Guides29 July 20261 min read
The constraints checklist every school forgets
A practical list of the scheduling rules that never make it into the first draft, and that cause most of the rework in week two.
By Skejuu Team
Before you generate anything, write your constraints down. Most rework happens because a rule existed but was never stated.
Here is the list we walk new schools through.
Teacher constraints
- Which days is each teacher on site?
- Maximum periods per day, and per week
- Subjects each teacher is qualified to take
- Any teacher who must not take first or last period
- Part-time staff and their fixed windows
Room and resource constraints
- Which subjects require a specific room (labs, computer room, studio)
- Room capacity versus class size
- Shared resources between arms: one projector, three classes
Class constraints
- Subjects that need double periods, and how many per week
- Subjects that should not appear twice in one day
- Core subjects that belong in morning slots
- Whether arms of the same year must be scheduled in parallel
School-wide constraints
- Assembly, break, and prayer times
- Half-days and early closures
- Club periods, sports afternoons, and prep
- Exam weeks that override the normal grid
The two that always get missed
Teacher travel between blocks. If your school has separate buildings, back-to-back periods across campus do not work. Add a buffer.
The unwritten seniority rules. Someone always has an informal arrangement. Surface it before you publish, not after.
Once this list is written down, generating the timetable is the fast part. Skejuu takes the list in plain language. You can literally read it out, and it holds every item while you edit.