Non-Chronological Report Planner

Learning objectives

• Understand the sub-headed, non-chronological structure of report writing
• Organise research notes under relevant section headings
• Avoid repetition by assigning each fact to a single section
• Plan an introduction and a concluding summary before writing
• Practise selecting relevant information and discarding irrelevant facts
• Develop cross-curricular non-fiction writing skills

How to use this template

1. Download and print the free Non-Chronological Report Planner and write a topic heading at the top of the page.
2. Label each sub-heading box before researching — typical sections include Introduction, Appearance, Habitat, Diet, Behaviour, and Interesting Facts, but any topic-relevant headings work.
3. Research the topic (books, videos, websites) and drop bullet-point notes into the matching box as you go — one fact per bullet.
4. Check each box has enough points for a paragraph; move any repeated facts to the most appropriate section.
5. Use the completed planner to write the report, turning each bullet into a full sentence and each box into a paragraph.

Classroom & home ideas

• Pair with a class topic on animals: every student plans a report on a different creature, then the completed planners are displayed as a class reference wall.
• Use during a geography unit — students plan a country report with sections for location, climate, landscape, culture, and food.
• Introduce the template to year 2 students with two or three large boxes and build up to five or six boxes for older year groups.
• Run a jigsaw research activity: groups each complete one section box for the same topic, then combine their planners into one whole-class report.
• Ask students to compare their completed planner with a published information book to evaluate which sub-headings they chose well and which they missed.

Skills & curriculum links

Frequently asked questions