Timetable Year 1 – 4-Day Work Week

Problem

Staff workload was unsustainable, and the school had never had a fully centralised timetable. Leadership wanted innovation that didn’t compromise quality.

Context & Diagnosis

Fragmented scheduling was creating inefficiencies, duplication, and uneven workloads. Traditional solutions (adding cover staff, reducing curriculum) were either too costly or unacceptable.

Intervention

I built the school’s first full year long timetable from scratch. Optimised room usage, balanced teaching loads, and restructured allocation patterns to create slack. Simulated multiple models before selecting the design that supported 4-day staff working.

Results

• 100% of staff moved to a 4-day week.
• No drop in curriculum delivery or student outcomes.
• Cultural shift: innovation became seen as possible, not just theoretical.

What I’d do differently

• Build automated clash-detection earlier.
• Engage more staff in co-design upfront.

Standards & Evidence

Mapped to ISO 21001 principles and CMI Level 7 competencies in strategic leadership and organisational efficiency.