aoken_1

That's interesting. What dictates when you feel the need to use commercial software or not? I assume when not it's just Excel?

This is very insightful, thank you for the response. On the "cul-de-sac" issue, just to clarify, when a late change happens (e.g., a part-time teacher's available days shift in June), how do you typically resolve that now? Do you literally have to unravel large chunks of the grid manually, or does Timetabler give you any smart recommendations on the least-disruptive changes? Also, more on Options for Year 9 etc, does the rest of the school generally get resolved first then GCSE options take residual resources?

Hi everyone, I’m researching how secondary schools tackle timetabling, and as someone coming at this from the outside, I’m trying to map out the basic process from start to finish. To help me understand the real-world workflow: 1. What does the rough timeline look like? (e.g., When do you start gathering curriculum requirements vs. when do you run the actual grid?) 2. Where does the process break down most? Is it getting subject preferences from heads of department, fitting room constraints, or dealing with part-time staff? 3. What software tools are you currently forced to use, and why do people complain about them? I'd love a high-level "Timetabling 101" sanity check from anyone who manages this in the real world!