Creating a leavers book is one of the most meaningful ways to celebrate the end of a school year — whether it’s for Year 6, Year 11, or university. A well-designed leavers book captures memories, friendships and shared milestones in a lasting format that students will treasure forever.

But what actually goes into a great leavers book? What should you include to make it personal, fun, and truly memorable?

Here’s our complete guide to what to include in a school leavers book — with examples, ideas, and insider tips from Meno, the UK’s longest-running leavers book company.

Student Profiles (A Must-Have)

One of the most iconic sections of any school leavers book is the student profile pages. These are usually a double-page spread (or more), where each pupil has a space for their photo, name, and fun details.

Typical items to include:

• Student’s name and photo
• Favourite memory at school
• Favourite subject or teacher
• A quote or message
• Future hopes or career dreams
• Nickname or funny comment from friends

Including questions like “What will you miss most?” or “What advice would you give future students?” makes the profiles more personal and entertaining.

If you’re using Meno, we make it easy: you can upload all the text and images, and we’ll do the layout for you.

Learn more about how Meno designs personalised leavers books.

Group Photos & Class Pictures

No leavers book is complete without group photos — whether it’s the full year group, form classes, teams or clubs.

Make sure to include:

• Whole class or year group photos
• Staff and teacher team photos
• Clubs, music groups, sports teams
• Trips and residentials
• School play or performance pictures

Try to capture informal and formal moments — these are the memories students look back on most.

Pro tip: Add fun captions or mini interviews with staff to go alongside.

Autograph Pages

Add blank or lined pages at the back for students to write farewell messages, doodles and signatures from their classmates.

These school leavers autograph pages are among the most-loved parts of any book — and become even more meaningful as years go by.

If you’re creating a Year 6 leavers book, these pages are especially important for primary pupils moving to different schools.

Teacher Quotes and Farewell Messages

Ask teachers to contribute short farewell notes, memories or funny stories about the class. These make the book more personal and reflect the strong relationships built during the year.

Popular formats include:

• “Good luck” messages from class teachers
• Q&As with long-serving staff
• “Guess the teacher” photo games
• “If you remember one thing I taught you…” messages

This helps balance the book between student content and staff memories.

School Yearbook Quote

Let students submit a leavers book quote or slogan to appear with their photo or in a shared quote section.

Examples:

• “It’s not goodbye, it’s see you later.”
• “Thanks for the memories.”
• “If lost, return to the school library!”
• “Can we do this all again?”

Or let them create a leavers poem, write inside jokes, or vote on a year-group motto.

See our favourite school yearbook quotes from past Meno books.

Awards, Superlatives or Voting Pages

Including a fun awards section always gets a laugh — especially if students get to vote.

Ideas include:

• Most likely to become famous
• Funniest person in the year
• Best dressed
• Most likely to forget their homework
• Future Prime Minister

You can also run mini polls: “Favourite lunch?”, “Best trip?”, “Worst uniform rule?”, etc.

Memories & Milestones

Remind your class of key events and shared moments with a timeline or memory collage.

Ideas to include:

• First day photos and comparison photos
• Class trips, sports days, school plays
• Screenshots of group chats or leavers countdowns
• Prom, graduation or shirt-signing events
• Lockdown Zoom lessons (for recent years)

This section is where the emotional part of the book really shines — especially for Year 11 or university students reflecting on longer school journeys.

Fun Pages & Extras

To keep things entertaining and memorable, consider adding:

• Doodle or colouring-in pages
• “Guess who?” baby photos
• Jokes and memes
• QR codes linking to videos or music playlists
• Favourite TikTok trends or cultural moments of the year
• A thank-you page for teachers, parents and organisers

These extras add surprise and energy to your leavers book, making it more than just a photo album

Include Matching Leavers Hoodies

Many schools also create matching leavers hoodies to go with their book. You can print the same class year design, names or school logo on both — and even bundle hoodies and books together to save time.

Explore our school leavers hoodies to match your book design.

Final Tips for an Amazing Leavers Book

• Keep it balanced: photos, memories, and fun
• Don’t overload every page — white space helps
• Involve students: let them vote or contribute
• Keep messages positive and appropriate
• Work with a trusted provider like Meno to avoid layout stress or printing errors

At Meno, we’ve been helping schools and students create leavers books in the UK for over 24 years. We handle the design, printing and delivery — all you need to do is upload your content.

Ready to Create Your Leavers Book?

Whether you’re planning a Year 6 leavers book, a Year 11 school yearbook, or a university leavers book, we’re here to help. Meno makes it easy, affordable and personal.

Explore our leavers books pages:

• Year 6 Leavers Books
• Year 11 Leavers Books
• University Yearbooks

Let’s make something your students will never forget.