A workable class timetable connects a recurring teaching plan with the individual sessions people actually attend. Start by defining groups, venues and coaches, then establish how bookings and exceptions are handled. A calendar alone cannot settle those decisions for your team.
The aim is straightforward: reception, coaches and members should see the same current arrangement. If a substitute coach is confirmed in a private message but the member timetable still shows a cancellation, the administrative work is unfinished.
Map the teaching structure before adding dates
List the locations, rooms, groups and people responsible for teaching. A location describes a venue; a room describes a resource within it. A group represents a real teaching cohort, such as junior beginners, rather than a convenient name for a calendar entry.
Avoid creating duplicate groups to handle a single room change. That makes membership and attendance histories harder to follow. Keep the stable teaching structure separate from the details that may change for one session.
For example, a children’s class may normally meet twice a week in the same studio. The group stays the same when one holiday session takes place in another room. The session is where that exception belongs.
Separate recurring rules from individual sessions
A recurring rule describes the regular pattern. A session is a dated occurrence with an assigned coach, venue, participant list and attendance record. Keeping both concepts clear lets staff change this Thursday without accidentally changing every future Thursday.
Agree who can edit the regular timetable and who handles day-to-day exceptions. A coach may identify the need for cover, while reception confirms the replacement and sends the update. The software records the result; the team still needs an owner for the decision.
Set booking limits that reflect real capacity
Capacity should be part of the booking process. A note saying “maximum 12” does not prevent a thirteenth booking if staff maintain a separate list. Check how the system handles a full session, waiting lists and newly available places.
Distinguish open booking from membership of a fixed group. An academy may assign children to a regular cohort while allowing separate bookings for workshops or additional classes. Test both arrangements with the memberships you actually sell.
Treat communication as part of changing a class
After changing a session, identify who needs to know: booked participants, a fixed group, a substitute coach or guardians. Use the same participant records that support the timetable. Do not rely on someone remembering to update an unrelated chat later.
Keep the message specific: the affected date, the new arrangement and what the member needs to do. Check the operational record first so the message and timetable cannot contradict each other.
Review the timetable with a real exception
Before publishing a new schedule, walk through a coach absence, a room change and a full class. Ask a member of reception and a coach to complete their parts. This exposes unclear responsibility much faster than checking whether every recurring entry exists.
Klunivo connects scheduling and bookings with member records and attendance. Use those connected records to maintain one timetable your team can work from.
FAQ
Questions worth answering
Should every timetable change create a new group?
No. A one-off change usually belongs to the dated session. Create a new group when the teaching cohort or organisation changes.
Do fixed groups still need booking rules?
They need clear access and capacity rules even when members are assigned to the group. Extra classes may use separate bookings.
What should we test before publishing?
Test a normal class, a one-off exception and a full session, including what reception, the coach and a member see.
