# Free time-zone class schedule template (Google Sheets)

> Build a class schedule with local start times, IANA zones and dated UTC offsets, so teacher and family times stay clear through clock changes.

URL: https://halqora.com/blog/time-zone-class-schedule-template
Last updated: 2026-10-21

Published: 2026-10-21 · By Halqora team

A time-zone class schedule template needs each class's local start time, [IANA zone](https://iana.org/time-zones) and UTC offset for the class date, rather than a fixed time difference. Under rules current on 21 October 2026, [London–Cairo's gap](https://data.iana.org/time-zones/tzdb/africa) ranges from 1 to 3 hours during 2026.

> **Key facts:** - Store a named zone and a date: the [IANA Time Zone Database](https://iana.org/time-zones) supplies rules for calculating local offsets and changes when governments change those rules.
> - Pakistan stays at UTC+5 without daylight saving time, according to [IANA's Asia rules](https://data.iana.org/time-zones/tzdb/asia), as of 21 October 2026.
> - UK clocks move forward on the last Sunday in March and back on the last Sunday in October, according to the UK clock-change schedule, as of 21 October 2026.

> **Definition:** An anchor zone is the named time zone whose local lesson time stays fixed when another participant's clock changes.

## What's in the template?

The template layout below separates the recurring agreement from the dated conversion. Keep the family, teacher, weekday and anchor time together, then record the offset and teacher time for the relevant class date. You can copy the column names into Google Sheets without assuming that the spreadsheet automatically understands time-zone rules or updates offsets for you.

## Which columns does the schedule need, and why?

The schedule needs enough context for another admin to understand the agreement without reading old messages. A clock time without a zone is incomplete; an offset without a date can become stale. Use the columns below as a copyable layout, and keep the agreed lesson duration separate from the start time so changes remain clear.

| Column | Example | Why it matters |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Student/family | Family name | Identifies the agreement |
| Teacher | Teacher name | Identifies whose availability to check |
| Weekday | Agreed lesson day | Defines the weekly recurrence |
| Local start time | Agreed anchor time | Records the time that stays fixed |
| Anchor IANA zone | Europe/London | Identifies the applicable clock rules |
| Duration (minutes) | Agreed class length | Keeps length separate from start time |
| Teacher IANA zone | Asia/Karachi | Identifies the teacher's clock rules |
| Offset on date (UTC hours) | Dated lookup result | Prevents reuse of a stale offset |
| Teacher local time | Converted time and date | Shows when the teacher attends |
| Start date/end date | Agreed schedule dates | Defines when the agreement applies |
| Video link | Private class link | Keeps joining details with the schedule |
| Notes | Confirm in gap weeks | Records checks and exceptions |

## How do you fill it in with the anchor zone first?

Choose the anchor zone before calculating anyone else's time. Usually the family's agreed local time is the anchor, but teacher availability may determine the agreement instead. Write down that choice explicitly. Otherwise, both people can reasonably expect their own clock time to stay fixed, and a correct conversion still produces a disagreement about the lesson.

1. Enter the agreed weekday, local start time and named anchor zone.
2. Add the teacher's named zone and the schedule's start and end dates.
3. Look up both offsets for the actual class date and record the teacher's converted time.
4. Check classes around clock changes and confirm any changed local time with both people.

**Example:** A Karachi teacher's lesson anchored at 5pm in Asia/Karachi appears at 12 noon in UK winter and 1pm during BST. The teacher's time stays fixed; the UK family's time changes.

For a fuller working process, use the guide to [scheduling across time zones](https://halqora.com/blog/schedule-online-classes-across-time-zones).

## Why does a single time difference column break?

A single time difference column fails because places change clocks on different dates, or do not change clocks at all. The difference belongs to a particular date, rather than permanently to a pair of cities. Keep the named zones as the recurring agreement and treat each dated offset as a result you need to check.

Under rules current on 21 October 2026, the London–Cairo gap is 2 hours through 28 March, 1 hour from 29 March through 23 April, and 2 hours from 24 April through 24 October. The gap becomes 3 hours from 25–29 October, then returns to 2 hours from 30 October, if the current Egyptian rule holds.

## Which clock-change weeks should you check in 2026–2027?

Clock-change checks should focus on lessons whose participants follow different rules. Review the actual lesson times inside each window, because a transition happens at a particular local time. The dates below reflect rules current on 21 October 2026. Recheck future schedules when time-zone rules change, especially for Egyptian classes if the current rule holds.

The [US daylight saving rules from NIST](https://nist.gov/pml/time-and-frequency-division/popular-links/daylight-saving-time-dst) use the second Sunday in March and first Sunday in November. The UK follows different Sundays, creating these mismatch windows:

- **2026:** 8–29 March and 25 October–1 November; New York is 4 hours behind London during the mismatch, instead of 5 hours.
- **2027:** 14–28 March and 31 October–7 November; the same temporary difference applies.
- **Egypt:** Review late April and late October if the current rule holds, including the London–Cairo changes listed above.

For Canada, use the province's rules. According to [IANA's time-zone release notes](https://data.iana.org/time-zones/tzdb/NEWS), as of 21 October 2026, British Columbia, Alberta, the Northwest Territories and Manitoba will not fall back on 1 November 2026. Do not copy a US adjustment across every Canadian family.

## When does a spreadsheet stop being enough?

A spreadsheet stops being enough when maintaining the schedule requires repeated checking and copying that you struggle to review. Watch for changed times that never reach the teacher, conflicting versions of the schedule, or lessons copied separately into billing and pay records. Those problems show that the schedule needs a shared operational process as well as clear columns.

Use the [signs you've outgrown spreadsheets](https://halqora.com/blog/signs-academy-outgrown-spreadsheets) to assess whether you can still trust those handoffs.

## How Halqora handles this

Halqora is management software for online academies. [Halqora scheduling](https://halqora.com/features/scheduling) stores scheduling rules in each IANA time zone. Admins see calendars in the academy's zone; teachers see their own zone. Halqora handles one-to-one classes within its fixed set of Quran and Islamic subjects.

As of 21 October 2026, [Starter costs USD 39/mo for up to 25 active students](https://halqora.com/pricing).

## Sources

- [IANA Time Zone Database overview](https://iana.org/time-zones), checked 21 October 2026
- [IANA Africa time-zone rules](https://data.iana.org/time-zones/tzdb/africa), checked 21 October 2026
- [IANA Asia time-zone rules](https://data.iana.org/time-zones/tzdb/asia), checked 21 October 2026
- UK government clock-change schedule, checked 21 October 2026
- [NIST daylight saving time rules](https://nist.gov/pml/time-and-frequency-division/popular-links/daylight-saving-time-dst), checked 21 October 2026
- [IANA time-zone database release notes](https://data.iana.org/time-zones/tzdb/NEWS), checked 21 October 2026

## Questions

### Why not just add a time difference column?

A fixed time difference becomes wrong when countries change clocks on different dates. Pakistan does not observe daylight saving time, while the UK and US do. Keep each participant's named zone and record offsets for actual class dates, rather than reusing a difference calculated before a clock change.

### Which time zone should the schedule use?

Choose an anchor zone for each class, usually the family's zone because that defines the agreed time. Write an IANA name such as Europe/London, then show the teacher's local time separately. Explain whose local time stays fixed when clocks change, and get agreement before entering the recurring lesson.

### When should I move from a spreadsheet to software?

Consider software when keeping the schedule correct depends on repeated manual checks, copied billing entries or repairs to double-bookings. A spreadsheet can display a plan, but you still need a process for dated conversions and changes. Look for scheduling software that stores the recurring agreement in its named time zone.

### Which weeks should I double-check?

For US-UK classes, review 8–29 March and 25 October–1 November in 2026, then 14–28 March and 31 October–7 November in 2027. These windows follow rules current on 21 October 2026. Check the class's actual date and time within each window. Review Egyptian classes around late April and late October if the current rule holds, and check Canadian provinces separately.