Notes vs Scheme of Work

KICD 2024 Format Updates — What Changed In The Lesson Plan Template

KICD released a rationalised set of curriculum designs in 2024 and the lesson plan template that ships with them has three small but important changes from the 2018-2022 format that many teachers are still using. The first is the renaming of the "core competencies" row — the original seven competencies remain (communication and collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving, creativity and imagination, citizenship, digital literacy, learning to learn, self-efficacy) but the template now asks you to name the specific competency being developed in this single lesson rather than listing all seven. The second change is the explicit "Pertinent and Contemporary Issues (PCI)" row, which used to live under values; it now sits as its own row and must reference one of the PCIs from the KICD list (health education, life skills, citizenship, ESD, financial literacy, animal welfare, safety and security, etc.) tied to that day's strand. The third change is the addition of a "Reflection on the lesson" row at the bottom, which teachers now complete after delivery — this is the section TPAD assessors look at when reviewing teaching practice.

Our free template has been updated for all three changes so it matches what a head teacher or TSC sub-county director expects to see when they request a sample plan during a school visit. If you downloaded an earlier version, grab the updated file from the same link below — the slug is unchanged so the download URL still works.

CBE Lesson Plan Template — Same Template, New Name

You may have noticed teachers and KICD documents starting to use the term "CBE" (Competency-Based Education) instead of "CBC" (Competency-Based Curriculum) from 2024 onwards. There is no structural difference between a CBC lesson plan and a CBE lesson plan — the curriculum content, the strands and sub-strands, the assessment levels (BE, AE, ME, EE), and the lesson plan format are all identical. The only change is the name of the system itself, reflecting that the Ministry of Education wants the public discourse to centre on the education being delivered (CBE) rather than the curriculum being the headline (CBC). If you are searching for "CBE lesson plan template Kenya" or being asked by your TSC office to submit a "CBE lesson plan" sample, the template on this page is exactly what you need — it works for either name and will continue to work as the terminology settles. For background on the rename, our explainer CBC vs CBE — why Kenya renamed the curriculum in 2026 covers what the change means for parents and teachers in practice.