Cover absent teachers, track weekly workload, put two teachers in one period and add periods before staffing is final. See how each feature works.
Written by Muhammad Huzaifa, Founder of Academic Scheduler · Updated October 2026 · Insights from 350+ school onboardings
Real school timetables are messier than a neat grid of one subject and one teacher per box. Teachers fall ill, two teachers co-teach a practical or a split class, and sometimes you know a class needs Art on Thursday before you know who will teach it. This update to Academic Scheduler was built around those everyday situations, most of which came straight from questions schools asked us during onboarding.
Below is what each feature does, how to use it, and when it helps.
What's new in Academic Scheduler, in short
Academic Scheduler now lets you cover absent teachers from a list of free colleagues, see each teacher's and class's weekly workload, assign more than one teacher to a single period, and add a period to the timetable without choosing a teacher yet. Clash checks still apply to every teacher you assign.
| Feature | Problem it solves | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Substitution | Finding cover for an absent teacher quickly | Substitutions menu |
| Workload charts | Uneven teaching loads going unnoticed | Below each timetable, and on the Dashboard |
| Multiple teachers per period | Team teaching, practicals, split groups | Schedules, Edit Mode |
| Periods without a teacher | Planning before staffing is final | Schedules, Edit Mode |
1. Substitution: cover absences in minutes
Morning cover is the most stressful scheduling job in most schools. Instead of scanning every timetable for a free teacher:
- Open Substitutions.
- Select the absent teacher and the day (or Today).
- You see every class that teacher was due to teach that day. For each one, Academic Scheduler lists the teachers who are free at that time.
- Pick a substitute and click Email to send them the class, subject, day and period.
We go deeper on cover planning in Simplify Teacher Substitutions with Academic Scheduler.
2. Workload charts: see who is overloaded
Under every class or teacher timetable, the Timetable Statistics & Analysis panel breaks the week down by subject, teacher and class: periods per week, hours per week, days taught and a workload percentage. On the Dashboard, the Teacher Workload Distribution chart shows the whole staff side by side, with heavy loads highlighted, and you can switch between bar, line, area and pie charts.
In practice, schools use this before finalising a timetable to move a few periods from an overloaded teacher to a lighter one. Read more in See Teacher Contribution Per Week.
3. Multiple teachers in one period
Science practicals, language groups, special-needs support and co-taught lessons often need two teachers in the same period. To set this up:
- Open Schedules, choose the class and turn Edit Mode on.
- Click the period and choose the subject.
- Under Teachers, tick every teacher who should be there.
- Save. The period appears on each selected teacher's own timetable.
Teachers already teaching another class at that time are greyed out, so adding a second teacher never creates a double booking. When you download the timetable as PDF or Excel, all teacher names appear in the cell.
4. Add a period before you have a teacher
Timetables are often built before hiring is finished. Tick No teacher assigned when adding the period, and the subject is placed in the timetable without a teacher. When the new teacher joins, edit the period and select them. This keeps the class timetable complete and lets you share it with students while staffing is still being decided.
Tips for getting the most out of these features
- Add teacher emails. The substitution email needs an address; teachers without one can't be emailed.
- Set teacher availability. Record the days and periods part-time staff work in their teacher profile, so the timetable reflects when they are actually in school.
- Review "no teacher" periods before term starts. Open each class and fill them in once staffing is confirmed.
- Check workload after big changes. A quick look at the statistics panel after rearranging a class catches imbalances early.
For a general overview of running a timetable day to day, see Timetable Management Software: Stop Fixing Clashes by Hand, and for what to look for in a tool, 8 Must-Have Features in Academic Scheduling Software.
Related: see substitution management and teacher scheduling software.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I assign two teachers to the same period?
Yes. In Edit Mode, click the period and tick more than one teacher under Teachers. The period appears on each teacher's timetable, and teachers busy elsewhere at that time cannot be selected.
Can I add a subject to the timetable without a teacher?
Yes. Tick "No teacher assigned" when adding the period. You can assign the teacher later by editing that period.
How do I find a substitute teacher?
Open Substitutions, choose the absent teacher and the day. For each of their classes you see the teachers who are free in that period, and you can email the chosen substitute directly.
Where can I see teacher workload?
Below every class or teacher timetable in the statistics panel, and on the Dashboard in the Teacher Workload Distribution chart.
Are these features included in every plan?
Plans (Basic, Pro and Premium) unlock different features. Check the pricing page for the current list, or try everything during the 14-day free trial.
Can I try these features for free?
Yes. Academic Scheduler has a 14-day free trial with no credit card required, so you can test substitution, workload charts and co-teaching with your own data.
Try the new features
Start your free trial of Academic Scheduler and set up substitutions, shared periods and workload tracking for your school today.
