Importing a timetable from TimeTabler

When you import a TimeTabler file, Arbor will look to see which timetable slots have changed and for which effective dates. New timetable slots will be created for new courses/classes within the TimeTabler file, and existing courses/classes will have their effective dates extended if all that has changed is the time period.

Effective dates are the dates within an academic year that a timetable slot is active for. For example, you may decide that you'll be having a different timetable in Spring term than in Autumn term. You will set the effective date of the timetable in TimeTabler, and the slots created when you import the file will end on this date. You would then need to import a new TimeTabler file for spring term, or extend your timetable slots in Arbor if you decide not to change your timetable. 

Can I import a TimeTabler file early?

You can't import a TimeTabler file that covers dates in two academic years. If you would like to create a timetable that becomes effective towards the end of the summer term, and which remains effective at the start of the next academic year, you must import two TimeTabler files, one with effective dates for summer, and one for the next academic year.

How does it map the academic year information?

Arbor will recognise the academic year stated within your timetable file and look to see if there is a corresponding academic year that already exists on Arbor. If there isn’t, the import process will ask you to select a date range for the new academic year you want to set up. This would occur when you are importing a timetable for a new upcoming academic year. Otherwise, if you are importing a new timetable for the current academic year, the academic year will remain the same and not be editable.

If you have previously imported a timetable from TimeTabler for the current academic year and are importing a new file, make sure you don't change the subject short name in TimeTabler. This will prevent duplicate courses from being set up when reimporting. The short name is used to help Arbor reference the course to remember what was mapped previously.

To prevent events being mapped incorrectly to duplicate staff, check in School > Data > Data Quality Dashboard > Suspected duplicates > Staff. Resolve them using these instructions: Resolve duplicate staff

Step One is to import the academic year and map the year groups and registration forms to your existing ones. The names on the left-hand side refer to the groups set up in TimeTabler. The groups that appear in the drop-down menus refer to the groups you have already set up in Arbor.

For each drop-down list select one of the potential options. For example:

• Map to - The sessions in TimeTabler for the 7A Registration form will be scheduled for the 7FH form in Arbor. We recommend using this option wherever possible. You can map multiple TimeTabler groups to the same group in Arbor.
• Skip - You will have to create your own group on Arbor and link the courses and classes manually to the correct group.
• Import - Creates a new group in Arbor. For registration forms, this also schedules timetable slots for this group based on the timetable in TimeTabler. For registration forms, you have the option to import this student group as a registration form or teaching group.

Once you have completed the mapping, click the green Next button.

Arbor will then save your settings in the background.

When it's finished processing, click the notification to return to the import and complete the next step. Don't see the notification? Try refreshing your page.

Click on In progress to continue the next step.

Step 2 imports sites and rooms from the TimeTabler file. For each drop-down list select one of the potential options. For example:

• Map to - The sessions in TimeTabler for in the room will be linked to the room selecting in Arbor. We recommend using this option wherever possible. You can map multiple TimeTabler rooms to the same room in Arbor.
• Skip - The lessons on your timetable will not have those rooms assigned, and you will need to assign rooms manually after the import process is complete.
• Import - Where the site/room does not currently exist in Arbor, you can create a new one by selecting Import.

Once you have completed the mapping, click the green Next button.

Arbor will then save your settings in the background.

When it's finished processing, click the notification to return to the import and complete the next step. Don't see the notification? Try refreshing your page.

Click on In progress to continue the next step.

Step 3 is to import or map your academic leads/teachers. The names and abbreviations on the left are the teachers in TimetTabler, the names in the drop-down boxes are your staff that exist in Arbor. For each drop-down list select one of the potential options.

• Map to - Any courses linked to the staff member in TimeTabler will be linked to the mapped staff member in Arbor.
• Skip - Courses in your timetable will not have those staff assigned, and you will need to assign staff manually after the import process is complete.
• Import - Where the staff member does not currently exist in Arbor, you can create a new one by selecting Import. We recommend adding new staff members through the usual route of School > All Staff > Add new staff member rather than selecting Import (creates new record) if you have new staff members in TimeTabler file that have not yet been added onto Arbor.

Once you have completed the mapping, click the green Next button.

Arbor will then save your settings in the background.

When it's finished processing, click the notification to return to the import and complete the next step. Don't see the notification? Try refreshing your page. 

Click on In progress to continue the next step.

If you have selected to import any teachers, you need to set them up as staff members. Click into their name.

In the slide over, give them a title, name, email address and business role at a minimum. 

In this step, you can see a list of subjects within your TimeTabler file and map each subject from your file to a top-level course that we have on Arbor. We recommend you use this if there's a direct mapping available (e.g. Mathematics to Maths). Alternatively, you can select No direct mapping available (you'll be able to map later) if there is no direct mapping available.

• If you're importing a timetable mid-year, please map as many of your subjects as possible. This will prevent duplicate courses from being created. The list available to map is based on the courses you have set up in Arbor already.
• If you have not set up any courses (for example if you're importing a timetable for next year), you can import them all. This will create new top-level courses.
• if there is no direct mapping available (e.g. the subject in TimeTabler is Mathematics, but in Arbor is KS3 Mathematics or KS4 Mathematics), you can select No direct mapping available (you'll be able to map later).

Arbor will then save your settings in the background.

When it's finished processing, click the notification to return to the import and complete the next step. Don't see the notification? Try refreshing your page. 

Click on In progress to continue the next step.

Next, you can map DfE subjects to your top-level courses. Class subjects are required for the Spring School census so we recommend adding this information in, but you can choose to either map or skip.

Arbor will then save your settings in the background.

When it's finished processing, click the notification to return to the import and complete the next step. Don't see the notification? Try refreshing your page. 

Click on In progress to continue the next step.

Next, you'll need to import or map your Course and Classes. There is no way to not import or map a class - you can either import and delete, or omit those classes from your TimeTabler file and reimport.

Any bottom-level courses that you have previously imported a timetable for this year will automatically be mapped. Importing will create a new course.

Top Tip: Have a lot of courses to map? Click the Don't log me out button regularly.

Arbor will then save your settings in the background.

When it's finished processing, click the notification to return to the import and complete the next step. Don't see the notification? Try refreshing your page. 

Click on In progress to continue the next step.

For any classes you imported that are connected to a subject you didn’t map in the first step, you can add them to an existing top level course in Arbor.

If you can’t find a relevant top level course to match to, you’ll need to make add a new top level course via School > Programmes > Courses and return to this page.

Arbor will then save your settings in the background.

When it's finished processing, click the notification to return to the import and complete the next step. Don't see the notification? Try refreshing your page. 

Click on In progress to continue the next step.

In this step, you can import any Non-teaching Activities (NTAs) you've set up in TimeTabler. This can include Guaranteed Planning, Preparation and Assessment (PPA) Time, meetings or other types of events. They will be imported as Events in Arbor.

• You will need to decide whether to map the NTA to an existing event type in Arbor, or to create a new event type.
• For each NTA, you can select whether or not the event should flag as requiring cover when a staff member is absent. Don't worry - you can amend this at a later date if needed.

Once you have completed your selection, click the green Next button.

Each session of NTA will import as a separate repeating event. This means that if in TimeTabler the 'Home' event happens every week on a Tuesday and Thursday, one event will be created that ones on Tuesday, and one on Thursday.

Arbor will then save your settings in the background.

When it's finished processing, click the notification to return to the import and complete the next step. Don't see the notification? Try refreshing your page. 

Click on In progress to continue the next step.

The final step imports timetable slots from the TimeTabler file on Arbor. Double-check that the days of the week have been matched correctly.

• If they have not, Cancel the import, edit your file in TimeTabler and re-import.
• If they have, click Finish.

Arbor will then save your settings in the background.

When it's finished processing, click the notification to return to the import and complete the next step. Don't see the notification? Try refreshing your page. 

Click on In progress to continue the next step.

When you click the notification, you can see your completed Timetabler import.

Click on the ‘Updates’ column of the table to view all the actions that have been taken so far.

Information that needs reviewing is marked in red. You can then click it to resolve the issue.

If there is no missing data from TimeTabler and you're still getting these errors, please contact the Arbor Support Team if supported by Arbor and reference code 1004, or your Support Partner if not supported by Arbor.

Error types include:

• Academic year is missing from TimeTabler XML file.
• Missing site name in TimeTabler XML file
• Missing room code in TimeTabler XML file.
• Missing room name in TimeTabler XML file
• Teacher name is in invalid format in TimeTabler XML file
• Missing subject name in TimeTabler XML file
• Missing subject code in TimeTabler XML file
• Missing year group name from TimeTabler XML file
• Missing registration form short name from TimeTabler XML file
• Room cannot be found for lesson
• Subject cannot be found for lesson
• Day cannot be found for lesson
• Period cannot be found for lesson
• Lesson end time cannot be determined

Returning to the Import Timetable Overview, the final step is to schedule the timetable slots from within your TimeTabler file. Click Completed.

Your timetable slots from the TimeTabler file you have imported will be flagged as Provisional and will not appear on any timetable outputs such as the school timetable until they are scheduled. Click the provisional tab, then tick the boxes next to the sessions you wish to schedule. Then click on the Bulk action button to Schedule provisional timetable slots. 

Make sure that everything is correct, then click Schedule. The timetable slots will be moved to the Scheduled tab.

When a timetable is ended, sessions are deleted. This means that any functionality based on these sessions that no longer exist will be wiped, and you will need to set these again:

• Cover
• Timetable Slot Student Exceptions