Records Management

Chapter 8: Archiving hardcopy records

The following steps will help schools to archive hardcopy records efficiently and effectively.

Step 1 – Sort records

Sort records by type. For example

• put all finance records together in one box
• put all school excursion permission slips together in a different box.

This will make it easier to find and dispose of the records.

To help sort common school records by type, refer to:

• School records retention quick reference guide (staff login required)

Ideally this will be referenced as a digital copy to maintain currency, however, if printed, be sure to use the latest version as the content may be updated from time to time.

Step 2 – Arrange records in boxes

Arrange the records in their box in an order appropriate to each record type. For example:

• arrange finance records by financial year in date order
• arrange student files by year of exit then alphabetically by surname
• arrange parent permission forms for camps and excursions together with other documents related to that event by year
• arrange personnel files by year of exit then alphabetically by surname
• arrange school council meeting papers by month and year.

Step 3 – Label and list boxes

Label the boxes with the record type and relevant year, for example, ‘Finance – batch reports – 2018-19’, or ‘Student files – exit 2019’.

Make a list of your archived boxes, capturing the same information you recorded on the box labels. Keeping a list of your records will help you find records easily when needed. Keep the list with other documents relating to the management of the school’s records, for example, a ‘School Records’ digital folder or location.

Archiving tips

• Regularly archive records, at least once a year.
• Only archive inactive records, that is, records you no longer need ready access to.
• Only archive single copies of documents – duplicates may be disposed without formal approval under ‘Normal Administrative Practice’.
• Remove records from binders, clips and plastic sleeves where possible – these take up extra space in archive boxes and make later disposal more time consuming.
• Use paper or manila folders to separate records where necessary.
• Use good quality archive boxes made of sturdy cardboard that include a double layer of cardboard on the bottom to prevent collapse. Use half-size, archive boxes to prevent boxes becoming too heavy.
• Do not over fill boxes. This can make them unsafe to lift and cause damage to boxes.

For a list of common school record types that must be archived, refer to:

• School records retention quick reference guide (DOCX) (staff login required)

For a full list of school record types that must be archived, refer to:

• School records retention guide (XLSX) (staff login required)