The Note They’ll Actually Read: A TA’s Guide to a Handover That Works

Leaving a teaching assistant role is rarely just about clearing your drawer and returning a lanyard. Somewhere in the last week, you become the person who knows where the wobble usually starts, which child needs the fiddle toy before assembly, and why the photocopier only works if you press the green button twice. A solid handover is how you pass that knowledge on without turning it into a novel — or a security risk.

The best handovers are generous but boundaried. They protect pupils, help the next TA settle quickly, and quietly do your reputation no harm at all. Schools remember staff who leave things clearer than they found them. Here’s how to write a handover that the next teaching assistant will actually read — and thank you for.

Start with the pupil, not the paperwork

It is tempting to begin with a list of forms and folders. Resist that for a moment. The next TA’s first question will be practical: what does a normal day look like for this class, and where do I fit in?

Open with a short welcome and a map of the week. Name the pupils you work with, the groups you run and the times you are usually pulled elsewhere. A simple grid works better than paragraphs. Monday breaktime reading group, Tuesday sensory circuit, Wednesday catch-up maths — that sort of thing. Add the names of the adults who usually cover those slots, and flag any days when the timetable is famously flexible.

Keep the tone factual. You are not writing a character reference for the class; you are giving someone a working picture of the week.

The daily map: routines that save a morning

Routines are where new TAs lose time. Write down the small stuff: where the spare glue sticks live, how the class lines up after lunch, which door is unlocked first thing, and what happens if a pupil arrives without a reading book. If there is a laminated visual timetable, say where it is kept and whether it needs resetting at the end of the day.

Include the quirks that never make it into the official file. The child who needs a warning before transitions. The group that works better at the back table. The fact that the afternoon story is sacred and nobody schedules a phonics intervention over it. These details are not gossip; they are the mechanics of a calm classroom.

Be specific about your own role too. If you usually take a small group out during literacy, say how the group is chosen and where the resources live. If you supervise a particular pupil at lunch, explain the routine and who to radio if plans change.

SEN provision: what the next TA needs to know

This is the heart of many handovers, and also where it is easy to overstep. Stick to what is relevant to the role. If a pupil has an education, health and care plan or SEN support, the new TA should know the provision they are expected to deliver, not every detail of the assessment history.

Use plain language. Explain the support in practice: pre-teaching vocabulary before the lesson, giving thinking time, using a now-and-next board, breaking a task into three steps, or sitting nearby during independent work. Name the SENCO and say when the next review is due. Point to where the targets are kept and who updates them.

Avoid labelling pupils with loose diagnoses or opinions. If you would not feel comfortable with a parent reading it, it probably does not belong in a handover folder. The aim is continuity of provision, not a character sketch.

Medical needs: clear, current, and consent-aware

Medical information should be short, current and strictly need-to-know. If a pupil has a care plan, say where it is stored and who reviewed it last. Note any routines the TA is expected to support, such as inhaler access, snack timing or a quiet space after a seizure. Do not copy full medical records into a general folder, and do not speculate about conditions.

If you are unsure what to include, ask the school’s medical lead or SENCO before you type it. A handover note is not the place for a diagnosis you overheard in the staffroom. It is the place for clear instructions that keep a pupil safe and a new adult confident.

Safeguarding: boundaries before anecdotes

Every handover should include the safeguarding basics: who the designated safeguarding lead is, how to report a concern, and where the school’s policy sits. If there are specific arrangements for a pupil — who collects them, who must not be contacted, what to do if a certain adult arrives — those should be written only in line with the school’s safeguarding policy and with the right permission.

What you should not do is fill the folder with stories. A new TA does not need to know that a pupil had a difficult year in Year 3 unless it changes how they support them now. Keep the focus on current arrangements and clear reporting routes. If in doubt, write less and point to the person who can say more.

The staffroom context (without the gossip)

There is a version of school life that never makes it into the official file: who to ask about cover, which colleague keeps the spare keys, how the phase team likes to be contacted, and whether the Monday briefing actually starts on time. That context is useful. Gossip is not.

Write a short section headed something like ‘Useful people and practical notes’. Mention the office manager, the caretaker, the SENCO’s working days and the best way to ask for resources. Do not include personality clashes, rumours or anything you would not say in front of the person concerned. A handover should make the next TA feel welcome, not wary.

What to leave out

Leave out personal opinions about pupils and colleagues. Leave out medical details that are not needed for the role. Leave out anything that identifies a pupil unnecessarily, and never include passwords, door codes or safeguarding records in an open folder. If the school uses a secure system, point to it rather than reproducing it.

Also leave out the heroic list of everything you did. A handover is not a performance review. It is a practical bridge. Keep your achievements for your next application; keep this document useful.

A simple format that survives a busy Monday

A workable handover can be four or five pages: a one-page weekly map, a pupil overview, a SEN and medical section, a safeguarding signpost, and a short list of useful names and routines. Use headings, bullet points and dates. Add your last working day and the best way to contact you after you leave, if you are happy to be contacted.

Then do the bit people skip: hand it over in person. Ten minutes with the new TA, pointing at the folder and explaining the odd bits, is worth more than twenty pages of prose. Tell them which parts to read first and which can wait until week two.

A good handover is a quiet act of professionalism. It says you cared about the pupils, respected the next person, and understood that leaving well is part of doing the job well. In a school year that can feel like a relay race, it is how you pass the baton without dropping it.