Running a language school with multiple branches, age groups, and proficiency levels creates a unique scheduling challenge. When students miss a class, finding a suitable catch-up slot that matches their exact level becomes a time-consuming administrative task.
This case study explores how the Spanish Cultural Association Hong Kong (SCAHK) transformed their catch-up class process from a manual, error-prone system into a streamlined self-service experience—cutting admin time by 50% and eliminating wrong-level bookings entirely.
The Challenge: Catch-Up Chaos Across Two Branches
SCAHK operates two branches in Hong Kong, offering Spanish language classes for children and adults. Like most language schools, they offer free catch-up classes when students miss their regular session.
Before implementing Tutorbase, the catch-up process looked like this:
- Parent contacts admin via WhatsApp or email to report an absence
- Admin checks the schedule to find available slots
- Admin manually verifies the student's CEFR level (A1, A2, B1, etc.)
- Admin cross-references available classes with matching levels
- Admin confirms room capacity for the potential catch-up slot
- Admin sends options back to the parent
- Parent responds with their choice
- Admin books the student into the class
This 8-step process was repeated for every single catch-up request—sometimes dozens per week across both branches.
"We run two branches in Hong Kong and offer free catch-up classes for our kids groups. Before Tutorbase, tracking who missed what and finding a matching level slot was a nightmare."
— David Cornado, Director, SCAHK
The Hidden Costs
Beyond the obvious time investment, the manual process created several problems:
- Wrong-level bookings: Occasionally, a B1 student would end up in an A2 class (or vice versa), disrupting both the student and the class
- Room capacity issues: Admins would sometimes overlook that a room was already at capacity
- Response delays: Parents waiting for admin responses would sometimes book elsewhere or skip the catch-up entirely
- Staff burnout: Repetitive scheduling tasks pulled staff away from higher-value work
The Solution: Level-Matched Self-Service Booking
SCAHK implemented Tutorbase's self-service booking portal with automatic CEFR level filtering. Here's how the new process works:
- Parent logs into the portal using their family account
- Parent marks the absence for their child's regular class
- System automatically shows available catch-up slots that match:
- The child's exact CEFR level (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2)
- The child's age group (kids, teens, adults)
- Classes with available capacity
- Both branch locations
- Parent selects a slot and confirms the booking instantly
The entire process takes under 60 seconds and happens without any admin involvement.
"Now parents book catch-ups themselves and Tutorbase only shows options that actually match their age and level. It's been a game-changer."
— David Cornado, Director, SCAHK
Key Features That Made It Work
1. Native CEFR Level Tracking
Unlike generic scheduling software that requires custom fields and manual filtering, Tutorbase has built-in support for language proficiency levels. Each student profile stores their current CEFR level, and the booking system automatically filters options accordingly.
2. Automatic Room Capacity Enforcement
Every class in Tutorbase has a defined capacity. When Room C is set to a maximum of 6 students, the system automatically removes that option once it's full—no manual checking required.
3. Multi-Branch Visibility
Parents can see available catch-up slots across both SCAHK branches, making it easier to find a convenient time even if their home branch is fully booked.
4. Automatic Package Tracking
SCAHK sells semester packages with a set number of classes. When a student attends a catch-up, their package balance updates automatically. Parents can see their remaining lessons in the portal at any time.
The Results: 50% Less Admin Time, Zero Wrong-Level Bookings
After implementing Tutorbase, SCAHK measured significant improvements:
| Metric | Before | After | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Admin time on rescheduling | ~10 hours/week | ~5 hours/week | 50% reduction |
| Wrong-level bookings | 2-3 per month | 0 | 100% eliminated |
| Lead response time | 4-6 hours | <2 hours | 3x faster |
| Parent satisfaction | Frequent complaints | Positive feedback | Qualitative improvement |
Impact on Staff
The 5+ hours per week saved on catch-up scheduling allowed SCAHK's admin team to focus on:
- Responding to new student inquiries faster (hence the 3x improvement in lead response)
- Planning cultural events and workshops
- Supporting teachers with materials and coordination
- Improving the overall student experience
Implementation: Live in Under a Week
SCAHK's migration to Tutorbase was completed in 5 days:
- Day 1-2: Exported student data from spreadsheets and imported into Tutorbase
- Day 3: Configured CEFR levels, room capacities, and branch settings
- Day 4: Set up the self-service portal and tested with a small group of parents
- Day 5: Rolled out to all families with a simple email announcement
Tutorbase's migration support team assisted with data mapping and validation throughout the process.
Lessons Learned for Other Language Schools
Based on SCAHK's experience, here are key takeaways for language schools considering similar changes:
1. Level Filtering is Non-Negotiable
Generic scheduling tools that don't understand language levels will always require manual intervention. The time savings only come when the system can automatically filter by proficiency.
2. Trust Parents with Self-Service
Many school administrators worry that parents will make mistakes or abuse self-service booking. SCAHK found the opposite: parents appreciated the convenience and made fewer errors than staff handling multiple requests.
3. Start with Catch-Up Classes
Catch-up booking is a great pilot project for self-service. It's lower-stakes than new enrollments and gives parents a chance to learn the system before more complex interactions.
4. Communicate the Change Clearly
SCAHK sent a simple email to parents explaining the new process with screenshots. Clear communication prevented confusion and drove adoption.
Conclusion
For language schools juggling multiple levels, age groups, and locations, manual catch-up scheduling is an unnecessary drain on resources. By implementing level-matched self-service booking, SCAHK eliminated wrong-level bookings, cut admin time in half, and improved parent satisfaction.
The key insight: language schools need software that understands language levels natively, not generic scheduling tools that require constant workarounds.
Ready to eliminate scheduling chaos at your language school? See how Tutorbase works for language schools or get started free.
