If you were a teacher or administrator at a large comprehensive school in the 1980s or earlier, please can you answer a question?

[Antarcticant]

I was at a large comprehensive in the 80s - about 1200 pupils - and I have lately been wondering how timetables were worked out for such a large number of people, without the benefit of computers. Where did they start? How did they avoid clashes, double-booking of rooms, teachers etc?

If you can shed any light on this I would be fascinated.

We had 6 columns for GCSE - pick one from each. So guarantee of one science, one humanity and one practical - art/design/food tech type thing. But you could do 2 or 3 languages - my DC now can only do 1 that they choose in year 7!

Even now my DC have to choose 3 from 4 blocks for A level. Our choices were far less restrictive. The two schools are both 8-9 form entry.

Thank you for so many interesting replies!

Based on this thread, I think the Mumsnet Guide to Secondary School Timetabling would go something like this:

• Computers can help but there's no substitute for the human brain
• Use peg boards at your peril!
• Post-it notes are your friend
• Use last year's timetable as a template where feasible
• Trial the timetable at the end of the preceding year
• Get a maths teacher or even better, a retired maths teacher to do it
• Look on it as a giant logic puzzle and you will be fine!