A staff handbook is a necessary document as it informs new staff members, substitute or temporary teachers about the day-to-day running of the school.

It helps in maintaining continuity and promotes a unified approach to the operation of the school.

Items that may form part of the handbook include:

• Accidents – reporting and recording, first aid, etc.
• Attendance – roll books, the process for collection of data
• Class lists for the school year
• Communication policy – how data/information is distributed to parents/guardians
• Collection and release of pupils, especially infant pupils
• Extra-curricular activities – insurance issues regarding school tours, policy on school tours
• Health care
• Health and safety – fire drills, first aid, assembly points in the event of fire and procedures to be followed in the event of fire
• Holidays for the year (if fixed on an annual basis)
• Homework policy
• Information and Communication Techology policy
• Library
• List of posts/post-holders and their responsibilities
• Litter/Environmental policy
• Lost property
• Lunch-break procedure
• Lunch-break supervision rota
• Personal items – the labelling and storage of
• Procedure to be followed on wet days
• Policies on food in the playground, etc.
• Policy on money – how it should be sent to school, recorded, stored, etc.
• Procedure for contacting support services, health boards, etc.
• Pupil illnesses – procedure to be followed
• School books – rental schemes (if one exists)
• School calendar of events for the year
• School saving schemes
• School uniform
• Use of mobile phones
• Visual Arts – policy and procedures

and so on ………