Since schools will have a large number of staff, pupils and resources to manage, they require a way for management to exert control of each of these and ensure that each is being used effectively within the school day. For example, the school will likely have a laboratory for science experiments, which is a valuable resource management will want to get the most out of. Using the school timetable, management can ensure that the lab is used effectively and thus help to maintain educational standards.
All schools have policies, but these may be quite different from one institution to another. For example, a school may pursue a religious agenda through its policies, which can affect the content of lessons and the school’s rules. The school timetable allows management to further develop these policies by reflecting within it the school’s themes and the values it holds to be important. A religious school would thus allocate some parts of its timetable toward worship and meditation, to continue the earlier example.
School timetables ensure that each school day has a clear structure to it. While this helps staff to know what they’re doing on a given day and to plan accordingly, the principal benefit is to the student body. Structure means routine for school kids, which is to the school’s advantage since it results in kids developing learning habits and punctuality, since students know when lessons will be. Ultimately, the timetable helps the school to maintain discipline among its student body.
School timetables let everyone — teachers, pupils and even parents — know what’s coming up over the course of the school week, and so give people time to make any necessary preparations. For teachers, this means they can plan the lessons they’ll be delivering, while kids know what equipment to bring each school day and when homework will need to be completed by.
Not every teacher in a given school will be the same. Some will have greater qualifications or experience, while others will only work part time or will be especially specialized. Another role of the school timetable is to ensure these factors are kept in mind while still distributing teaching among the staff body in a fair and equal manner.