Building the timetable

The timetable tells every teacher and student where they should be, period by period. You build it once per session, then adjust it as staff change. Teachers and students see the result under Timetable in their own portals.

Before you start

• Classes, sections and subjects must already exist, and subjects should have teachers.
• You need access to the Timetable menu. If you do not see this option, it may not be included in your plan or your role may not have permission; ask your administrator.
• Decide your school day first: start time, period length, the gap between periods and where breaks fall.

Steps

1. Set the number of periods

1. Go to Timetable > Settings.
2. Enter the Total Periods in your day and save.

2. Create the periods

1. Go to Timetable > Create.
2. Click Add Bulk Periods. This creates the full day for every class and day you pick, using the period count from settings.
3. Choose the classes and days, then enter the Start Time, Period Duration(in minutes), Period Gap(in minutes) and any Break Period(s).
4. Check the Preview schedule, then save. For a single extra period, use Add Period instead.

3. Assign teachers and subjects

1. Filter to a class and section to see its week.
2. Use Assign Period to a Teacher on a period. Choose the Subject and Teacher, and a room if you use them.
3. If that teacher is already teaching somewhere else at that time, you are warned about the clash and can decide whether to go ahead.

4. Or generate it

1. Use Auto-generate Timetable to fill a class from its subjects and teachers. Enter the Periods / week for each subject and choose Same every day or Vary by day.
2. Review the preview. Anything that needs a decision is listed under Things to decide, for example a subject with no teacher, or more periods asked for than the week has.
3. Click Create when you are happy with it.

Good to know

• Copy Timetable copies one class timetable to other classes with the same pattern, which saves a lot of typing for parallel sections.
• To change times later without rebuilding, use Change Period Timing. You can apply the new timing to the rest of the day.
• When a teacher is absent, record cover under Timetable > Substitutions rather than editing the main timetable.
• Elective subjects that only some students take are managed under Timetable > Electives.
• Timetable > Reports includes a clash report, and Analytics shows how teaching load is spread.

Common questions

Can one day be shorter than the others?
Yes. Create periods day by day, or adjust that day's timing after the bulk step.

Will teachers see changes straight away?
Yes. The staff and student portals show the current timetable.

For an overview, see Timetable.