E9 - File > Grid Structure

E9 - File > Grid Structure

The following article relates to Edval 9. Click here to be redirected to the equivalent article for Edval 10.

Please note that Edval 9 is a legacy product that is no longer being updated. It is recommended that schools switch to Edval 10 to get the full timetable experience and the benefits of continued development. Click here to find out more about making the move to Edval 10.  


Setting up the grid structure for a school is of optimum importance and dictates the flow of the rest of the timetable. It is for this reason it is important to get it right. Go to File > Grid Structure.


Types of Periods




1. White:   (Ctrl- T) Is a teaching period (this is where all normal scheduled lessons should fall)

2. Yellow:   (Ctrl- O) Is an offline period. Some lessons might occur at this time but they will not appear on the master grid.

3. Orange:  (Ctrl- R) Meal break times such as recess and lunch

4. Grey:  (Ctrl- U) Spacer/ unused periods. If different days have different numbers of periods, you can 'grey out' the unused periods using this function. 


Setting up the Grid


Changing the pattern of periods in the teaching cycle. You can:


* Change the number of days in the cycle, e.g. to have a 1-week cycle, a 2-week cycle, a 7-teaching-day rotating cycle, etc.

* Change the number of periods per day

* Change the position of lunch and recess

* Change the name, time-length and type of each period.


Move around the grid using the arrow keys.  To create a new day, enter information in the far right column.  To increase the number of periods per day, enter information in the far bottom row.  You can also use the INS key to insert a row or column, if you go to the grey area. If you do not have an INS (Insert) key on your keyboard (Apple Macs, or some laptops), select this operation from 'More > Insert new period/day'


Period names should be very short, and ideally just one or perhaps two characters at most. They; 

  • Should NOT have a P prefix - like P1, P2
  • Should NOT be 'Assembly'
  • Should NOT have slashes like 'Duty/RC' - or underscores like 'Bus_Duty'
  • Ideally use period 0 and period 7, not am / pm


Best practice format for 

  • Periods is: 0, RC, 1, 2, R, 3, 4, L1, L2, 5, 6, 7
  • Days is: Mon, Wed. Three characters only - e.g. not 'Thur'
  • Weeks is: WeekA, WeekB - Not Week-1, Week-2. E.g. MonA, WedB


Best practice is to have consistent references, and (importantly) as consistent a grid format as possible. Focus on just numbers, or two characters only. DA and DP for Duty Am or Pm if needed - but prefer 0 or 7 etc. Long period references cause a wide column, which reduces the font size on timetable prints. Long period names cause more confusion with variations, where slightly more cryptic 'row identifiers' lead to less confusion. Almost all end users understand the timetable grid instantly, which has recess and lunch as delineators anyway.


Ideally stick to straight numerals, starting from zero, with very few variations such as:

  • A Assembly
  • RC Roll call
  • R Recess
  • T Tutor
  • H Home group
  • L1 Lunch1
  • L2 Lunch2
  • B Bus duty
  • DA Duty am
  • DP Duty pm