This guide explains revision group schedule import for subject heads and revision programme coordinators. 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.
Revision groups often cross ordinary class boundaries. A pupil may attend support in several subjects, and teachers may offer a mixture of whole-group sessions, focused practice and short reviews. Record the approved groups and session purposes before filling the available timetable. Then identify shared pupils, scarce specialist rooms and teachers with other duties. This helps the coordinator compare competing requests without assuming that every group needs the same amount or type of time.
It also makes late changes easier to explain while keeping learner assessment records and the choice of revision material in the school’s existing academic systems.
Revision Group 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 revision workbook names groups by attainment notes and uses abbreviated teacher names inconsistently. Some sessions also appear in both the subject sheet and the combined programme. Importing everything would risk unnecessary personal detail, duplicate activities and fragmented staff identities in the timetable prepared for general circulation.
Prepare a minimal approved copy using neutral group codes and standard staff identities. Remove duplicated requests after comparing activity dates and purposes. Test a cross-subject group with the current import template before loading the full revision programme into a draft for the academic coordinator’s review.
Check the result: The sample preserves the shared-group relationship and correct staff assignments, while activity totals match the approved deduplicated copy and operational labels contain no private attainment information that pupils or unrelated staff do not need for scheduling.
Revision Group Schedule Import: setup checklist
| Planning input | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| Revision group code | Keep cross-class participant groups distinct. |
| Session purpose | Separate guided practice, discussion and review. |
| Teacher window | Include normal lessons and other fixed duties. |
| Resource requirement | Record rooms or equipment needed for that activity. |
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
A useful trial follows groups that share pupils across two subjects. Ask the coordinator to change one teacher’s availability and inspect the effect on every affected group. The buying decision concerns a feasible programme and clear outputs. It should not assume the tool diagnoses learning gaps, supplies examination questions or guarantees improved results simply because revision sessions have been scheduled.
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 revision groups?
- Overlapping cross-subject groups that share pupils.
- Assuming all revision sessions require identical room resources.
- Putting individual attainment information into widely shared group labels.
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.