There are very few secondary teachers that would argue with the view that the role of the timetabler is one of the most difficult in the school. Most teachers have a certain respect for what they describe as a thankless task, while many senior leaders seem to display a mild fascination with it, riddled with an underlying fear of the day when they are asked to do it themselves. But does the school timetable deserve this negative image? What is it about the role that scares people? Are the rewards of the job great enough to throw yourself into the deep end? If you had to do it, would you sink or swim?