IELTS Preparation · Curriculum Design
Example Scheme of Work: 6-Week Intensive IELTS 7.0 Syllabus
A generic syllabus is an admission of failure. If an IELTS course promises that every student will march through the exact same textbook page-by-page across six weeks, run in the opposite direction.
In eighteen years of preparing candidates—including fifteen years lecturing at Belfast Metropolitan College—I have never taught two students the same way. A doctor who speaks fluent, idiomatic English at work needs something entirely different from a postgraduate researcher whose grammar is meticulous but whose essays are flat and monotonous.
Below is an authentic scheme of work from my curriculum: an intensive six-week sprint (twelve 1-to-1 lessons, two per week) designed to push a stalled 6.0 or 6.5 candidate firmly past the Band 7.0 threshold, focusing ruthlessly on the two areas where marks are won and lost: Writing Task 2 and Speaking Part 3.
Download the Full 3-Page Syllabus (PDF)
Complete breakdown including weekly theory, practical output drills, and homework schedules.
The Flipped Classroom Principle: No Passive Time-Wasting
If you are paying a tutor to sit silently across from you while you read a 900-word passage about honeybees or listen to an audio track, you are burning your tuition money. When you have six to eight weeks before test day, general English lessons cannot move the needle.
My courses run on an uncompromising flipped-mastery principle:
- Live 1-on-1 Sessions (2 hours per week): Reserved purely for high-stakes active output and real-time correction. We pull apart unseen prompts, perform live red-pen mark-ups on your paragraphs, and run high-tempo Speaking Part 3 drills until your analytical reasoning becomes second nature.
- Strict At-Home Regimen: Reading and Listening papers are completed strictly at home under exam timer conditions using official Cambridge IELTS Academic Practice Tests (Books 16–19). You score them yourself, diagnose your error patterns, and bring only your unsolved queries to our desk. Writing Task 1 reports are reviewed asynchronously with detailed annotated feedback.
Band 6.0 vs Band 7.0: Where the Marks Are Won and Lost
Candidates stuck at Band 6.0 or 6.5 rarely have a vocabulary deficit. What keeps them trapped below the line is a cluster of unexamined habits: repeating personal anecdotes in speaking, writing flat, predictable sentences in essays, and leaning on clunky memorised templates:
| Criterion | Band 6.0 Plateau | Band 7.0 Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Writing Task Response | Lists multiple superficial ideas without deep elaboration; position is somewhat unclear or wavers. | Addresses all parts of the task with a sustained, clear position. Develops 2 main arguments deeply with logical explanations and concrete examples. |
| Writing Cohesion | Overuses mechanical linkers ("Firstly, Secondly, Furthermore, In a nutshell"); repetitive referencing. | Manages paragraph transitions flexibly; uses substitution and referencing without drawing undue attention to linking devices. |
| Speaking Fluency | Speaks at length but shows noticeable hesitation searching for words; answers in Part 3 remain personal anecdotes. | Speaks at length without noticeable effort. Moves effortlessly from personal stories to abstract societal analysis using the A.R.E.A. method. |
| Grammar & Accuracy | Attempts complex sentences, but frequent systematic errors occur (e.g. articles, prepositions, verb tense). | Produces a wide variety of complex sentence structures; achieves frequent error-free sentences. |
The 12-Lesson Course Architecture
Lesson 1: WT2 Core Structure & Introductions
Deconstruct the 4 grading criteria. Compare Band 6.0 vs 7.0 essays. Master the 4-minute introduction formula (Hook, Paraphrase, Thesis/Outline).
🎯 Output: 3 high-scoring introductions written in < 5 mins each.Lesson 2: Speaking Part 3 & The A.R.E.A. Framework
Moving from personal narrative to abstract societal discourse. Eliminating pauses using A.R.E.A. (Answer directly → Reason → Example → Alternative).
🎯 Output: 6 fluent, structured responses without trailing off.Lesson 3: WT2 Agree / Disagree Essays
Task Response mastery: building deep single-thread body paragraphs with the I-E-E-R flow (Idea → Explanation → Example → Result).
🎯 Output: 1 complete body paragraph co-written to Band 7.5 cohesion.Lesson 4: Speaking Part 3 · Comparing & Contrasting
Grammatical range upgrade: contrasting past eras with modern society and future projections ("Whereas in previous decades...").
🎯 Output: Rapid-fire drills contrasting demographics without hesitation.Lesson 5: WT2 "Discuss Both Views" Prompts
Strategic structuring for two-sided essays: managing counter-arguments in Body 1 and transitioning to your preferred argument in Body 2.
🎯 Output: Detailed outlines and bridging transitions for 2 complex prompts.Lesson 6: Speaking Part 3 · Handling the Unknown
High-level stall and hedge techniques when asked unexpected abstract topics. Modals of deduction and speculative language.
🎯 Output: Zero dead pauses when confronted with unforeseen questions.Lesson 7: WT2 Problem & Solution Essays
Cause-and-effect essays with high-yield Band 7 grammar: conditionals, cleft sentences, passive voice, and reduced relative clauses.
🎯 Output: Transforming basic draft sentences into cohesive C1 structures.Lesson 8: Speaking Part 3 · Upgrading Lexis
Eliminating "crutch" words (good, bad, a lot). Building personal banks of topic-specific C1 collocations and natural paraphrasing.
🎯 Output: Active deployment of 25 high-yield C1 academic collocations.Lesson 9: WT2 Two-Part & Direct Questions
Handling compound questions where candidates frequently miss half the prompt. Rapid 3-minute planning drill for equal weighting.
🎯 Output: Flawless outlining across 4 tricky compound test prompts.Lesson 10: Speaking Part 3 · 15-Minute Simulation
Continuous 15-minute Part 3 stamina drill with zero interruptions to pinpoint where composure begins to fray and syntax slips.
🎯 Output: Diagnosed linguistic stamina breakdown point and repair strategies.Lesson 11: WT2 40-Minute Simulation & Live Edit
You write an unseen Task 2 essay live under strict 40-minute conditions, followed immediately by a line-by-line red-pen mark-up at the desk.
🎯 Output: Full Band 7.0 standard essay completed in 40 minutes.Lesson 12: Full Speaking Mock & Test Routine
Strict 14-minute full Speaking mock (Parts 1, 2, and 3) under official Cambridge timing, complete criterion feedback, and test-morning routine.
🎯 Output: Final verified score benchmark and psychological readiness.How We Adapt the Plan to Your Profile
In your initial 30-minute diagnostic session (£35), we sit down and find out exactly why your score is stuck. Over the years, I have found that almost every plateaued candidate falls into one of two camps:
- Profile A: The Fluent but Unstructured Candidate. They speak with natural speed, read complex material at work, and possess a rich vocabulary—yet their writing sits at 6.5. Why? Because they don't answer every part of the prompt, their paragraphs drift into storytelling, or they run out of time. The remedy here is discipline: rigorous paragraph architecture, prompt deconstruction, and strict timing habits.
- Profile B: The Grammar-Conscious Candidate at the 6.0 Ceiling. They know the test format inside out, but their language is overly cautious and monotonous. Their writing relies on flat verb chains and basic "If" conditionals; their speaking is plagued by hesitant pauses while searching for "perfect" words. The remedy here is structural variety: cleft sentences, negative inversions, nominalisation, and learning to hedge naturally under exam pressure.
Next Steps
If your test date is looming and you need a calm, structured plan to secure your target score, the best place to start is with an honest diagnostic across the desk.