Fill in your handover
Add one card per pupil, type the handover directly into the fields, then print the page — each card is formatted to print cleanly, one per section. Nothing you type leaves your browser: it's saved to this device only (via localStorage), never sent anywhere, so you can close the tab and come back to finish later.
No pupils added yet — click "Add a pupil" to start your handover.
What a good handover should include
Most handover templates are just a blank grid. These are the six things that actually save the incoming teacher time — the tool above has a field for each.
1. Current attainment
- Reading, writing and maths levels against age-related expectations — "secure," "working towards," "greater depth" is enough; you don't need full data.
2. SEND and EHCP status
- Whether a child is on SEND support or has an EHCP, what the main need is (in plain language, not just a category code), and what's currently working.
3. Safeguarding flags
- Flag only — that a concern is on record and who holds the detail. See the note below before writing anything more specific.
4. Social map
- Friendship groups, children who shouldn't sit together, and anyone who struggles socially — this is the fastest way to avoid a bad first-week seating plan.
5. Interventions
- What's running (phonics catch-up, speech and language, precision teaching, etc.), how often, and whether it's making a difference.
6. The one thing
- If the new teacher only reads one line about this child, what should it say? This is the field people skip and then wish they hadn't.
When to complete it
Best done in the last two weeks of term, once end-of-year assessments are in but while your knowledge of the class is still fresh — build it in gradually rather than writing it all on the last day. The same six fields work for a mid-year handover (long-term supply, maternity cover, restructuring), where there's no summer gap to fall back on.
A note on safeguarding information
A handover document is not the safeguarding file. Note that a concern exists and who to ask (usually the DSL) — keep full case detail in your school's secure system (CPOMS, MyConcern, or your school's equivalent) and share it through the proper channel. Check your school's own data protection guidance before including anything beyond a flag and a named contact.
Frequently asked questions
What should a class handover document actually include?
Six things, in order of how often they get missed: current attainment against age-related expectations; SEND status and EHCP details in plain language; safeguarding flags (not full case notes); the social map — friendships, conflicts and seating; interventions currently running and whether they're working; and one line per child on the single thing that would save the new teacher the most time in week one.
Is it safe to write safeguarding information into a handover document?
Keep it to flags, not detail. Note that a concern exists and who holds the full record — the handover isn't the safeguarding file. Full information stays in your school's secure system and is shared through the DSL, per your school's policy. Check your own school's data protection guidance before including anything beyond a flag and a named contact.
Do I need to hand over every child, or just the ones with additional needs?
Every child gets at least the attainment line — that's what stops the new teacher re-diagnosing the whole class in September. Fuller detail matters most for children who need it, but a one-line entry for everyone keeps nobody invisible.
How is this different from just downloading a template?
You can still download the printable blank PDF above. But most templates are a blank grid you format from scratch. This page's tool lets you type each pupil's handover straight into the browser, add as many pupils as you need, and print or save the finished set as a PDF — no file to download and reformat.
When should a handover document be completed?
Ideally in the last two weeks of term, once end-of-year assessments are in but while your knowledge of the class is still fresh. A rushed handover written on the last day of term is worse than no handover — build it in gradually as each assessment finishes.
Should handovers happen for mid-year class changes too, not just end of year?
Yes — long-term supply cover, maternity changeovers and mid-year restructures all need the same handover, arguably more urgently, since there's no summer gap to read through books and reports beforehand.
More like this
More Year Transitions resources
End-of-Year Reflection — Universal Pack
A reflection booklet children fill in at the end of any school year.
Secondary Transition Handover Form
The Y6-to-Y7 equivalent — what secondary schools need to know before September.
Y2 → Y3 / Grade 2 → Grade 3 Transition Pack
The biggest jump in primary — how to help children feel ready.
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