Moving to TimeTabler from Nova-T6

 

TimeTabler is the UK’s most-established alternative for timetablers looking to leave Nova-T6.

 

Hundreds of schools have left Nova-T6 for TimeTabler in recent years.

We offer proven guidance and program features based on our experience supporting Users who have moved away from Nova to TimeTabler.  Our support is designed to ensure a quick and easy transition from Nova, and a smooth introduction to using our software.

The following list details some of the reasons to move to TimeTabler, and some of the support we provide :

 

Why choose TimeTabler over Nova-T6 ?

TimeTabler is different in style to Nova-T6, and timetablers moving from Nova will need to learn a new way of timetabling.  However, there are several key benefits to using TimeTabler for your scheduling, including :

• Greater flexibility over the MIS / Admin System that you use.  TimeTabler links to all the main UK MIS, and several overseas (over 40 in total).  If your school changes MIS, you can still use TimeTabler;
• More help from the software itself, which guides you through the steps, and allows you to choose the solutions to difficult timetabling solutions that suit you.  You are in control, but TimeTabler does much of the ‘legwork’;
• The special FIT feature in TimeTabler (with up to 16 steps of ‘musical chairs’ moves), which allows you to find good solutions quickly;
• More control over activities, allowing you to trial ‘What if…?’ scenarios more easily than in Nova;
• Pre-timetabling tests, so that you can see in advance which parts of the timetable may prove most difficult.

 

“We changed from Nova-T6 to TimeTabler a few years ago – and it was the best decision we ever made.”
– Peter Hall, Assistant Headteacher and Timetabler, Beacon Academy (ages 11-18), East Sussex

 

“I was faced with the task of writing the timetable at very short notice and having previously used Nova T6, I was more than a little hesitant in making the jump to TimeTabler.
But the decision was wise – the software is intuitive, powerful and the quality of the HelpMovies and online documentation was such that I completed the timetable and exported to our MIS without the need to tap into the free training offered.”
– Richard Lynn, Headmaster, The Dixie Grammar School (ages 3-18), Leicestershire

 

“We are a grammar school of 1400 pupils with a reasonably tight and complicated timetable. TimeTabler was recommended by a friend. It is intuitive, clear and clever in assisting the timetablers, both in absolute terms and (especially) relative to Nova.
I thoroughly recommend it to anyone.”
– Mark Shields, Timetabler, Belfast Royal Academy (ages 11-18), Belfast, Northern Ireland

 

You can read hundreds more testimonials and comments from TimeTabler Users, including many who formerly used Nova, here.

 

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Support for Nova Users moving to TimeTabler

Official Partnerships with all of the main MIS / Admin Systems

Many schools are leaving Nova as part of a broader change in MIS / Admin System, away from SIMS.

We are official partners to all the main UK MIS and have been SIMS Partners for over 20 years.
These links mean that TimeTabler, Options, and StaffCover can import and export from SIMS and all of the main MIS / Admin Systems in the UK, as well as many others globally.

Whether your school is continuing to use SIMS, or planning to move to a new MIS, you can always use TimeTabler.

You can also use our Options program irrespective of the MIS you choose, allowing you to move away from SIMS options.

Click here for more information on Exporting from TimeTabler to your MIS.

 

Help & Support in Learning TimeTabler

Our comprehensive support draws on the experiences of hundreds of other Users who have moved from Nova-T6 to TimeTabler in recent years.

We provide HelpMovies, a KnowledgeBase with answers and solutions to common questions and problems, and our Support Centre.  The average response time on the TimeTabler Support Centre to solve a timetabling problem or question is less than two hours, and all questions are answered by our timetabling experts.

We offer Help and Support in twelve ways.  For more information, please see the PDF, here.

 

Training from Experts in both Nova-T6 and TimeTabler

We provide training from experts who know both Nova-T6 and TimeTabler.

Our Associates run courses in various aspects of timetabling and TimeTabler throughout the year, and you can also arrange on-site and remote consulting.

Details of upcoming courses are included in the monthly TimeTabler NewsLetter.  You will be added to the Mailing List when you purchase TimeTabler , but you can also sign-up in advance, on this page.

 

Gold-Start Enhanced Support

As well as the broader support available to our Users, timetablers who are new to TimeTabler will benefit from the “Gold-Start” Enhanced Support Scheme.

Gold-Start is included for free with new purchases of TimeTabler and, if you are new to our software, you will receive tailored support to help you to get started quickly and easily.  You can find more details about Gold-Start, here.

 

Transfer Service

You can take advantage of the service offered by one of our expert Associates, MIST Services, who will transfer your existing Nova timetable into TimeTabler.  Full details can be found here.  (This is a paid service, at an additional cost.)

 

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Features in TimeTabler for former Nova Users

Recognisable Features

TimeTabler includes features that you may recognise from Nova-T6, such as Alternative Curriculum – as well as direct equivalents such as Teaching Group Names (TGNs) which equate to Classes in Nova.  These features are designed to make TimeTabler feel familiar to Nova Users, while they learn to use TimeTabler‘s simple interface and additional, smart functionality.
If you are exporting to SIMS, TimeTabler uses the same import routine as Nova-T.

Many Nova schools do a lot of the scheduling manually (especially in the Sixth-form).  In TimeTabler, once set up, the intelligent features in the program will do as much of the scheduling for you, as you wish.

 

Features to help you to transfer your timetable from Nova to TimeTabler

We provide two methods for extracting your Basic Data (Teachers, Subjects, and Rooms) from Nova, so that you can import and re-use them in TimeTabler.

To ensure that your new timetable in TimeTabler resembles your existing timetable in Nova, you can also compare the two, for differences.

Or you can use our Transfer Service – see above.

 

If you have further questions about moving from Nova to TimeTabler, please ask us.

If you would like to try our software before you buy, you can download a Free Tutorial version of TimeTabler, of Options, and of StaffCover on this page.