Suggestions for application development method

[eluser]jedd[/eluser]
I think you should read [url="/wiki/Header_and_Footer_and_Menu_on_every_page_-_jedd/"]this wiki page[/url]. I think it's a neater approach to the one you're using here, and might answer some of the other questions you have (or are about to have).

Note that template isn't quite a reserved word, but has certain specific meanings to different people in the CI context.