Looking for SIMS Data Manager / Timetabler position?

[harryeds]

Hi,

Has anyone ever known a school where the SIMS/Data manager is also primarily responsible for constructing the school timetable? I've seen one such job advertised but they used CMIS, which I have no experience in.

I have considerable SIMS expertise but also a number of years' experience constructing school timetables using Nova-T and whilst a Data Manager position matches my knowledge I also thoroughly enjoy timetabling (!) so clearly a job which combines both would be exactly what I'm looking for.

As I'm sure many of you will know, timetabling has traditionally been a Deputy Head's role but given recent school workforce reforms, aren't such tasks now increasingly being offloaded onto support staff with the appropriate skills?

I'll keep scouring the net for the job I'm looking for (difficult, I know, to find a particular job when you're trying to invent it for yourself!) but if anyone had any pointers I'd be delighted to hear from you.

Thanks for your help.

Harry

[Will_Townsend]

Can I help?
i specialise in finding work for Schools ICT and sims staff and finding someone with timetabling and sims skills is quite rare
have a look at the site Education Support Professionals or call 0845 686 0690

[harryeds]

Hi Will,

Of course I'd be delighted if you could help; since Special Agent disappeared I've lost my source of job adverts for this kind of work. I can email you my CV if you like. Perhaps when schools contact you looking for a SIMS manager you could ask them if they'd like the postholder to do their timetabling too - I know many deputies find it a horrendous job and some schools outsource it; as I said I'd love to find a job which combines these two roles.

Be good to hear from you about any possible openings you might be able to find for me.

Thanks,
Harry

[vikpaw]

Are you at a school at the moment? Capita's SupportNet has some, but of course Will is the man who will sort you out no doubt.

I wouldn't expect many places want specifically a data manager to do the timetabling, in fact it's really quite a new role for many places, so i would think they are more likely wanting someone to manager the overall system and possibly branch into online access or doing assessment analysis rather than timetabling.

What i would do is go for and investigate any SIMs / Data roles that come up and see if you can find a place where they are struggling with timetabling and or want extra help. Timetablers are quite cliquey and protective of their art, and can often be teachers, i've known a lot of Maths teachers responsible for it. It would be hard for them to just give up the role, especially when it wields such power. Will would know places where they need extra help i'm sure.

Sivadam on here is sims / timetabler and not a member of teaching staff (i think) but i don't know of any others. Have you considered doing some kind of support role at LA level or with an independent company, the job description for those often want an all-rounder and any extra specialties are very welcome.

[harryeds]

Thanks Vikpaw. Yes I've seen the job posts on SupportNet and many of Sividam's forum posts too - a job like his is the sort of thing I'm after! I suppose timetabling is a love-it-or-hate-it kind of thing and there will be others like me who enjoy it too much to let it go. On the plus side though, I've known people in the past who hated doing it...

I'm currently responsible for ICT and SIMS in a primary school but have done secondary timetabling using Nova-T6, T4 and the old DOS Construct module when it was about

[vikpaw]

I'd get up to Sheffield or Dronfield or whereever it is then and start applying for the role of sorcerer's apprentice