diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index a169799237..82f77b35d4 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -151,6 +151,8 @@ gets wrong:
   `pybamm.X`) and get a `docs/source/api/*.rst` entry.
 - Every feature or fix adds a `CHANGELOG.md` bullet under `# [Unreleased]` (Keep a Changelog
   format), ending with the PR link, e.g. `([#1234](https://github.com/pybamm-team/PyBaMM/pull/1234))`.
+  Get a prediction from `uv run --no-project scripts/next_pr_number.py`. If another issue, pull
+  request, or discussion takes that number before the PR opens, update the entry manually.
 
 ### Tests
 
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index d4fdb6a8d1..c066e073b0 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -102,6 +102,8 @@ If your PR is internal-only (refactor, docs typo, CI tweak, tests), no changelog
 
 Each entry is a single bullet ending in a PR link, e.g. `([#1234](https://github.com/pybamm-team/PyBaMM/pull/1234))`. Use the full URL so the rendered markdown on docs.pybamm.org links correctly.
 
+To write the entry before opening the PR, run `uv run --no-project scripts/next_pr_number.py`. It prints the likely next number using the [GitHub CLI](https://cli.github.com). This is only a prediction: if another issue, pull request, or discussion takes the number first, update the entry manually.
+
 For the full release policy — what counts as "public API", deprecation horizon, version scheme — see [`RELEASE.md`](https://github.com/pybamm-team/PyBaMM/blob/main/RELEASE.md).
 
 ## Coding style guidelines
diff --git a/packages/pybamm/tests/unit/test_next_pr_number.py b/packages/pybamm/tests/unit/test_next_pr_number.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..872edc104c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/pybamm/tests/unit/test_next_pr_number.py
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import importlib.util
+import json
+import subprocess
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+
+SCRIPT = Path(__file__).parents[4] / "scripts" / "next_pr_number.py"
+spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location("next_pr_number", SCRIPT)
+next_pr_number = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
+spec.loader.exec_module(next_pr_number)
+
+
+class TestNextPrNumber:
+    def test_returns_one_more_than_the_newest_number(self, monkeypatch):
+        response = {
+            "data": {
+                "repository": {
+                    "issues": {"nodes": [{"number": 40}]},
+                    "pullRequests": {"nodes": [{"number": 42}]},
+                    "discussions": {"nodes": [{"number": 41}]},
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        completed = subprocess.CompletedProcess(
+            args=[], returncode=0, stdout=json.dumps(response), stderr=""
+        )
+        monkeypatch.setattr(subprocess, "run", lambda *args, **kwargs: completed)
+
+        assert next_pr_number.next_pr_number() == 43
+
+    def test_reports_github_cli_failure(self, monkeypatch):
+        def fail(*args, **kwargs):
+            raise subprocess.CalledProcessError(
+                1, "gh", stderr="authentication required"
+            )
+
+        monkeypatch.setattr(subprocess, "run", fail)
+
+        with pytest.raises(SystemExit, match="authentication required"):
+            next_pr_number.next_pr_number()
diff --git a/scripts/next_pr_number.py b/scripts/next_pr_number.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..46e2ad7a77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/next_pr_number.py
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+"""Print the likely number of the next PyBaMM pull request.
+
+The result is a prediction. An issue, pull request, or discussion created before
+the pull request will take the predicted number first.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+import subprocess
+
+REPO = "pybamm-team/PyBaMM"
+QUERY = """
+query ($owner: String!, $name: String!) {
+  repository(owner: $owner, name: $name) {
+    issues(orderBy: {field: CREATED_AT, direction: DESC}, first: 1) {
+      nodes { number }
+    }
+    pullRequests(orderBy: {field: CREATED_AT, direction: DESC}, first: 1) {
+      nodes { number }
+    }
+    discussions(orderBy: {field: CREATED_AT, direction: DESC}, first: 1) {
+      nodes { number }
+    }
+  }
+}
+"""
+
+
+def next_pr_number() -> int:
+    """Return the likely number of the next PyBaMM pull request."""
+    owner, name = REPO.split("/")
+    try:
+        result = subprocess.run(
+            [
+                "gh",
+                "api",
+                "graphql",
+                "-f",
+                f"query={QUERY}",
+                "-f",
+                f"owner={owner}",
+                "-f",
+                f"name={name}",
+            ],
+            check=True,
+            capture_output=True,
+            text=True,
+            encoding="utf-8",
+        )
+    except FileNotFoundError as error:
+        raise SystemExit("gh is not installed; see https://cli.github.com") from error
+    except subprocess.CalledProcessError as error:
+        message = error.stderr.strip() or "unknown error"
+        raise SystemExit(f"`gh api graphql` failed: {message}") from error
+
+    connections = json.loads(result.stdout)["data"]["repository"].values()
+    newest = [item["nodes"][0]["number"] for item in connections if item["nodes"]]
+    return max(newest, default=0) + 1
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    print(next_pr_number())