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Key concepts
Who this is for: Anyone configuring or running the rota
What you'll achieve: Learn the vocabulary used across SchoolRota
Zones
A zone is a physical or logical place of duty: for example KS1 Play, Dinner Hall, or Cloakrooms. Each duty slot belongs to one zone.
Duty slots and assignments
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Duty slot | A zone + time window + requirements on a day revision |
| Split session | Two consecutive slots on the same duty area (first half / second half), so different people can cover one clock window without both being there at once |
| Lunch sitting | Children's lunch as duty cover: two times on the hall or playground (or two posts), not a staff lunch break |
| Assignment | A person placed on a slot (for example as lead) |
| Weekly template | The recurring Mon–Fri pattern used to materialise each day |
| Existing timetable | Last year's duty cover, uploaded in Setup: one school-wide file, or one file per person (loose files or one zip) merged into a single duty roster |
Skills (who may cover a post)
A skill is a flag on a person, such as first aider, can lead duty, or a name you add (for example Gate duty).
| Setting | Where |
|---|---|
| Tick skills on a person | Staff → Edit |
| Require a skill on a session | Day structure → duty session cover, or the weekly template cover rules |
Cover then only proposes people who have that skill, and every person on that session must hold it. This is how you limit a post to certain people without a separate eligibility grid. Anyone without the skill stays in the general pool for other posts.
Never and a grade set to Cannot be used still apply to every post.
Cover preference
How often a person should be used on duty:
| Preference | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Often | First choice for cover |
| Sometimes | Fine to use in the normal pool |
| Only if needed | Use only when others are unavailable |
| Never | Do not place on duty |
Spreadsheet imports can also encode this with traffic-light cell colours (green, amber, red). See Importing staff.
Grades and cover order
Grades band staff (Teaching Assistants, Professional Services, Office, Teaching Staff, Leadership, and so on). Each grade has a traffic light:
| Light | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Can be used if available | Normal cover pool |
| Only if seriously needed | Use only when you are short |
| Cannot be used | Never asked for cover |
Recompute, chat replace, and clash resolve ask Often staff first, then Sometimes, then Only if needed. Within the same cover preference, available-grade support staff are used before teachers. Only-if-needed staff stay out until nobody marked Often or Sometimes is free. Rebuild also releases unpinned only-if-needed (or Sometimes) people from the weekly template when higher-preference cover is free. Changing cover preference on Staff or in chat does not move people already on a built board until you rebuild that day or week.
New schools get an Office grade for reception and admin teams. Import maps office/admin teams there, and office job titles default to Only if needed so support staff stay first in the cover pool.
Day revision lifecycle
mermaid
flowchart LR
Template[Weekly template] --> Build[Build day]
Build --> Draft[Draft revision]
Draft --> Recompute[Propose cover]
Recompute --> Proposed[Proposed draft]
Proposed --> Publish[Publish]
Publish --> Live[Live day]| State | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Draft / proposed | Editable proposal: not yet locked |
| Live / published | Locked for the day; staff are notified per rules |
Publishing always requires an explicit confirm from a duty lead or admin. The engine never auto-publishes.
Compliance badges
On the Today board you will see status such as:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| OK | Requirements met |
| At risk | Close to failing a rule |
| Unfilled | Below the post's minimum staff count (or missing a required skill) |
| Only if needed | A person or grade marked “only if needed” was used |
Weekly blocks
Weekly blocks are recurring teaching or cover activities (phonics, PPA, meetings, and so on). They appear on Week alongside duties so you can see who is already booked.
A lunch break makes the person unavailable for duty in that window. It can be a fixed time, or a short break inside a longer flexible window. Different people can have different windows. Only staff you assign to a lunch break get one on the timetable. Assign groups during setup (Staff lunches, after you check last week's rota) or on Staff → Weekly blocks. The engine will not place them on an overlapping post. A duty lead can still assign them by hand after confirming they will miss that break. See Weekly blocks.
A children's lunch sitting is the opposite: staff on the dining hall or playground while pupils eat. Add two times (or two duty areas) for KS1 then KS2, or split one sitting for a handover. See Initial setup.