# Reschedule tutoring session workflow: requests and decisions

> Record each change request, check notice, get an admin decision, and confirm the new time in the family's and teacher's time zones.

URL: https://halqora.com/blog/rescheduling-request-workflow
Last updated: 2026-10-21

Published: 2026-10-21 · By Halqora team

Use one rescheduling path: record the request, reason, original class, proposed time, and request timestamp, then have an admin approve or deny it under the notice policy. Confirm any approved replacement in the family's and teacher's time zones, and keep the original class linked to the replacement.

> **Key facts:** - As of 21 October 2026, Preply's tutor cancellation policy requires at least 12 hours of notice.
> - As of 21 October 2026, IQRA Network's terms require student cancellations at least 4 hours ahead and reschedules within 30 days.
> - As of 21 October 2026, Studio Arabiya's terms allow rescheduling up to 2 hours before class.

> **Definition:** A rescheduling request is a proposed class change awaiting a decision; a proposed time is not a confirmed booking.

## Why do ad hoc changes break billing and pay?

Ad hoc rescheduling separates the calendar from the reason a class moved. If you replace the original time without preserving the request, you lose the evidence needed to apply notice rules. Billing and payroll then depend on someone's memory of whether the student cancelled, the teacher was unavailable, or the academy approved a replacement.

Separate the scheduling decision from the financial decision. Approving another time does not, by itself, explain what happens to the original charge. Your guidance on [late cancellation notice windows](https://halqora.com/blog/late-cancellation-notice-windows) should make that distinction clear before a dispute starts.

## What are the 5 steps in a rescheduling workflow?

A rescheduling workflow needs a recorded request, a notice check, an admin decision, a confirmation, and a final outcome. Assign responsibility at every step so a proposed time cannot become a booking by assumption. Families should know whether the academy is still checking availability or has confirmed the replacement with the teacher.

1. **Record the request.** Capture the requester, reason, original class, proposed replacement, and when the request arrived.
2. **Check notice.** Compare the actual cancellation time with the original start. Keep the request time and decision time separate.
3. **Decide.** The admin checks availability and policy, then records approval or denial with a short explanation.
4. **Confirm.** Send the approved date, time, and named time zone to the family and teacher. Ask each recipient to acknowledge the booking.
5. **Close the original.** Record the correct outcome and link any replacement.

Use a separate procedure for [makeup classes without calendar chaos](https://halqora.com/blog/makeup-classes-without-calendar-chaos) when the replacement still needs a date.

## What counts as enough notice in published policies?

Published notice windows differ because the policies cover different people and actions. A student reschedule allowance cannot stand in for a teacher cancellation rule. Read the actor, action, deadline, and exception together. The examples below describe vendor policies as of 21 October 2026; they are useful reference points rather than a shared industry standard.

Ijaazah's FAQ says students can reschedule with at least 6 hours of notice, or 1 hour for sudden emergencies. That explicit emergency allowance may suit families who need a stated route for unexpected disruption.

IQRA Network's published 30-day replacement deadline may suit an academy that wants a clear end to outstanding makeups. Its terms also say a teacher cancellation makes the student eligible for a full refund for that session.

Studio Arabiya distinguishes rescheduling from cancellation: its terms allow cancellation up to 30 minutes before class, while late cancellations receive no refund or makeup. Do not merge those deadlines into a general change window.

italki's instructor terms say neither teachers nor students may cancel or reschedule within 24 hours except in true emergencies. Wyzant's cancellation-policy guidance lets tutors set policies, but calls notice requirements above 36 hours or charges above the session cost abusive.

These are platform terms, not statements of your country's law. This is general information, not legal or tax advice; check with an adviser in your country.

## How should you handle teacher-initiated changes?

Teacher-initiated changes need an explicit admin decision because the family is losing an agreed appointment. Ask the teacher for the reason and actual cancellation time, then tell the family what happens next. Keep responsibility for arranging the replacement with the academy so the family does not have to negotiate between separate messages.

Preply says tutor cancellations count toward a 90-day cancellation rate, and repeated cancellations and absences can reduce search visibility. Preserve that pattern rather than overwrite the calendar.

Handle an emergency promptly, then record the decision and reason. If the response involves [teacher absence and substitute cover](https://halqora.com/blog/teacher-absent-substitute-cover), keep the staffing decision separate from confirmation of the family's new appointment.

## Who owns each workflow step, and what gets recorded?

| Step | Who | What gets recorded | Target time |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1. Request | Teacher contacts academy; admin records family or teacher request | Reason, original class, proposed time, request timestamp | When received |
| 2. Notice check | System where supported; otherwise admin | Notice in hours before original start | Before decision |
| 3. Decision | Admin | Approve or deny, explanation, decision timestamp | Before confirmation |
| 4. Confirmation | Admin; system where supported | New date and time in family's and teacher's zones | After approval |
| 5. Outcome | Admin; system where supported | Original marked rescheduled or cancelled as appropriate; replacement linked | When change is finalized |

The workflow table assigns responsibility without promising an admin response time you cannot support. These target times describe sequence, not a service guarantee. Check which records your software supports. A manual confirmation remains necessary when the system does not send an approved-change notice.

## What should request and confirmation messages say?

Request and confirmation messages should make the booking status unmistakable. A request asks for a decision; a confirmation states the decision already made. Include the original class in both messages so the recipient knows which appointment changed. Name the time zone beside each time, especially when the family and teacher live in different places.

**Request template:** “Please review a change to [student]'s class on [original date, time, zone]. Requested by: [person]. Reason: [reason]. Proposed replacement: [date, time, zone]. Request received: [timestamp and zone]. The replacement is awaiting approval.”

**Confirmation template:** “The academy has approved the change to [student]'s class originally scheduled for [date, time, zone]. The replacement is [date and family time zone], which is [date and teacher time zone] for the teacher. Original class outcome: [outcome]. Please confirm you have received the new booking.”

For a denial, state the reason and whether the original booking remains in place.

## How Halqora handles this

Halqora is management software for online academies that schedules, bills, and pays one-to-one classes. [Halqora scheduling](https://halqora.com/features/scheduling) uses scheduling rules in each IANA time zone. Teachers have no change-request screen today; teachers contact the academy, and admins handle changes. Families need no account, and an admin should communicate approved changes directly.

Fixed outcome rules include a 3-hour student cancellation window. A teacher cancellation under 4 hours becomes a teacher no-show when an admin approves a change request or sets the status; the conversion is not automatic. Families are not charged for teacher cancellations or teacher no-shows.

## Sources

- Preply's tutor cancellation policy, checked 21 October 2026
- IQRA Network's terms of service, checked 21 October 2026
- Studio Arabiya's terms, checked 21 October 2026
- Ijaazah's rescheduling FAQ, checked 21 October 2026
- italki's instructor terms, checked 21 October 2026
- Wyzant's cancellation-policy guidance, checked 21 October 2026

## Questions

### How much notice is required for rescheduling?

There is no standard notice window. As of 21 October 2026, Ijaazah publishes 6 hours, IQRA Network requires student cancellations at least 4 hours ahead, and Studio Arabiya allows rescheduling up to 2 hours ahead. Preply's tutor cancellation window is 12 hours; italki's terms use 24 hours except for true emergencies. Check whose change each rule covers.

### Should teachers be able to reschedule classes directly?

A request followed by an admin decision gives you a clearer record than an unexplained calendar edit. Keep the reason, original time, request timestamp, decision, and replacement together. As of 21 October 2026, Preply counts tutor cancellations toward a 90-day cancellation rate. Halqora has no teacher-facing change-request screen; teachers contact the academy and admins handle schedule changes.

### What counts as a last-minute cancellation?

Your published policy defines a last-minute cancellation. Measure notice from when the person actually cancelled, rather than when an admin read the message. As of 21 October 2026, Wyzant says policies requiring more than 36 hours of notice or charging more than the session cost are abusive under its platform rules. Those platform limits are not a universal legal standard.

### Is there a limit on how far a class can be moved?

Publish a replacement deadline so unresolved classes do not keep drifting forward. As of 21 October 2026, IQRA Network's terms require reschedules within 30 days and allow each lesson to be rescheduled once. Your workflow should record the deadline and link the replacement to the original class. Halqora does not provide configurable makeup caps or holiday rules.