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Pupil records: transferring to other schools or education providers

See the rules on transferring pupil records when a pupil moves school, and get guidance on how to do this securely for digital and paper copies.

Last reviewed on 21 October 2022
School types: All•School phases: All•Ref: 7327
Contents
  1. You must send a common transfer file and an educational record
  2. How to transfer pupil records securely
  3. Who's responsible for retaining pupil records?

You must send a common transfer file and an educational record

This is a legal requirement when a pupil moves between schools in the UK.

This applies to all phases and types of maintained school, including special schools and pupil referral units (PRUs).

Academies and free schools are "strongly encouraged" to send a common transfer file (CTF) when a pupil leaves to attend another school.

This is explained in the Education (Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2005 and the DfE guide on the CTF (page 5). The DfE guide also explains:

  • What's included in the CTF
  • How it should be formatted
  • The processes for transferring it

See our articles for more information on the contents of the CTF and the contents of the educational record.

The CTF doesn't include child protection files

.For guidance on these files, see our article on transferring child protection files securely.

Special educational needs (SEN) support should include

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