Classroom Supplies Inventory

Who this is for

A count of the classroom cupboard at the end of a term. What is there, where it is kept, how much of it is left, what needs requesting and what the lot is worth at the prices you pay.

Teachers, teaching assistants and school office staff who put in the supplies request each term and would rather base it on a count than on a guess.

What this helps you track

• What is held in each cupboard, tray or store, and in what pack size
• How much of each line is left at the end of the term
• How much to ask for on the next requisition, line by line
• What the supplies held are worth at the prices your school pays
• A dated count so one term's use can be compared with the next

How to use it

1. Write the school, the class or room, the teacher counting and the date at the top.
2. Go shelf by shelf. Write each line with the unit you buy it in — pack, box, ream, each — and where it is kept.
3. Count what is left and write it in the on-hand column. Part packs are easier to record if you round the same way every term.
4. Write the quantity you want to request in the next column. This is your own figure, based on what the class got through this term.
5. Enter the cost per unit if you know it; the line value, the totals and the summary are worked out in the browser and the workbook.
6. Hand the request column to the office, and keep the sheet — next term's count starts from what this one left behind.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Do I have to fill in the costs?

No. Leave the cost column blank and the sheet still works as a count and a request list; only the value figures stay empty. Costs are worth adding if you have to justify a budget.

What goes in the request column?

Whatever you want to ask for, in the same unit as the count. The sheet does not suggest a quantity — how much a class gets through depends on the subject, the year group and the term.

Is this for one classroom or the whole school?

One room, one cupboard or one subject area at a time. Name it in the header and the sheets can be added together at the office end.

Where do art materials go?

Paint, paper and craft materials can go here, but a busy art room usually wants the art and craft materials inventory, which has columns for colour, size and where each material is stored.