Peñalara GHC

Overview

Peñalara GHC is timetable-planning software for schools and other educational institutions. It suits scheduling teams working through many teacher, room and student-group constraints, and it pairs automated timetable building with editing and day-to-day schedule management. Its central trade-off is that the paid planner is single-user and cannot run over a network.

Key features

Planning and optimisation

The planner imports academic data, handles complex timetables and distinguishes mandatory conditions from flexible preferences. It can analyse combinations of conditions that prove impossible, helping staff revise requirements rather than repeatedly working from an unsatisfiable plan. GHC Optimum searches for a balanced timetable against the criteria users set. That makes the software relevant where constraints interact, though the outcome still depends on how well the institution configures its preferences.

Teacher and room constraints, student-group scheduling and conflict detection address common sources of timetable clashes. These are practical foundations for schedule planning, not a substitute for reviewing assignments: the editor can flag possible conflicts and report on assignments and whether preferences were met.

Editing, exchange and daily management

The editor supports drag-and-drop changes, so staff can adjust a generated schedule rather than accept it as final. GHC can exchange data in CSV, DBase, Paradox, XML, Excel and PDF formats, which gives institutions several routes to move timetables into other tools. For XADE, export from GHC to the manager is possible, but only import from the manager into GHC is guaranteed.

GHC App provides browser and mobile access for administrators, department heads, teachers and students. Its profiles support calendar publishing, absence and substitution management, and reports. This extends the workflow beyond schedule creation, but it does not remove the core program's single-user, non-network license restriction. GHC stores information locally or in an enabled cloud repository.

Pricing

The free options are narrow entry points. GHC Demo costs nothing and gives 10 teachers, 15 days and up to 3 computer activations. GHC Lite costs nothing, has reduced functionality and allows up to 3 computer activations; no teacher quota is stated for Lite. Neither is equivalent to the full application.

Paid GHC Optimum plans are annual subscriptions that include the full application, technical support and maintenance updates with new functionalities for one year. Each permits up to 10 computer activations, while the teacher ceiling varies by plan:

• Up to 10 teachers: $8,300 a year; renewal USD 55,00.
• Up to 15 teachers: $12,000 a year; renewal USD 79,00.
• Up to 20 teachers: $15,700 a year; renewal USD 103,00.
• Up to 25 teachers: $19,400 a year; renewal USD 127,00.
• Up to 30 teachers: $23,100 a year; renewal USD 151,00.
• Up to 35 teachers: $26,800 a year; renewal USD 175,00.
• Up to 40 teachers: $30,500 a year; renewal USD 199,00.
• Up to 45 teachers: $34,200 a year; renewal USD 223,00.

Choose by the number of teachers the timetable must cover, bearing in mind that the activation ceiling stays at 10 across these tiers. The renewal amounts are substantially lower than the first-year prices as stated; confirm the renewal terms before committing. The demo's 15-day window is useful for evaluating a real scheduling workflow, while Lite is the ongoing free option with reduced functionality.

Platforms

The program runs on Windows versions starting with Windows 7. Peñalara says Linux users can run the Windows program through PlayOnLinux or Wine. GHC App has web and mobile versions; the platform listing includes Android and iOS. Website communication uses an Extended Validation SSL certificate. The EULA says Peñalara acts as a data processor, applies technical and organisational security measures, and may use Microsoft Ibérica cloud services for GHC servers.

Who it's for

GHC is a strong fit for institutions that need automated planning around complex conditions, then want staff to inspect and revise the result and publish schedules for ongoing use. Its teacher-based tiers help match a license to institution size. It is a weaker fit when several users need to operate the planning software over a network, since the paid license is single-user and network operation is not possible.

Peñalara Software focuses on education and says it has supported thousands of institutions worldwide for more than 25 years. Customer service is available by phone, email and Skype during weekday hours in Madrid time: Monday–Thursday 8:30–14:00 and 15:00–18:30, and Friday 8:30–14:30.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Automated planning handles strict and flexible conditions, with analysis of impossible combinations to help refine requirements.
• Pros: Drag-and-drop editing, conflict warnings and preference-compliance reports give staff ways to review and adjust generated schedules.
• Pros: GHC App extends timetable access to administrators, teachers and students and supports absences and substitutions.
• Cons: The paid planner is single-user and cannot operate over a network, limiting shared schedule-building workflows.
• Cons: Full functionality requires a paid annual subscription, and even the largest stated tier is capped at 45 teachers and 10 computer activations.
• Cons: XADE integration is asymmetric: exporting from GHC is possible, while the guaranteed direction is import from the manager to GHC.

Alternatives

Choose FET if you want free software with no stated usage limits and support for Linux, macOS and Windows. UniTime is another free, open-source option, with commercial support available for a fee and web, self-hosted and API platforms among its supported environments. For a web-based K–12 scheduler with a free beta, consider GC Education Analytics K–12 Master Scheduler. SchoolGrid may suit schools wanting a web-based free evaluation with a 30-day scheduling and publishing period, up to 15 drafts during evaluation, and staff entry and roster import.

Consider TimetableMaster if its platform range, including Android, iOS, web and desktop systems, matches your deployment needs. UniversiTools Schedulers is a web option with scope and pricing set through a separate proposal or agreement. aSc Timetables offers a free trial that allows schedule generation before purchase, but export is unavailable in that trial. Tes Timetable is another paid option for web and Windows.

Browse the School Scheduling Software directory to compare more options.

Verdict

Its planning and reporting tools make a compelling case for complex schedules, but the single-user, non-network license is the key reason to look elsewhere if timetable construction must be shared across a team.