Timetabelling

So I finally finished my first timetable and today we ran a transition day. The purpose of the day was not just to check that all pupils, teachers and rooms were allocated correctly, but because our school is going through some rapid growth and now requires a shift from 1 hour long lessons down to 50minute lessons.

Very quickly in the day it was clear that there were not going to be any major errors. For this I have to thank Keith Johnson and his amazing TimeTabler piece of software. 

However, the day did allow for sometime of reflection by myself. I was able to get feedback from pupils and staff, because of this I thought to write down my ramblings so that I may look back on them next year and ensure that I can prepare with hindsight. 

1. Ensure at option time that any subjects that may require double lessons are paired for ease on the timetable.

2. Ensure that all part-time staffing are correct and percentages calculated and clear to all in advance. 

3. With having years 5 through to 11 and the 6th form coming online in 2015, allocation of year 5 & 6 teachers is critical. However, the tendency is to use them as a filler. Consider how this can be avoided. Realising that this may be hard to do, as the 6th form timetable will probably take priority.