TimeTabler NewsLetter : February 2021
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Dear Timetabler,
Welcome to your February NewsLetter, with suggestions of what you should be considering this* month.
There are a lot of things to consider, so please take 5 minutes to see what is relevant to you.
In this issue:
TimeTabler:
1. TimeTabler 2021 has been released. 
2. Gold-Start: enhanced support for New Users.
3. Starting a New timetable : the best way.
4. Timetabling for covid and post-covid; some questions for you
5. Two new documents for Heads and Timetablers
6. Key documents to help you this year.
7. Collecting your Staffing Data.
8. 'What if ...?' experiments.
9. Some thoughts about new hardware.
10. Timetabling in Scotland; Exporting to SEEMiS.
Options:
11. Completing the Options/Electives process.
12. Checking the Options Forms, and drawing up a Clash Table.
13. Deciding the Option Blocks/Columns.
14. Exporting directly from Options to SIMS and iSAMS, etc.
This month's Key Topics : Features you may need this year:
15. Staggered lunches; Variable days.
16. Scheduling two-week (10-day) timetable cycles.
17. Courses / CPD / INSET -- Have you booked yours yet?
There are many New features in TimeTabler 2021 (and of course the old features have been kept).
The new features have been taken from the Users' WishList.
You can see full details at: www.timetabler.com/new |
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2. Gold-Start : enhanced Support for New Users 
Gold-Start is a scheme providing Enhanced Support,
• for new timetablers, and
• for staff who are new to TimeTabler or Options or StaffCover.
We offer all our Users a wide range of Support - the HelpMovies, HelpScreens, Worked Examples, the KnowledgeBase, QuickStart Guide, 'How do I...?' Guide, Courses, Support Centre, etc. More details here.
But Gold-Start offers you enhanced Support for New Users.
It is included free with all new purchases of TimeTabler and of Options and of StaffCover.
It can also be purchased as an Extra if your school already has TimeTabler or Options or StaffCover and you are New to the software.
More details at:
www.timetabler.com/gold-start
See below for details of the Welcome Webinars.
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| 4. Some thoughts to consider for the new timetable |
| None of us knows what the new school year will bring, so preparing a timetable for the new year is more difficult then usual. Here are some thoughts to consider: |
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Will you need to bear in mind that the new timetable may need to be enacted for both on-site face-to-face lessons and/or for remote on-line lessons?
Is it possible to plan for both scenarios? [see below] |
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Whether teaching is going to be on-site face-to-face or remotely on-line, is there anything that needs to be changed about your school's curricular structure as a result of the covid lockdown?
For example, it's recognised that many students have 'truanted' from their on-line lessons. They may have answered 'Yes' when the register was called at the start of the lesson, but then have switched off for most or all of the lesson. It's not surprising: most on-line lessons are far too long and it's harder to maintain interest during a full day of lonely on-line lessons. So the result is likely to be a wider differentiation of attainment in each group when they return.
Can your timetable help to mitigate this? For example, can you afford any extra setting in Maths and other subjects?
For more information about students' experiences during lockdown, and 'lost children' in particular, see today's report from ImpactEd at: https://impacted.org.uk/covid-19 |
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Consider how your timetable might affect the students' Engagement and Motivation. In particular:
--the length of lessons if on-line,
--the length of lessons if face-to-face,
--the length of lessons if face-to-face but socially-distanced,
and the rhythm & pattern of lessons in each case.
See also
www.timetabler.com/researchoneffectsoftimetabling/ |
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Rooming : Do you need to consult with Heads of Subjects about which classes should now get priority for specialist rooms after they return?
For example, many Science teachers have not attempted to include practical work in lessons during lockdown (whilst others have tried hard to include it). |
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Does your timetable need to build-in ways of staff supporting each other?
And build-in ways of students being given extra support?
If so, will this be by scheduling 'Assistant Teachers' attached to some of the activities in your batches, or by timetabling an 'Alternative Curriculum', or both?
More details in the articles in the Knowledgebase, by using the Search Box as shown: |
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Will your new timetable need to include any extra periods for tutoring catch-up?
If so, will the extra period(s) be (i) at 'breakfast' time (ii) at lunch time (iii) after school 'prep' time. If so, add them at the very end of your timetabling (like Registration, Assembly), see the article in the KnowledgeBase and the PDF that it leads to. |
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A possibility to consider : you could produce a 1-week timetable with 6 periods per day, anticipating that it would apply for face-to-face 'normal' teaching if school returns, and it would also apply for on-line remote teaching if that becomes necessary.
However if you later need to produce a 'socially-distanced' timetable from it, with longer periods, then you can use the new 'de-interleave' feature in TimeTabler 2021. ie. it immediately converts a 1-week 6-period-day timetable into a 2-week 3-period-day timetable.
If you are interested in this idea then see Appendix 8 on page 14 of version 12 of the free 'Socially-distanced Timetabling' PDF now available at : https://www.timetabler.com/covid-19/ |
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| 5. New support documents |
| We have recently produced 2 new documents, for Timetablers and HeadTeachers and Deputy-Heads: |
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Employing and Timetabling Part-timers in your school
This free 20-page PDF covers many aspects of employing and scheduling Part-time staff.
For more details see: www.timetabler.com/improvingPart-timers.html |
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A Guide for HeadTeachers
This free 16-page 'White Paper' gives a 10-point plan for analyzing your school and looking for ways to make feasible changes.
For more details see:
www.timetabler.com/improvingYourSchool.html |
| Also our covid-19 'Timetabling for Social Distancing' document has now been updated to Version 12, at www.timetabler.com/covid-19/ |
6. If you feel that last year's timetable was less than perfect,
here are some key focussed documents to help you consider how to get a better result next time :
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| Timetabling in Scotland, S1/2/3/4/5/6 |
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Visit www.timetabler.com/scotland to see a range of 15 documents on Scottish topics. |
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| Timetabling Consistently-setted groups in Years 7 - 11 |
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See Section H24 in your printed Manual, and the PDF article in the KnowledgeBase, with many examples, via: |
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| Timetabling Container Blocks in the Sixth Form |
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See Section H25 in your printed Manual, and the PDF article in the KnowledgeBase: |
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| Timetabling IB groups (International Baccalaureate) |
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See the PDF article in the KnowledgeBase, with several detailed examples: |
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| Timetabling Part-time staff, Job-sharing, Flexible working |
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See Section C15 in your printed Manual, and the PDF articles in the KnowledgeBase:  |
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| Timetabling Assistant teachers and special Rooms |
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See Section D6 in your printed Manual, and the PDF article in the KnowledgeBase: |
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| Feasibility tests |
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See Sections D19-D30 in your Manual, and the PDF article in the KnowledgeBase: |
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| Timetabling a Primary school, Junior school, or a Prep School |
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See the PDF article in the KnowledgeBase, via: |
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| Timetabling a Junior school linked to a Senior School |
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See the PDF article in the KnowledgeBase: |
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| Timetabling an Alternative curriculum for some students, eg. a withdrawal unit |
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See the PDF article in the KnowledgeBase: |
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| Timetabling a Special school or a Pupil Referral Unit |
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See the PDF article in the KnowledgeBase. Use the Search box in the Support Centre to enter: |
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7. Collecting your Staffing Data
One of the unique features in TimeTabler is a great method for getting the Name of who should teach each group, from your Heads of Subjects/Departments.
This is done electronically, so that the Head of Department does the work and you just import the results into TimeTabler.
This is a great time-saver. TimeTabler is the only program to have this feature.
There will be more on this topic in next month's NewsLetter, but if you want to know more about it now there is a HelpMovie [No. 27] in the HelpMovie Library on 'Collecting Staffing Data'.
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8. 'What if ...?' investigations
You may be in a position soon to do some 'What if ...?' experiments, to investigate any new structures in your curriculum.
eg. if you have changed the number of sets, or the number of periods in the cycle, etc.
To see full details of how to do this, click on  to visit the Support Centre,
and then type 'investigations' in the Search Box: |
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9. Some thoughts about new hardware
Schools sometimes have some 'spare' money in the kitty at this time of year, ...so now might be a good time to put in a bid for better hardware.
Computer : If you have found the FIT 'musical-chairs' part of TimeTabler slow, then look for a faster processor ...but make sure that a new machine can support at least two external VDUs.
VDU monitors : If you have been doing all your work on just one screen then it's a real improvement to work on dual monitors (or even three). For example, one configuration is shown here :
For more details see the article in the KnowledgeBase.
Just type 'monitor' or 'VDU' into the Search Box: 
Touch screens : These are common now ...and TimeTabler and Options and StaffCover all work well on a touch screen.
You can select and drag with your finger-tip or with a stylus, directly on the screen (as well as using your mouse).
'Smart' interactive whiteboards : If you are timetabling as a team of two or more people, and if you have a data-projector and a 'Smart' interactive whiteboard then the large scale might enable you to work better as a team? We haven't worked this way ourselves and we'd be interested to hear from anyone who has. |
10. Timetabling in Scotland
Scottish timetabling has its own flavour, and we provide 16 'White Papers' on the key aspects of using TimeTabler and Options and StaffCover in Scotland. And of course how to import the completed timetable into SEEMiS and other MIS.
The latest one is about how best to timetable Part-timers.
Details of all the 16 White Papers are shown at: www.timetabler.com/scotland
Or click on and enter 'Scotland' in the Search Box:
The Export to SEEMiS has been improved following feedback from Users. |
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11. Options 
Many schools complete the Options/Electives process this month or next month.
See all the steps in Chapter 3 of The Timetabler's CookBook.
See www.timetabler.com/TOOLS if you want to collect the students' Choices on-line.
12. Checking the Options replies : Drawing up a Clash Table
The first steps in analysing the students' Choices (when you get their results from TOOLS, or from the completed Options Forms) are:
(i) Checking that the students have followed any Rules that you specified (eg. "must take at least one Science"; "must choose both parts of a double-option", etc). See page 47 in the CookBook and page 19 in the orange Options Handbook.
If your school is implementing the ideas of Progress-8 or the 'EBacc' (English Baccalaureate) then this checking may be more extensive.
(ii) Drawing up a Clash Table, in order to decide how many Groups need to be staffed for each subject this year, to see if you can afford them. See page 48 in the CookBook and page 22 in the Options Handbook.
Both of these tasks are easily done by our Options software. It's quite fun to use!
It's easier to use, with more features, than the one supplied with your school admin system.
If you haven't seen Options recently, there are more details and a video and free Tutorial at: www.timetabler.com/options1
Scottish schools looking for ways to include greater 'Personalisation of learning' to satisfy "A Curriculum for Excellence" will find that using the Options/Electives software will help you do this. Over a third of all Scottish secondary schools already use Options to do this.
And the free TOOLS system helps your Guidance Counsellors or Pupil Support Staff to work more efficiently.
See www.timetabler.com/scotland
Contact the HelpLine if you wish to discuss it : support@timetabler.com
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13. Deciding the Option Blocks for the new timetable
Sections 3.7 - 3.12 in the CookBook cover the process if you are doing it manually, ...but the Options program will do it all for you ...quickly and efficiently.
AutoCreate will quickly build the Option Blocks for you, to satisfy students' requests as neatly as possible. 
If you are using 'Pathways' then see the solutions in the article in the KnowledgeBase in the
To find the article just type 'pathways' in the Search Box: 
To get a PDF of the latest Options Handbook, click on: www.timetabler.com/Options-Handbook.pdf or for a printed & bound copy go to www.timetabler.com/paypal
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14. Exporting from Options to SIMS or iSAMS or CloudSchool/Progresso or Bromcom or PASS
You can export your completed Options Pattern, with all the students' final Choices, from Options directly into an MIS.
It's a big time-saver !
More at: www.timetabler.com/export/exporting-from-options/
We provide detailed documentation on this process, for SIMS and for iSAMS and for other MIS.
You can find these PDFs in the KnowledgeBase in the Support Centre, by typing in the Search Box: |
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15. Key Topic 1 : Staggered Lunches; Variable Days
If your School Day has: 
- Staggered Lunches, or
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Variable positions for Lunches/Breaks, or
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Variable Day lengths (eg. a short Friday), or
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Different day Patterns for different Years,
then you can specify these on the Class Availability Screen.
For more details see sections H15 - H17 in your Manual and see HelpMovie No. 20. 
To protect Lunch-time for your staff, within stagged lunches for the pupils, see the 'L' feature on the Staff Availability Screen.
Have you considered starting (academic) lessons later for older students, in keeping with recent research on their circadian rhythms?
More details at : www.timetabler.com/researchoneffectsoftimetabling/
16. Key Topic 2 : Two-week (10-day) timetables : the 'Duplicate' and 'De-Interleave' features
Depending on which type of 2-week cycle you intend, the best solution is slightly different.
The different types of 2-week timetables, and how to use the 'Duplicate' feature or the 'De-Interleave' feature, are explained in an article and a PDF in the KnowledgeBase in the
Just type "10 day" or "2 week" into the Search Box: 
and download the PDF.
See also page
5 in the PDF at: www.timetabler.com/improvingPart-timers.html
17. Courses, On-line and in-school Training:
It's the time of year to be thinking about whether you need any INSET/Training/CPD in preparation for your next timetable.
New timetablers, and experienced timetablers meeting new problems, often need some outside assistance, even if only at a discussion level.
We provide a huge range of Help, see https://www.timetabler.com/help, but in addition there is a wide range of On-line Courses and In-school Support that you can choose from, for both TimeTabler and Options. Here are some of them ...don't delay! It's best to use the courses well before you get involved in the timetabling process!
| TimeTabling has become more complicated in recent years. |
| For example : options in Year 9 as well as years 10 & 11, or 'stage-not-age' options; 'vertical' registration groups; consortium days and other fixed points; the E-Bacc in England; CfE in Scotland; options 'Pathways'; the IB; 'consistently-setted' blocks; PPA time; 'primary' organisation in Year 7; 'vertical' teaching groups; Progress-8, increasing numbers of Part-timers, Covid timetables, etc, etc. |
Of course TimeTabler and Options have responded to these challenges, by giving you new features to deal with them.
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| But do you know the best ways to use these features for your school? |
| To help you with this: |
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Our Associates can offer you additional Help & Support at 5 levels.
The 5 levels are explained at https://www.timetabler.com/extrasupport |
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And we have negotiated a system of Vouchers that will give you discounts of 10% - 33% !
Vouchers can be used for On-line training courses
as well as for traditional training.
For more details of these Vouchers and an Order Form,
see https://www.timetabler.com/vouchers |
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We recommend that you take advantage of these offers as soon as possible, before you meet the problems during the timetabling season.
Some possibilities during this term:
| We provide extra Help & Support for you in at least 5 ways: |
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The (free) Help & Support Centre, which you can access at any time using the Support Centre button on the opening screens. See HelpMovie 4 for more details. |
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Gold-Start Support, and Gold-Start-Plus Support, for new Users.
More details below. |
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On-line courses for you to use whenever you wish.
More details below. |
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Courses to attend at the Timetabling Centre in Market Harborough, if you are able to go there.
More details below. |
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Bespoke Support via Zoom etc,
[or on-site in-school support where appropriate] from our expert Associates.
More details below. |
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Courses to attend, mainly at Market Harborough: |
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Courses during February : (most are unlikely to occur because of lockdown, but see the on-line versions) |
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Timetabling Workshop day : 23 February
One day :
Tuesday 23 February in Market Harborough, with Chris Knights-Branch.
More details at https://www.mistservices.co.uk/Services/timetabling_course.aspx?servId=88 |
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Intermediate Timetabling in Scotland : 24 February
One days : Wednesday :
24 February on-line, with Grant Whytock.
More details at: https://www.ed.ac.uk/education/professional-learning/short-courses-events/timetabling-curriculum-for-excellence |
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Advanced Timetabling with TimeTabler : 25 February
One day :
Thursday 25 February in Market Harborough, with Chris Knights-Branch.
More details at https://www.mistservices.co.uk/Services/timetabling_course.aspx?servId=101 |
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Courses during March : (lockdown permitting, but see the on-line versions) |
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Free Webinar on TimeTabler 2021 – the New Features : 8am 11 March
A free webinar for you to learn about new features in TimeTabler 2021.
Thursday, 11 March, 8.00 am for approx 1 hour
Chris Knights-Branch will be giving a free preview of the new features that are in TimeTabler 2021.
More details and sign-up at : https://bookings.mistservices.co.uk/lite/tt2021 |
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Student options/electives using Options software : 11 March
One day on Options :
Thursday 11 March in Market Harborough, with Chris Knights-Branch.
More details at https://www.mistservices.co.uk/Services/timetabling_course.aspx?servId=84 |
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Principles of timetabling with TimeTabler course : 15 March
One day : Monday 15 March in Market Harborough, with Chris Knights-Branch.
More details at https://www.mistservices.co.uk/Services/timetabling_course.aspx?servId=68 |
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Introduction to using TimeTabler course : Part 1 : 16 March
One day :
Tuesday 16 March in Market Harborough, with Chris Knights-Branch.
More details at https://www.mistservices.co.uk/Services/timetabling_course.aspx?servId=83 |
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Introduction to using TimeTabler course : Part 2 : 17 March
One day : Wednesday 17 March in Market Harborough, with Chris Knights-Branch.
More details at http://www.mistservices.co.uk/Services/timetabling_course.aspx?servId=134 |
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Timetabling Workshop day : 25 March
One day :
Thursday 25 March in Market Harborough, with Chris Knights-Branch.
More details at https://www.mistservices.co.uk/Services/timetabling_course.aspx?servId=88 |
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Courses during April, after Easter: (lockdown permitting, but see the on-line versions) |
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Advanced Timetabling with TimeTabler : 13 April
One day :
Tuesday 13 April in Market Harborough, with Chris Knights-Branch.
More details at https://www.mistservices.co.uk/Services/timetabling_course.aspx?servId=101 |
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Principles of timetabling with TimeTabler course : 20 April
One day : Tuesday 20 April in Market Harborough, with Chris Knights-Branch.
More details at https://www.mistservices.co.uk/Services/timetabling_course.aspx?servId=68 |
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Introduction to using TimeTabler course : Part 1 : 21 April
One day :
Wednesday 21 April in Market Harborough, with Chris Knights-Branch.
More details at https://www.mistservices.co.uk/Services/timetabling_course.aspx?servId=83 |
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Introduction to using TimeTabler course : Part 2 : 22 April
One day : Thursday 22 April in Market Harborough, with Chris Knights-Branch.
More details at http://www.mistservices.co.uk/Services/timetabling_course.aspx?servId=134 |
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Timetabling Workshop day : 23 April
One day :
Friday 23 April in Market Harborough, with Chris Knights-Branch.
More details at https://www.mistservices.co.uk/Services/timetabling_course.aspx?servId=88 |
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Have you booked your place(s) yet? Don't leave it too late. |
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For details of discounted Vouchers usable for the courses or for on-site help, see https://www.timetabler.com/vouchers
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Bespoke in-school and on-site Support |
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In-school 'bespoke' help is available from Chris Knights-Branch, Peter Knights-Branch and several other TimeTabler Associates including: John Clark, Debbie Hayton, Ted Fenton; in Ireland : Liam O'Brien; in Scotland : Terry Howe, Derek Simpson, Neil Farquharson; and in China : David Miles.
They can also usually use Zoom, which allows you to share screens, and you can be anywhere in the world within compatible time-zones.
Contact details for Associates at : https://www.timetabler.com/inset-courses |
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If the standard help & support is not enough, but you don't need (or can't spare the time for) a full day workshop/consultancy, you might just need a point in the right direction, in which case a 1-hour Remote Support session could be your best option.
See : https://mistservices.co.uk/Services/timetabling_course.aspx?servId=98
MIST also offer half-day consultances : details at:
https://www.mistservices.co.uk/Services/Consultancy_services.aspx
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For details of discounted Vouchers usable for the courses or for on-site help,
see https://www.timetabler.com/vouchers
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Best wishes,
Chris Johnson
Keith Johnson
and the rest of the Team
PS1. If you know another timetabler, who might be interested in the contents of this Newsletter, please feel free to forward it to them.
If you are not yet a Subscriber, but wish to be put on the list, please visit www.timetabler.com and sign-up at the bottom of the page.
PS2. To see last month's Newsletter, click on: www.timetabler.com/eNewsLetter/NewsLetter--January-2021.html
You can 'daisy-chain' back to earlier NewsLetters.
PS3. Next month's Newsletter (March) will look at doing a Curriculum Audit and collecting the data from Heads of Subjects.
PS4. Please ensure that you use > Check for Updates regularly, so that you always have the very latest version. Make sure you keep up to date !
PS5. If you aren't the school timetabler (eg. you simply placed the order on their behalf) please let us know the appropriate details and we can update our records.
* PS6. This Newsletter is geared to the second term in the UK. Our apologies to our international Users, but we hope that you will save this Newsletter until the appropriate time of year for you.
To unsubscribe from this eNewsLetter list, please contact : keith@timetabler.com
