ATP means Annual Teaching Plan. In South African schools it is the Department of Basic Education’s year sequence for a subject and grade: what to cover, and roughly when, so the CAPS content can be taught across the year.
It is not a lesson plan, and it is not a second CAPS document. CAPS says what the subject is. The ATP helps you pace that subject through the terms. This CAPS123 page explains the term and points to the official files. It is not an official Department of Basic Education publication.
If you need the official file now
Start on the DBE ATP index, then open your phase:
- DBE Annual Teaching Plans index
- Foundation Phase ATPs
- Intermediate Phase ATPs
- Senior Phase ATPs
- FET Phase ATPs
The official index is still titled for 2023/24. Circular S19 of 2025 retains the Grades R–12 2023/2024 ATPs with exclusions. Open the current official file for your subject. Do not assume a new 2026 rewrite, and check the exclusions on that official page before you treat a topic as required this year.
ATP, CAPS and the lesson plan
| Document | What it is for |
|---|---|
| CAPS | The subject policy: content, skills and assessment |
| ATP | The year’s teaching sequence for that subject and grade |
| Lesson plan | Your plan for a lesson, day or week, built from CAPS and the ATP |
See What is CAPS? if you need the subject policy first, and the CAPS terms glossary for short labels such as SBA, FAL and LoLT.
How to use an ATP this week
- Download the official ATP for your subject, grade and phase from the DBE links above.
- Find the current term and week, then read the topic, skills and any assessment note on that row.
- Check the subject CAPS, especially Section 3 for content and Section 4 for formal assessment.
- Write the lesson for your class. The ATP is a guide. School policy, language level and learner support still sit with you.
ATPs were revised during the COVID-19 recovery period. That history explains why the current official set is still the retained 2023/2024 plans. It is not a reason to treat every old recovery note as this year’s rule.
What this page does not do
- It does not list every subject file or every exclusion in Circular S19 of 2025. Those live on the official DBE pages.
- It does not turn an ATP into a timed script. Lesson length and daily activities are not fixed by this explainer.
- It does not replace the subject CAPS, the school’s assessment programme or a provincial instruction.
Related CAPS123 pages
- What is CAPS? The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement
- CAPS Terms Glossary for Teachers
- Foundation Phase ATP files on CAPS123
- Grade 7 ATP files on CAPS123
- CAPS123 ATP file list
Those CAPS123 file pages can help you browse. The official DBE index is the current source for which plan still applies.