This guide explains campus visit workload planning for the school visits coordinator and tour guides. Start by counting requested work and checking the available time. Then use the example and checks below to agree a practical next step with the people who run the schedule.
A school visit programme joins welcome desks, tours, demonstrations and staff questions. The same guide may lead several groups, and normal lessons may still use the spaces on the route. Treat each activity as a commitment for people and places, not simply a start time on an invitation. Record group codes, guide availability and the rooms needed at each stage. Then compare the programme with the ordinary school day. This makes it easier to add a visit group without blocking a class or losing a guide at the next handover.
Visitor registration can remain in the school's existing process.
Campus Visit Workload Planning: worked example
Illustrative planning example. The numbers and timings below explain a possible situation; they are not customer results or required staffing standards.
Five visit groups each need a 30-minute tour and a 20-minute questions session. That creates 250 group-minutes across two activity types. The questions room is required for only part of each visit.
Count tours and room sessions separately. Identify which can run together with different guides. Add briefing and welcome duties so the coordinator can compare the full programme with available staff time.
Check the result: The request list covers all five groups and distinguishes guide demand from questions-room demand.
Campus Visit Workload Planning: setup checklist
| Planning input | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| Visit group code | Separate groups with different arrival windows. |
| Guide assignment | Record the guide's full duty, including briefing. |
| Stop or room | List spaces required for demonstrations and questions. |
| Transition window | Use coordinator-approved movement and handover times. |
Count participation and resource time separately
Start with the sessions the school has approved, including their purpose and required attendance. A shared activity can serve several groups in one room. However, the same programme may need extra preparation from a teacher or support colleague. Count those commitments separately. For example, two repeated workshops create two trainer bookings even when each participant attends only one. Keep a request list with stable activity codes so revisions can be checked. Then compare group participation, staff time and resource occupancy. These totals answer different planning questions.
A clear count helps the coordinator explain whether an extra request needs another window, a different format or an approved resource change.
Settle requests before filling the timetable
A large request list often contains preferences as well as agreed requirements. Ask each organiser to confirm the sessions their programme actually needs. Then identify requests that duplicate another sheet or replace an earlier proposal. Subject heads should decide which delivery changes are acceptable. The scheduling review can show their consequences, but it cannot settle educational priorities by itself. Therefore, keep unresolved requests visible rather than making them disappear from the count. Review the least flexible staff and specialist spaces early.
Finally, compare the draft with the approved list and explain any activity still awaiting a decision before the school releases a working programme.
Questions to ask before choosing software
The best trial includes a busy visit day with normal teaching still running. Ask the coordinator to show one group's complete sequence and one guide's duties. These views reveal different errors. A usable system should support the scheduling review and clear outputs; it should not be assumed to sell tickets, manage visitor consent or plan walking routes automatically.
Bring a representative example to your evaluation. Review the current VeloRoster plan and its limits and Try interactive demo → that reflects your team’s people, spaces and timing needs.
Frequently asked questions
What should we avoid when planning campus visits?
- Allocating a room without checking ordinary teaching use.
- Starting the next tour before its guide returns.
- Treating an itinerary as an automated route plan.
Review these points with the activity owner before you approve the plan.
Should one joint activity count once or once per group?
Count the resource booking once when groups share the same activity. Also record each group’s intended participation. Those two views describe different demand. Then check the approved capacity and staffing arrangement for the combined session before treating it as a feasible shared booking.
How should preparation time enter the calculation?
List preparation where it creates a real staff or resource commitment. Use a duration agreed by the activity owner. Then connect that work to the session it supports. This avoids counting only pupil-facing time while leaving essential school duties outside the planning review.
What if the requested sessions do not fit?
Show the unmet requests and the resources causing the restriction. Then ask the responsible school lead to compare acceptable changes in timing, grouping or delivery. Keep the decision explicit. A timetable should not quietly remove an agreed activity to make the remaining grid appear complete.
Take the next step. Explore the VeloRoster interactive demo with sample data, then check your requirements against the current access and pricing details. Keep the operational decisions in this guide with the people responsible for your organisation’s schedule.