Set up period structures for single or multi-grids in a timetable draft

If you use Timetable (E10), you can access its help articles here

Introduction

Create periods within a timetable draft that work for your school, you can create either single or multi-grid structures.

This article explains how to set up your school's single or multi-grid structure using Periods structure within a draft timetable.

If you use morning and afternoon sessions for teaching time instead, you should set up a Teaching Time structure.

IN THIS ARTICLE

• Before you start
• Set up a single-grid with Set periods
• Create a Multi-Grid timetable structure using Set Periods
  • Create a Set Periods draft
  • Configure the school day
  • Notes
• Up next

Before you start

Single grid timetables apply where all years across a school follow the same period structure. Same bell times, same lunch times, registration times (homeroom or roll call periods), breaks, etc.

Multi-Grid timetables allow different year groups to follow different period structures within the same timetable. This is useful for schools that need staggered lunches, breaks, registrations, or different daily schedules across cohorts.

In this guide, you'll learn how to create a periods in a draft timetable, configure multiple period structures, assign year groups, so you can generate either a single grid or multi-grid timetable.

Multi-Grid functionality is only available when using the Periods timetable structure. 

Multi-Grid functionality is not available for drafts created using the Teaching Time model.

Set up a single-grid with periods in a draft timetable

Whether you created a new timetable draft and have selected Periods > Save or have opened a timetable draft, navigate to Period structure:

1. Click Add a new Period structure.
2. Name your Period structure e.g. Year 7 grid.
3. Select Next.
4. Set the timetable cycle to repeat after 1, 2 or 3 weeks using the dropdown.
5. Set the academic year for this period structure using the dropdown.
6. Select Next.
7. Set the Start and End times of the school day using the dropdowns.
8. Select Next.
9. Set the length each single teaching period should be in minutes.
10. Set how long lunch break is in minutes.
11. Add any Registration (homeroom or roll call) period by ticking either Morning registration or Afternoon registration, or both. 
12. Add any other breaks by ticking either Morning break or Afternoon break, or both.
    1. If you do add other breaks, you'll need to specify how long these should be.
13. Select Next (the system calculates how many periods and unallocated time and will not progress until all time is allocated).
14. Select the year group/s (if any) which will have any free periods assigned to them.
15. Review the Period structure. This is an interactive window which allows you to drag and drop registration, breaks and lunch to the required time slots.
16. Select Save period structure once your structure is confirmed.

You have created a single-grid period structure.

Screenshots below to assist with setting up Periods as the structure for a school timetable.  

Notes: 

• The system creates a single-grid using the start and end times for your day, registrations, breaks and lunch. The time between registrations and breaks become teaching periods. When you build the timetable, it schedules lessons within teaching periods.
• When viewing the timetable structure, you can drag and drop Registrations, Breaks and Lunches to different positions. When an item is moved, the period timings are automatically recalculated, the structure updates immediately.
• If you need to make changes to the structure, go to Drafts and open the draft to edit, navigate to Period structure in the draft and select Edit structure.
• Double periods: When designing a period structure, ensure consecutive teaching periods are available if you intend to schedule double periods later during class setup: 
  • Two teaching periods on the same day. 
  • No registration period between them. 
  • No break between them. 
  • No lunch period between them. 

Create multi-grid timetable structures in a draft timetable

To set up multiple grids for different year groups to follow different period structures within the same timetable, you will need to:

1. Set up as many single grids within a timetable draft as required - one for each cohort that may have different bell times, lunch times, registratrion (homeroom or roll call periods) times, breaks, etc. ensuring you select the appropriate year group for each structure.
2. To set up a single grid, follow the steps in this article.
3. Repeat this action within the same draft timetable until you have all the required grids.
4. Once all the required grids have been set up, you can move on to set up the school year.

You have set up multi-grids in a draft timetable.

Notes:

• To ensure each year group belongs to only one period structure in a draft timetable: 
  • The selected Year Groups are automatically removed from any previously assigned Period Structure. 
  • You do not need to manually edit the original structure. 
• Year Groups are automatically reassigned when moved to another Period Structure.

Timetable 2.0 checks structure works in a school day

Once you have set up a grid, the system automatically checks the configured periods, breaks, registrations and lunch fit within the time available for the school day. 

Where there is insufficient time available, messages will be displayed and the set up of the grid will need to be adjusted. 

Viewing the grid structure

Once the grid structure is complete, a visual representation of the timetable structure is generated for you to preview. 

The preview displays: 

• Registration periods 
• Teaching periods 
• Breaks 
• Lunches 
• Start and end times 

Managing saved period structures 

Each Period Structure appears in a table showing: 

• Structure name 
• Assigned Year Groups 
• Actions 

Available actions include: 

• Edit 
• Delete 

You can create as many Period Structures as required, up to the number of available Year Groups. 

Working with multiple Period Structures 

When multiple Period Structures exist, the timetable is displayed using tabs. 

Each tab represents a single Period Structure. 

For example: 

• Period Structure 1 
• Period Structure 2 

Viewing Year Group timetables 

Selecting a Period Structure tab displays only the Year Groups assigned to that structure. 

Each Year Group is displayed in its own timetable grid. 

You can: 

• Scroll through the timetable grids 
• Filter to a specific Year Group 
• Apply timetable filters 

Filters and multi-grid structure

The timetable supports the available filters for the selected Period Structure. 

Filtering behaves the same as in other timetable views, but only returns data relevant to the currently selected Period Structure and its assigned Year Groups. 

Up next

Set up term dates and non-teaching days in a draft timetable

Create a new draft timetable

Assign subjects to rooms in timetable draft