School timetable: how to build one online for free

Building the school timetable is one of the headaches of the new school year: a teacher cannot be in two classes at once, a room cannot host two lessons, and every subject must get its weekly hours. On an Excel sheet or a paper chart, the smallest change sets off a chain of corrections. Here is a simple method to build a school timetable online, and the tools that keep you from making mistakes.

The rules of a good timetable

• No overlaps: never two lessons at the same time for a class, a teacher or a room.
• Weekly hours respected: each subject gets the number of hours set by the curriculum.
• Well-placed breaks: recess and lunch at the same time for everyone, where possible.
• A balanced week: avoid stacking the heaviest subjects on a single day.
• One up-to-date version for all: students, parents and teachers should all see the same timetable.

Building a school timetable in 5 steps

1. List your constraints

Write down the classes, the subjects and their weekly hours, each teacher’s availability and the rooms you have. Everything else builds on this.

2. Set the time grid

Define the slots of the day (for example 8–9 am, 9–10 am…) as well as recess and the lunch break.

3. Place the most constrained lessons first

Start with teachers who work across several classes or schools, and with specialised rooms (laboratory, computer room, sports field).

4. Fill in the other subjects

Then fill the remaining slots while keeping the week balanced.

5. Publish and keep it up to date

Share the timetable with everyone, then update it in one place whenever something changes: only one version counts.

Excel, blank template or online software?

A blank timetable template in Word or Excel is enough for a small school. But it checks nothing: it is up to you to notice that a teacher has been placed twice at the same time, and every change has to be copied and handed out again.

Online school timetable software checks for overlaps for you, keeps a single version and makes it available to the whole school community.

School timetables in Zaame

• Slots by class: for each class, you place lessons day by day, with the subject and the teacher.
• Overlaps rejected: two slots that overlap in the same timetable are flagged before saving.
• Recess and breaks: add them to the grid with their own label, without a subject or teacher.
• Printing: print the timetable or save it as a PDF to put up in the classroom.
• Generated sessions: from the timetable, Zaame creates the class sessions, where teachers take attendance and add homework and documents.

The timetable is part of a wider set of tools: grades, report cards, attendance, payments and a parent portal. Discover all of Zaame’s features.

Build a school timetable for free

Zaame’s Basic plan is free for up to 39 students per academic year. You can build your timetables with no commitment, then move to a higher plan as your school grows (see pricing).

In short

A good school timetable respects weekly hours, avoids any overlap and stays up to date for everyone. Online software frees you from manual checks and from versions that contradict each other.

Want to try? Create your free account and build your first timetable.