Running classes by the term

Swim schools, dance studios, martial arts clubs, yoga and pilates studios and music groups in New Zealand often run by the school term. Families commit for a block, classes have a set number of places, and the holidays are a break. Here is how to set that up so the term runs itself.

Set each class up with a capacity

A class is a service with a capacity: the number of people who can book the same session. Set a Tuesday 4pm junior class to eight, and it stays bookable until eight people have booked, then shows as full. Each person who books is a normal appointment, with their own confirmation and reminder.

Limit each class to the days and times it runs, so it only appears where it belongs. A beginners' class on Monday and Wednesday after school, an adult class on Thursday evening, a Saturday morning session: each sits in its own window.

Repeat bookings for the term

Most families want the same class every week for the term. A repeat booking lets them book the same time weekly or fortnightly. Each session is its own appointment, so if a child is sick one week, that one session can be cancelled and the place opened to someone else, while the rest of the term stays booked.

Because each session is separate, reminders go out before every class, which matters when the routine is new at the start of term.

Break for the holidays

Block the holiday weeks on your calendar, and no class sessions are offered on those dates. Public holidays can be suggested and closed in a click. A family's repeat booking will not create sessions on blocked dates.

If you run a holiday programme, set it up as its own service with its own capacity, limited to the holiday dates, so it does not mix with term classes.

Fill places and keep a waitlist

When a popular class fills, a waitlist lets families ask for a place. If someone drops out, you can accept the next family into the spot. It saves the beginning-of-term scramble of messages and phone calls.

Questions while booking help too: a child's age, swimming level, any medical notes or emergency contact. The answers sit on each appointment, so the teacher has them at the class.

Before each new term

Toward the end of term, email the families who have ticked to hear from you with next term's timetable. Make sure your booking window reaches far enough ahead for families to book the whole next term, and check each class's capacity is still right for the space and teachers you have.

A worked example

A Palmerston North swim school runs junior lessons after school on weekdays and on Saturday mornings, each with a capacity of six, and an adult squad on two evenings with a capacity of ten. Each lesson is limited to its days and times, so the booking page only shows it where it runs.

At the start of term, families book a weekly repeat for their child's lesson. The school asks each family a few questions while booking, such as the child's age, their current level and any medical notes, and the answers sit on each session for the instructor. Over the holidays the school blocks the holiday weeks, and its holiday programme runs as a separate service with its own capacity. When a family drops out mid-term, the next family on the waitlist is accepted into the place.

Choosing the right capacity

Capacity is about more than the room. Think about how many people one instructor can watch safely, how many lanes or mats or instruments you have, and the experience you want each person to get. It is easier to raise a capacity once a class runs smoothly than to lower it after families have booked.

Keep beginners' classes smaller than advanced ones where you can, because new people need more attention in their first weeks.