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New To Timetabling?

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Testimonials

I can now create a better timetable in less time.Philip MoonHigh School of Glasgow, Scotland
Brilliant, easy to use, wonderfully supported by a highly knowledgeable team.Keith IrvineBishops’ Stortford College Herts
TimeTabler and Options have been fantastic tools.

John Ridley
Tanglin Trust,
Singapore
With TimeTabler, 3 days’ work can be carried out in minutes.Ian CrabbeMarlborough College, Wilts
I have been really impressed with the support that I have received.Anne HoldenPortland Central,Australia
I found TimeTabler much easier to use …Beth LedgerAmman Valley School,Wales
TimeTabler has continued to be great value for money.Danny KotelHenry Lawson High School,Australia
We thoroughly recommend all three products … they save us a great deal of time.Ted Fenton, David WilliamsCokethorpe School, Oxon
I can recommend TimeTabler and Options to anyone.John MackenzieDunalastair School,Chile
I thoroughly recommend TimeTabler to any school.Charles BrenanNewland House School,Middlesex

Home / New To Timetabling?

Are you new to timetabling?

If so, Welcome to the Club !

In some ways, timetabling is the most powerful job in your school or college.   It is a big responsibility.
What you decide will affect the lives of dozens of staff and hundreds of students, hour by hour for most of the year !

The art of timetabling is not just about getting everything to fit in . . . it is also about getting a good rhythm and pattern for the learning activities, so that the quality of learning is the best possible.

To do this you will need knowledge, skills and good tools to construct the timetable.
You can get all these — and more — from this web-site:


Knowledge

autofit4+shadow

We provide free  information & materials about timetabling . . . for example, an outline of the Timetabler’s year, a glossary of timetabling terms, an explanation of curriculum notation. 

There is also our book on Timetabling by Keith Johnson which you can purchase here, called: ‘Timetabling – A Timetabler’s CookBook‘.

This essential guide covers every aspect of timetabling, from A to Z.   Click here for details

You will also find a range of e-Booklets, covering a variety of timetabling-related topics, here.

To sign-up for the free monthly eNewsLetter on Timetabling, see the bottom of this page.


Skills

autofit4+shadowWe provide several ways to help you hone your skills.

There are free downloads of information about how to use key timetabling tests, such as the Combing Chart and the Conflict Matrix.

The free tutorial software lets you practise timetabling skills, in your own time, at your own speed.

If you wish to go on an INSET / Training Course, we can recommend courses and training.

This support can be off-site or in-school in many ways, by our Associates & Partners.


Tools

MainMenu-full-narrowVery few people now timetable manually . . . it takes far too long.
Computers have enormous advantages for constructing an efficient timetable; click here for details of 10 advantages.

Software like TimeTabler will save you time and give you a better timetable.
TimeTabler
works a million times faster than you, and can find solutions that a human would need to spend hours to find.

TimeTabler is better than other timetable programs at this – to see why, click here.

A timetable constructed in TimeTabler:

  • is guaranteed to work when the next term starts; and
  • it gives you neat printed timetables which have their own authority; and
  • you can export the completed timetable into SIMS .net and other MIS; and
  • it’s easy to modify the timetable if it becomes necessary due to staff illness, etc.

You can download a free Tutorial version of TimeTabler, which allows you to practise timetabling, while the detailed HelpScreens guide you and explain about timetabling.

We provide a whole range of Help & Support, including Gold-Start Enhanced Support for New Users, details here.


You can also download free versions of Options (to get a more efficient Options / Electives system for older students) and StaffCover (to cover for absent staff daily throughout the year).

Each of these comes with a free Tutorial Booklet, which explains how to do these key jobs, using Worked Examples.

Users’ comments
Click here to see what other timetablers have said about us:See what experienced timetablers say.
quote by User

Have a look round the rest of this web-site … you will find a lot of things to help you.
And remember to visit again in the future … we regularly add new features and news.


« Just click on items in the menu to see more details.

If you have any queries about the programs, please e-mail them to: ask@timetabler.com
We will answer any questions you may have about using the software with your particular curriculum.

Home / New To Timetabling?

The TimeTabler Newsletter

Our free Monthly Newsletter for School Timetablers:  Click here for more info, or to sign-up.

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Basic Data

BasicData-thumbnail

This shows the Main Menu, and Step 1 : the Basic Data screen, with five big buttons.

Each button leads you to an entry screen.

To enter your data you would start at the left, and work your way across to the right.

Look how straightforward it is, compared to other programs !

And the fully-illustrated printed Manual explains each step, in detail.

 

Subjects Screen

subjects screen

This is the screen for saying which Subjects you will want to timetable.

You can return here at any time to edit / alter your data.

You can give each Subject a colour – this helps during scheduling, and for the printouts.

Visual Builder Screen

visual builder screen

This is the main screen on which you do the actual scheduling.
You can sit at this Visual Builder Screen and drag-and-drop to ‘drive’ through the timetable.
 
At first sight it looks very complicated.  To see what each part will do for you, please click on: www.timetabler.com/kb/UsingtheVisualBuilderScreen.pdf

Class Timetable Screen

 

visual builder screen

 

This shows you the Class Timetables, so you can see the pattern while you are scheduling lessons.
  
There are similar screens for the Staff Timetables and for the Room Timetables.
 
If you use dual monitors you can see these more easily and spread them out over the bigger area.

All the buttons, and the symbols, are explained when you click on the button.

The Printout Menu

This shows you some of the possibilities for the Printouts.
 
Within each of these, there are millions of ways of fine-tuning the exact design of the Printouts.

They can be printed on paper, or produced as web-pages, at the click of a button.

A professional result.
 

The 'master' Class Printout Screen

Class timetable printout screen

This shows you the Preview Screen , so you can design the ‘master’ Class printout, before printing it.
 
There are similar screens for the Staff Timetables and for the Room Timetables.
 
You have total control over the design, the font and the colour, the column widths, the labels, etc, etc.
 
All the buttons and the controls, are explained when you click on the button.