diff --git a/changelog.d/6615.misc b/changelog.d/6615.misc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9f931525652f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/6615.misc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Add some clarifications to `README.md` in the database schema directory.
diff --git a/synapse/storage/data_stores/main/schema/full_schemas/README.md b/synapse/storage/data_stores/main/schema/full_schemas/README.md
index bbd3f1860487..c00f28719091 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/data_stores/main/schema/full_schemas/README.md
+++ b/synapse/storage/data_stores/main/schema/full_schemas/README.md
@@ -1,13 +1,21 @@
-# Building full schema dumps
+# Synapse Database Schemas
 
-These schemas need to be made from a database that has had all background updates run.
+These schemas are used as a basis to create brand new Synapse databases, on both
+SQLite3 and Postgres.
 
-To do so, use `scripts-dev/make_full_schema.sh`. This will produce
-`full.sql.postgres ` and `full.sql.sqlite` files.
+## Building full schema dumps
+
+If you want to recreate these schemas, they need to be made from a database that
+has had all background updates run.
+
+To do so, use `scripts-dev/make_full_schema.sh`. This will produce new
+`full.sql.postgres ` and `full.sql.sqlite` files. 
 
 Ensure postgres is installed and your user has the ability to run bash commands
-such as `createdb`.
+such as `createdb`, then call
+
+    ./scripts-dev/make_full_schema.sh -p postgres_username -o output_dir/
 
-```
-./scripts-dev/make_full_schema.sh -p postgres_username -o output_dir/
-```
+There are currently two folders with full-schema snapshots. `16` is a snapshot
+from 2015, for historical reference. The other contains the most recent full
+schema snapshot.