E10 - How to: Construct a Semester 2 Timetable

Modified on Thu, 14 Aug at 12:55 AM

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Rooming
Other considerations:

Most schools staff and construct a timetable for the whole year, including for all rotations. However, some schools may have begun timetabling for the whole year, but switched to focus on Rotation 1 (Semester 1) only, resulting in the need to separately construct a Rotation 2 (Semester 2) timetable.

In some cases, staffing allocations may 'cross lines' from one semester to the next. For example, a teacher teaches a Year 9 class on Line 1 in Rotation 1, but is allocated a Line 2 Year 9 class for Rotation 2. Optimising and allowing lower year level's floating classes to move may provide a better arrangement of classes to support these changes in staffing assignments.

This document guides you through how to construct a Semester 2 timetable.

Take a copy of the current file so the Semester 2 file can be prepared in isolation to the Semester 1 file.
Go to Settings > File and change the 'Current rotation' to 2 (or 3, if the school has four rotations and Semester 2 is rotations 3,4).
Go to Teachers > Staff Allocations (F4) and make sure all classes are staffed for rotation 2. Any classes that are not staffed will sit in the Unassigned row at the bottom of the table. Do not worry, at this stage, if teacher clash spots appear, as classes may be able to be moved around the grid to accommodate the teacher.
Go to Grid > Master grid (F11) and change the Rotation entry to 2.
Expect student body clashes or teacher clashes, particularly if a rotation 1 timetable was initially generated separately.
Consider selecting Minimize disruption if you’d like to make the least impact on the timetable for Semester 2, otherwise leave as Best timetable.
Consider whether you would like to pin any classes or year levels prior to fixing any clashes. Action bar: Construct > Pin classes.
If clashes appear, go to Action bar: Improve > Start.
Proceed with regular construction practices and analysis.

Rooming

When the timetable was first constructed, the rooming allocations process roomed the Rotation 1 classes only, so the Rotation 2 classes must be roomed separately.

Also, any classes that moved around on the grid lose their previous assigned room, as the new timetable solution could have quite a different rooming outcome.
Therefore, rooming the new rotation and classes which have moved is required.

Allocate rooms: Rooms > Room allocations > Action bar: Room new rotation. Manual changes may be preferred.

It is easy to get a list of the timetable and room changes made that have occurred between this and the previous rotation. Go to File > Compare files and select the Rotation 1 .etz file.

Other considerations:

Part timers: Consider whether any flexile work requirements may differ for Semester 2. Perhaps some hard coded 'Unavailable' entries can be removed and can be reverted to non-specific time off where possible e.g. 1 day off.
If part timer days off may change, first clear part timers days off in the Master grid prior to optimising, then set them again during Rotation 2 construction.
Ensure any Semester 2 classes are vertically linked where they are combined with other year levels to share teacher/rooms (not forgetting to specify 'None' in the TeacherPref and RoomPref columns). This should already have been done at the start of the year, so check what has been set up.
Check the Duty roster and Study rosters.