A pupil passport is a short, plain-English document that describes what helps your child learn, what they find difficult, and how adults in school can best support them. Originally developed for pupils with SEND, many schools now use them for every student. Here is what parents need to know.
What is a pupil passport and where did the idea come from?
A pupil passport — sometimes called a one-page profile, a learner profile, or a pupil support plan — is a brief summary document that sits in the staffroom or on the school's system and tells any adult who works with a pupil what they need to know quickly. It typically runs to one or two sides of A4, written in accessible language rather than professional jargon.
The concept emerged from person-centred planning approaches, originally used in adult social care and then adapted for education. The SEND Code of Practice (2015) reinforced the principle that pupils should be understood as individuals, and one-page profiles became a widely adopted practical tool for communicating that understanding across a school.
What information does a pupil passport typically include?
While formats vary between schools, a pupil passport usually covers:
| Section | What it contains |
|---|---|
| About me | What the pupil enjoys, their interests and strengths, how they like to be addressed |
| What helps me learn | Specific strategies, classroom adjustments, or approaches the pupil finds effective |
| What I find difficult | Honest description of challenges — academic, social, sensory, or emotional |
| How to support me | Concrete actions adults can take to help, written from the pupil's perspective where possible |
| Important context | Relevant diagnoses, medical needs, or family circumstances the school needs to know |
| Targets | Current learning or personal goals the pupil is working towards |
The best pupil passports are written with significant input from the pupil and the parent, not just produced by school staff about the pupil.
Who creates a pupil passport?
The process varies by school, but typically:
- The SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) or form tutor initiates the document
- The pupil is involved directly — often answering structured questions about how they learn best
- Parents and carers contribute — particularly on what has and has not worked at home or in previous schools
- Relevant professionals may add a brief contribution — for example, a speech and language therapist or an educational psychologist who has assessed the child
Once created, the passport is shared with all staff who teach or supervise the pupil. Subject teachers, cover supervisors, and teaching assistants all benefit from having this information.
Who uses a pupil passport and when?
Pupil passports are most useful in secondary school, where a student is taught by eight or more different subject teachers and has limited opportunity to build a relationship with each of them individually. Key uses include:
- At the start of a new academic year — new teachers receive updated passports before they have met the pupils
- During cover lessons — a cover supervisor who has never met the class can read the passport for any pupil who needs additional awareness
- At transition — when moving from primary to secondary, or from Year 11 to sixth form, a passport bridges the gap while new relationships form
- In review meetings — the passport is a reference point when discussing whether current support is still appropriate
How is a pupil passport different from an EHCP?
A pupil passport and an Education, Health and Care Plan serve different purposes and carry different legal weight:
- A pupil passport is an informal, school-level document with no statutory force. Any school can create one, and many do for pupils who do not have any formal SEND identification.
- An EHCP is a statutory legal document issued by the local authority. The provision specified in it must be delivered. It is far more detailed, covers health and social care as well as education, and requires a formal annual review process.
Many pupils with an EHCP also have a pupil passport — the passport is a practical communication tool that sits alongside the legal framework, not a replacement for it.
How can parents contribute to their child's pupil passport?
Parents often have insight that the school lacks — particularly about what works at home, what the child was like in primary school, and what causes anxiety that might not show up in class. The most helpful parental contributions to a pupil passport include:
- Specific teaching strategies that have worked in the past ("she learns best when given written instructions as well as verbal ones")
- Information about diagnoses, medication, or health conditions that affect learning
- The pupil's communication preferences and any language around their needs that they are comfortable with
- What motivates them and what they want teachers to know about them as a person
If your child's school does not yet use pupil passports and you think one would help, you can raise this with the SENCO. Many schools are receptive, particularly if a parent can supply a draft based on the format above.
Frequently asked questions
Is a school required to have a pupil passport for my child?
No — there is no legal requirement for schools to use pupil passports specifically. The requirement that schools meet pupils' SEN comes from statute, but the specific tools a school uses to communicate SEND information internally are at their discretion. However, if your child is on the SEN register, it is entirely reasonable to ask the SENCO what documentation exists to inform all teaching staff about your child's needs.
What happens to the pupil passport when my child moves schools?
A pupil passport is a school-created document, so it does not automatically transfer. However, parents can take a copy and share it with the new school during the transition process. Many secondary schools specifically request one-page profiles from primary schools during Year 6 to Year 7 transition. If you are managing a mid-year transfer, bringing a copy to the initial meeting with the SENCO at the new school is helpful.
Can my child contribute to their own pupil passport?
Absolutely — and this is encouraged. Pupils who have been involved in creating their passport tend to find it a more accurate reflection of their experience, and teachers report finding pupil-voiced descriptions more useful than third-person descriptions written about the child. Schools using the approach well often give pupils a structured template with prompts such as "What I want my teachers to know about me" and "What helps me when I am stuck."
Does a pupil passport help if my child has a diagnosis of autism or ADHD?
Yes. Pupil passports are particularly widely used for pupils with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and anxiety, where need can be invisible and where individual variation — even within the same diagnosis — is significant. A passport communicates the specific individual adjustments that help that pupil, which is more useful to a teacher than a diagnostic label alone.
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