School timetable guides
How to set subject rules for a school timetable
Subject rules describe where lessons can go and how they should follow one another. They work alongside class requirements and teacher availability. Start with requirements the school must meet, then add preferences for a convenient distribution. Check each new rule against the actual capacity of the school-day grid.
Open automatic modeOpen the rules for the intended subject
- First add the subject to a teacher and a class requirement. In automatic mode, open the Subjects step; in manual mode, open Rules. Select the subject and choose Add rule.
- Choose the rule type, strength and grid. To avoid particular periods, select the relevant teaching days and lesson positions. Check the selected grid when classes follow different shifts.
Choose the strength and the relevant value
- Use Hard for an essential requirement and Soft for a preference that can yield to an otherwise valid placement. In manual mode, read the warnings: being able to place a card does not establish that its rules are satisfied.
- Maximum lessons per day limits the number of separate sessions of that subject in a class, rather than their total occupied periods. Balance across week specifies a minimum number of teaching days to aim for.
- For spacing between repeated lessons, enter a number of teaching periods. To avoid different subjects back to back, choose the related subjects in that rule. Avoid combinations of requirements that cannot hold together.
Separate lesson duration from consecutive sessions
- For one session that occupies two periods, set duration to 2 in the class requirement. Lessons per week still counts sessions: one such session uses two periods.
- Double lesson required guides consecutive placements of separate sessions of the same subject. Consecutive slots usually equals 2. This rule does not merge requirement records or change each session’s duration.
- Double lesson forbidden concerns neighboring sessions of the subject. It does not split an existing long session into shorter ones. Change duration in the class requirement and check actual sequences after generation.
Save and check the actual result
- In automatic mode, save the Subjects step and generate again. In manual mode, apply the rule changes, save the timetable and review existing placements. Adding a rule does not move cards by itself.
- Inspect warnings, unplaced lessons, the distribution across days and double lessons. Distribution and sequence requirements especially need checking in the finished table. Adjust one preference at a time and compare the results.
Common questions
Should every rule be hard?
No. Teacher availability, grid capacity and subject requirements can conflict. A hard setting should reflect a real school requirement; start convenient distribution preferences with a soft rule.
Does successful generation mean every preference was met?
No. Soft rules may remain unsatisfied. Even with hard distribution or required-double settings, check the actual days and sequences before approving the timetable.