Filled example: training sign-in sheet
Fictional names. “☒” shows a ticked box.
| No. | Printed name | Team or organisation | Signature | Time in | Time out | Photos OK? Y/N | Contact me privately |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amira Haddad | Finance operations | (signed) | 08:52 | 12:30 | Y | ☐ |
| 2 | Tomasz Nowak | Warehouse, site B | (signed) | 08:55 | 12:30 | N | ☐ |
| 3 | Grace Okafor | Customer support | (signed) | 08:58 | 11:15 | Y | ☒ |
| 4 | Liam Byrne | Customer support | Signed by trainer at participant’s request | 09:00 | 12:30 | Y | ☐ |
| 5 | Priya Raman | IT service desk | (signed) | 09:12 | 12:30 | N | ☐ |
Training sign-in sheet
Blank version. Print it from the PDF or copy the columns into your own document.
| No. | Printed name | Team or organisation | Signature | Time in | Time out | Photos OK? Y/N | Contact me privately |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ☐ | ||||||
| 2 | ☐ | ||||||
| 3 | ☐ |
What each column is for
| Column | Why it is there | Leave it out when |
|---|---|---|
| Printed name and signature | Shows who attended and that they confirmed it themselves. | Online sessions: use the platform list or a chat check-in instead. |
| Team or organisation | Lets you report attendance by team or client without collecting contact details. | Everyone is from the same team. |
| Time in and time out | Supports completion or professional development records that depend on hours. | You only need to know who attended. |
| Photos OK? Y/N | Records each person’s choice before any photo or recording. | Nobody will take photos or record the session. |
| Contact me privately | Lets people ask for support without writing the reason on a shared sheet. | Keep it. It costs nothing and protects privacy. |
Online and hybrid attendance
| Situation | How to record attendance | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Online session | Export the platform participant list, or ask people to type their name and team in chat in the first ten minutes. | Some platforms show device names, not people. Compare the list with the chat. |
| Hybrid session | Use the paper sheet in the room and a chat check-in for remote participants. Combine both in the tracker. | Count both groups at the start. |
| Phone participants | Ask them to say their name when they join, or confirm by message afterwards. | Record the method used. |
What you'll leave with
The trainer ends the session with a complete, legible attendance record, a count that matches the people in the room or call, and a short list of private follow-ups to complete before the next break.
Before the session
- For trainers and organisers who need an attendance record for a course, workshop or series. The 20 minutes cover preparing the sheet, the arrival window, closing the sheet and recording changes.
- Decide what the record is for before the session, such as a completion record or continuing professional development hours, and who will store it. Collect nothing else. Do not add email addresses or health information to a sheet that other participants can read.
- Fill in the session details and number the sheets. Remove the photo column if nobody will take photos or recordings. Put pens, the sheet and a short privacy note on a table near the entrance.
- For online sessions, use the participant list from the platform or a typed check-in in chat instead of signatures. Tell people in advance how attendance will be recorded.
How to fill it in with your team
Prepare the sheet
Before people arrive, write the session title, date, location or link and trainer at the top of each sheet. Number the sheets. Place the sheet where people can reach it without queuing in a doorway, and keep a spare pen for each sheet.
Welcome and sign in
During the arrival window, greet each person and explain the columns in one sentence: “Print your name, sign, and tick the last box if you want a private word with me.” A participant can ask someone else to write for them; record “signed by trainer at participant’s request”. Do not read names or ticks aloud.
Close the sheet at the start
At the start time, draw a line under the last entry and count the names. Compare the count with the people in the room or call. Latecomers sign below the line with their arrival time.
Record changes and store it
At the end, record time out for anyone who leaves early and check that the others have a time out. Speak privately to everyone who ticked “contact me privately” before the next break or by the end. Transfer attendance to the tracker, then store the sheet as your organisation requires.
Participant worksheet
Copy this table into a document, or print the worksheet from the bundle. Share only what you choose.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Session title, date and location or link | |
| Trainer and sheet number | |
| Purpose of this record and where it is stored | |
| Count at the start and count at the end | |
| Private follow-ups completed |
Debrief questions
- Did the count at the start match the people present, and if not, why?
- Which column did people hesitate over, and does it need clearer wording?
- Were all private follow-ups completed, and did anyone need a different way to ask?
Adapt it for your group
- For people who cannot write or sign easily, the trainer or a person they choose can write on their behalf. Record “signed by trainer at participant’s request” rather than asking why.
- Offer a large-print copy and a clipboard that can be passed to a seated participant. Place the sheet at a height that a wheelchair user can reach.
- For online sessions, use a chat check-in or the platform list and never require cameras. For phone participants, confirm attendance by voice or message.
- If your organisation has a data retention rule, follow it. This template is not legal advice; ask your data protection contact what you may collect and how long to keep it.
After the session
Transfer the attendance to the tracker on the same day and check the totals against the count you recorded at the start. Complete any private follow-ups and note only that they were done, not what was discussed. Store or destroy the paper sheet according to your organisation’s retention rule.
Questions people ask
What should a training sign-in sheet include?
Include the session title, date, location, trainer and sheet number at the top. For each person, collect a printed name, a signature and the team or organisation. Add time in and time out if the record needs hours, and a photo column only if photos or recordings will happen.
Should I collect email addresses on a sign-in sheet?
Usually not. Everyone who signs after the first person can read the earlier entries. If you need contact details, collect them through a registration form or a private process instead.
What is the private contact tick for?
It lets a participant ask for a private word with the trainer, for example about access, a break or support, without writing the reason on a shared sheet. The trainer speaks to them before the next break.
How does the Excel attendance tracker work?
Mark Y under each session a person attended. The tracker counts each person’s sessions, calculates their attendance rate against the sessions held, and counts attendance for each session. It has room for 40 people and ten sessions.
Can I use this for online training?
Yes. Use the platform participant list or a typed chat check-in instead of signatures, and record the method. The tracker works the same way for online, hybrid and in-person sessions.
How to use the files
Print the PDF, edit the Word file in Word or Google Docs, or open the CSV or XLSX in a spreadsheet. Open files need no email.
Can I use this with paying clients?
Yes. Use and adapt this original Superglue kit in your own training, including paid client sessions. Please share this page rather than redistributing the unmodified kit. Read the full usage terms.