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Timetabling: achieving value for money

Read advice from experts and school leaders on ways to achieve cost-effective timetabling, including how MATs and federations can improve efficiency.

Last reviewed on 19 March 2026
School types: All•School phases: Secondary•Ref: 13146
Contents
  1. Conduct a timetable review
  2. Use integrated curriculum and financial planning
  3. Reduce spare capacity
  4. Efficient timetabling across a MAT or federation
  5. Timetabling support: commercial organisations

Conduct a timetable review

Start by thinking about:

  • Whether you're using your staff to full capacity
  • Class sizes – a ratio of 30:1 is generally considered most cost-effective for the majority of classes
  • How many pupils are enrolled in options courses and whether the courses are financially viable – the decision to run any loss-making courses needs to be justified, e.g. to provide a broad range of options
  • Whether your curriculum offer is coherent, and whether it allows for efficient use of staff

Use staff to full capacity

Calculate the total possible teaching periods by multiplying the number of possible teaching periods in the timetable by the number of full-time equivalent teachers, e.g. for a 25-period week in a school with 100 teachers,