This guide explains campus visit schedule import for the school visits coordinator and tour guides. Start by preparing clean scheduling data and checking a small sample. 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 Schedule Import: worked example
Illustrative planning example. The numbers and timings below explain a possible situation; they are not customer results or required staffing standards.
The visits sheet uses one row per stop, but its group code appears only on the first row of each section. Blank cells do not reliably identify which group owns later stops.
Fill a working copy with explicit group codes on every activity row. Preserve dates and start times in a consistent format. Test a complete group sequence against the live import template.
Check the result: All imported stops belong to the expected group, and their order matches the coordinator's approved itinerary.
Campus Visit Schedule Import: 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. |
Prepare a minimal scheduling copy
Choose the approved source workbook before preparing an import. A department folder may contain earlier proposals, combined sheets and individual requests for the same activity. Compare them before loading anything. Then use stable codes for staff, groups, rooms and equipment. Keep operational titles clear and remove private notes that do not belong in shared timetable views. Dates and times need consistent values, especially when some cells contain text. Preserve the original file so the coordinator can trace a mapping decision. Finally, prepare the working copy against the current supported import template.
A clean source makes it easier to distinguish an import problem from an unresolved planning decision already present in the spreadsheet.
Test a complete school sequence first
Choose a small sample containing the relationships that matter to the programme. Include a shared teacher, a participant group with two activities and a resource handover where relevant. Then map the fields using the current import template and supported format. Compare the resulting activities with the approved source, including dates, durations and identities. Similar labels can create duplicate resources or split one person into several records. Therefore, inspect more than the total row count. Ask the programme owner to review one complete sequence before loading the remaining data.
Keep a record of the accepted mapping and confirm the full import totals afterwards so the same issue does not recur in a later school planning cycle.
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.
Can we import the school’s existing spreadsheet unchanged?
Compare it with the current supported template first. Standardise identities, dates and separate activity rows where needed. Then test a small complete sequence. Existing spreadsheets often combine planning notes and bookings, so the coordinator should prepare a clear operational working copy before loading the full programme.
Should private pupil notes appear in the imported labels?
Use neutral group and activity codes for the operational timetable. Keep learning, admissions or permission records in the school’s approved process. Then review the imported sample and its outputs. Shared labels should contain the information readers need to follow the programme, without unrelated personal notes.
What is a better check than counting imported rows alone?
Compare one complete teacher, group and resource sequence with the approved source. Check dates, durations and stable identities as well as totals. Then review duplicate-looking records. A matching row count can still conceal an incorrect room mapping or one person split across several names.
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.