Year 6 leavers book: a page per pupil and autograph pages
Give every Year 6 pupil one page they fill in by hand, add a Reception and Year 6 photo where you have both, and keep blank autograph pages for the last week of term.
A Year 6 leavers book is usually split between the class teacher, who collects the pupils' pages in lesson time, and parents or the PTA, who handle photos, printing and cost.
Agree a collection date with the teacher and work back from the school's handover day. Check the printer's proof and order dates before collecting pages.
Make the memory book together
Invite people to send photos and their own words, then choose what goes in the book.
| Check | Person to agree it with | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Who receives the book | School organiser | Named audience and copy count |
| Missing pupil page | Class teacher | A drawing, dictated answer or later return |
| Photo choice | School organiser | Approved image or an alternative |
| Final proof | Teacher and parent organiser | Names, page count and autograph space |
One page each, filled in by hand
Give pupils a choice of writing, drawing or dictating to an agreed adult. Use the same page space for each pupil, including anyone who joins late.
Print the page on plain A4, collect it in one lesson, and scan it at full size. Children's handwriting needs to stay large enough to read once shrunk onto the book page.
- Write the question above each box, not inside it
- Allow drawing in any box, since some pupils write little
- Give a pupil who is absent that day a second chance with a TA
Then and now photos
A Reception photo beside a Year 6 photo shows the change on one page. Ask parents for the early one, because the school may not have kept it.
Pupils who joined later have no Reception picture. Use their first photo at this school with its year group, so their page is the same shape as everyone else's.
Photos, names and what to leave out
Ask the school which photos may appear in this book and who may receive it. The ICO distinguishes school use from family photos and recommends an image opt-out.
Some families do not want the secondary school named in print, sometimes for safeguarding reasons. Ask before printing that line, or leave it out for everyone.
Check the supplier permits reprinting professional portraits before including them.
Autograph pages that survive the last day
Children sign each other's books in the last week, often with felt tips. Test the pens on the paper you plan to print on, since some smear on glossy stock.
Test the autograph layout with a sample of names before setting the number of pages. Leave room for staff and pupils who sign later.
Pages to make
Then and now
Reception photo on the left, Year 6 photo on the right, the pupil's first name and the two school years beneath each.
The pupil's own page
Their handwritten page scanned at full size, with one small photo they chose from the year and nothing typed over it.
The residential and the year's events
The residential trip kit list, a group photo from it, the leavers' show programme and a sports day photo, each with its month.
Autographs and staff
Staff names and photos on the left, ruled autograph boxes on the right and on the following pages, printed on uncoated paper.
Questions
What do you put in a Year 6 leavers book?
A page per pupil in their own handwriting, Reception and Year 6 photos, the residential trip, the leavers' show, staff names and blank autograph pages.
Who usually organises a Year 6 leavers book?
Often the class teacher collects the pupils' pages and a parent group or the PTA handles photos and printing. Agree who checks the consent list before anything is sent off.
What do you give Year 6 leavers if there is no budget for printing?
Send each family a PDF of the class book and print only the pupil's own page plus the autograph pages on the school printer.