Introduction to Planner

Microsoft Planner inside Teams gives school staff one place to organise tasks, projects, and responsibilities without switching between apps. Instead of juggling emails, lists, and reminders, Planner brings everything together so you can see what needs doing, who is responsible, and when it is due.

This learning trunk will guide you through how Planner works and how to use it in a real school context. You will see how to create plans, assign tasks, track progress, and keep teams aligned. Whether you are managing classroom projects, leadership actions, or school improvement tasks, Planner helps keep everything visible and manageable.

How to use the Spongy Elephant interface

Spongy Elephant learning trunks are designed to be simple and structured:

• Start with the introduction to understand the purpose
• Watch the video walkthroughs
• Download any practical resources – look out for the “Extra Resources” button in the panel on the right!

You can complete sections in order or jump straight to what you need.

Why this matters for schools

Planner is not just a task list. It is a shared visibility tool. When used well, it can:

• reduce email overload
• clarify responsibilities
• improve accountability
• support leadership tracking
• streamline project management

For busy school environments, that means less confusion and more time focused on teaching and learning.