Managing school road safety
Creating safe environments around schools supports student wellbeing and helps families travel safely. Schools play an important role in supervising students and working with families, local councils and other partners to support safe access to and from school.
Parents and carers are responsible for their child’s safety when travelling to and from school.
School's duty of care
Schools must take reasonable measures to protect students from foreseeable risks while they are in the school’s care. This includes:
- before and after school
- during arrival and departure
- off‑site activities closely connected to school (e.g., excursions, travel to TAFE).
Principals determine supervision arrangements based on local context and risk assessment — there is no mandated model.
Teachers may be rostered up to 30 minutes before and after the school day to support safe arrival and departure, and duties must be allocated fairly and equitably.
Schools are not expected to supervise for extended periods outside normal times; however, arrangements must ensure students can safely arrive and depart during the defined supervision period.
Duty of care applies to all staff and extends to any circumstance in which the school has assumed responsibility for students. This includes times when students are entering or leaving the school, moving through car parks or footpaths, or interacting with vehicles in the vicinity of the school.
“Duty of care doesn't stop at the bell or at the school gate.”
“The key consideration is whether a school's supervision plan adequately manages foreseeable risks to student safety during arrival and departure from school”
All advice is taken from the department's Attendance and student supervision fact sheet, refer to Chapter 5 of the Teachers Handbook; Road safety education policy procedures; Duty of care (staff only); Department's Legal Services (staff only); Health and Safety policies and guidelines. (staff only).
To assist schools manage risk and road safety, schools can consider using:
- Managing road safety risks assssment resource PDF 318KB (staff only)
This document suggests control measures that can be implemented as part of WHS risk management procedures to reduce road safety risks onsite and in the school traffic environment.
This resources is a suggested process to help address a road safety concern.
Principal responsibilities
Principals are responsible for developing, implementing and reviewing the school’s student supervision plan, including arrangements before school and at the end of the day. (as outlined in the Road safety education procedures)
Key responsibilities include:
- maintaining a school road safety risk assessment and management plan
- regularly reviewing safe entry and exit procedures
- sharing current information about before and after school arrangements on the school website and in newsletters
- providing clear information to families about safe travel behaviours and any hazards
- reporting incidents, near misses or unsafe situations promptly using the Incident notification and response procedures
- working with local councils, police, Transport for NSW and School Crossing Supervisors, if relevant
- liaising with Assisted School Travel providers where applicable
- ensuring staff understand arrival and departure supervision processes.
Legal Services advice
The department's Legal Services provides duty of care information in:
- Duty of care and behaviour management - About road safety (staff only)
- School leaders and the law (staff only) - an online professional learning module covering 8 key topics. Topic 2. Duty of care to students addresses a school’s obligations for students and road safety in the out of hours and out of school section, as well as travel to and from a workplace program.
Department risk management resources
- Work, Health and Safety's risk management procedures and fact sheets:
o Lithium-ion batteries - usage, storage and management (PDF 141KB)
o Vehicle on school grounds (PDF 199KB)
o Reasonably Foreseeable Emergencies Summary (244KB)
o Pedestrian incidents advice provided by WHS to mitigate hazards.
Further support for Principals
Last modified date
14/09/2026
Business unit contact email
Executive director
Megan Kelly
Executive director’s business unit
Teaching Learning&Student Wellbeing