The Rota Generator Guide
A quick guide to creating simple school rotas without wrestling with formulas, macros or a complicated scheduling system.
Choose the date range, mark the dates that should be skipped, enter the people or groups taking turns, then let the workbook create the rota. It is designed for modern versions of Microsoft Excel and can be reused for many different jobs around a school.
Choose the dates, then follow the coloured tabs from left to right
The workbook has been deliberately arranged so that the visible workflow on START HERE matches the order of the worksheet tabs.
Choose the dates
On START HERE, enter the start and end dates for any range of up to 12 months.
CALENDAR
Mark holidays, individual NO EVENT dates and any whole weeks that should be left out.
SETUP
Choose Daily, Weekly or Fortnightly, enter up to 30 people/groups, then select CREATE ROTA.
ROTA
Check the generated allocation. The Notes column is available for brief manual notes.
Choose the print view on PRINT, then use PRINT OUTPUT as the clean sheet to print.
Do the calendar before you set up the rota
The CALENDAR is created automatically from the date range on START HERE. Marking the exceptions first means SETUP can then concentrate on who is taking turns and how often the rota happens.
HOLIDAY or NO EVENT
Mark a single date and the generator leaves it out when the rota is created.
One choice for the week
Use the orange WHOLE WEEK control when an entire displayed week should be excluded.
If people take turns, it can probably be a rota
The workbook is not tied to assemblies. Use the same master generator for different jobs — but save each finished rota as its own Excel workbook.
Assembly leaders
A weekly rota sharing assemblies between senior leaders, teachers, year teams or classes.
Tutor-group jobs
A daily rota for equipment, notices, board jobs, resources or other responsibilities among tutees.
Playground duty
Rotate staff or teams through lunchtime, break-time or supervision responsibilities.
Library or equipment
Share library monitoring, device checks, sports equipment or resource duties.
Pupil presentations
Give pupils, pairs or groups a regular turn for presentations, class roles or weekly responsibilities.
Daily, weekly or fortnightly
Different jobs need different patterns. The rota generator gives you three straightforward choices rather than a page full of scheduling options.
Monday to Friday
Ideal for tutor-group jobs, monitors and responsibilities that change every school day.
Choose the weekday
Useful for assemblies, meetings, presentations and jobs that happen once each week.
Every other week
Useful when a duty or event follows a two-week timetable or simply does not need a weekly turn.
The generated rota is the result — not the place to rebuild it
ROTA
Review the generated dates and people. FAIRNESS provides a simple balance check.
SETUP / CALENDAR
Return the rota to SETTING UP, make the changes, then select CREATE ROTA again.
PRINT → PRINT OUTPUT
Choose the view on PRINT, then switch to PRINT OUTPUT for the clean printable rota.
The Rota Generator quick-reference guide
Most of the workbook can be remembered in one line:
| What you want to do | Where to go | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Choose the date range | START HERE | Enter start and end dates covering up to 12 months. |
| Exclude dates | CALENDAR | Mark HOLIDAY, NO EVENT or a whole holiday week. |
| Set up and create the rota | SETUP | Choose the frequency, enter up to 30 people/groups, then select CREATE ROTA. |
| Check the allocation | ROTA | Review the generated rota and type only in Notes. |
| Choose what to print | Choose the full rota, a custom date range or an individual person/group. | |
| Print the finished rota | PRINT OUTPUT | Use the clean output sheet for printing. |
School Rota
Calendar ✓
People ✓
Rota ✓
Print ✓
Download the School Rota Generator
Create reusable school rotas in a macro-free Excel workbook. Choose any date range of up to 12 months, save each completed rota under its own filename, and use another copy of the generator whenever you need a new rota.
- Up to 30 people, groups or classes
- Daily, Weekly or Fortnightly patterns
- Holiday, NO EVENT and whole-week exclusions
- Generated rota plus a simple balance check
- Full-range, custom-range and individual print views
- Designed for modern versions of Microsoft Excel
