In late 2025, the Department of Education undertook a comprehensive review of contractor employee screening processes. This review identified 12 critical actions to strengthen how contractors are vetted and monitored that will ensure greater consistency across staff working on school sites and enhance the safety measures in place to protect our staff and students.

New WWCC requirements for contractors in schools

Contractors working in NSW public schools will be required to have a valid paid NSW Working with Children Check before they can enter a school site from 1 September 2026.

The change is in 2 stages so that contractors have time to prepare:

• By 1 July 2026
  • NEW Facilities Maintenance Contractors (FMC) and Local Contractors (LC) engaged by School Infrastructure who start a new contract will need a valid paid NSW WWCC before entering school sites.
  • Existing FMC and LCs engaged by School Infrastructure will need to have applied for a valid paid NSW WWCC.
• By 31 August 2026:
  • Existing FMC and LCs engaged by School Infrastructure will need a valid paid NSW WWCC before entering school sites.
  • Contractors engaged directly by other Education Support units and by schools will need a valid paid NSW WWCC before entering school sites.

To enable a smooth transition and avoid delays in delivering services, all contractors are encouraged to apply for a paid NSW WWCC through ocg.nsw.gov.au as soon as possible.

Please note:

1. The NSW WWCC application is online and requires the applicant to attend a Service NSW Centre to present proof of identity documents to complete and submit the application. Rural, regional or remote applicants can visit the Service.NSW website for the Mobile Service Centre schedule and locations.
2. The cost for a paid NSW WWCC will need to be covered by the applicant or their employer.
3. Visit the Office of the Children’s Guardian website for more information on the NSW WWCC application process.

Further guidance will be provided over the coming weeks on what to do once a valid paid NSW WWCC clearance is received by the contractor.

From 1 September 2026, any contractor who does not have a valid paid NSW WWCC will not be allowed to enter any NSW public school sites.

Requirements for School Infrastructure engaged contractors

From 31 January 2026, all existing Facilities Maintenance Contractors (FMCs), Local Contractors (LCs) and their employees must complete a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) before accessing any NSW Department of Education school site.

• Verification of completed NCCHCs must be submitted prior to adding individuals to the FMWeb 2.0 system and site attendance.
• Local contractors or employees charged or convicted of serious offences must report this to their employer immediately.
• Employment and access to department school sites for those who have a serious offence will be placed on hold until a determination is made based on further assessments by the department.
• The cost of NCCHCs is the responsibility of FMCs, local contractors or their employees.

From 1 July 2026, valid Working with Children Checks (WWCC) are mandatory for all new FMCs, local contractors and their employees, for paid employment.

From 31 August 2026, existing FMCs and local contractors engaged by School Infrastructure will need a valid paid WWCC before entering school sites.

Refer to the above section under ‘What is changing for contractors in schools’ for further details.

Contractors working on new school sites with no students

Working with Children Checks are not required for contractors working in the following site settings:

• Brand new build under management of the building contractor.
• The work site is within an existing and operating school and has been handed over to the building contractor or Asset Management to manage, with adequate exclusions in place to prevent direct interaction with students such as:
  • fencing
  • dedicated separate entry and exit point that does not go through the school site.

If entry and exit is required through an operating school site or after handover back to the school such as defect inspections and/or repairs, these contractors must have a valid paid NSW WWCC before they attend site from 1 September 2026.

Questions and answers

Additional questions and answers will be added as new information becomes available. Please refer to the department representative engaging your services if you have any unanswered questions.