• Refer to the department's Health and Safety information on Vehicles_on_School_Grounds_factsheet.pdf
• Document the risk management plan with strategies and share the plan with staff, students, parents and carers, and regular contractors and visitors.
  
• Review the risk management plan at regular intervals when:
  • more information is available
  • the situation changes
  • if there is an incident.
• Contact your Work Health and Safety Advisors (staff only) for assistance in completing this process.

It is recommended principals don't allow parents and carers to drive onto the school site to pick up or drop off students. Reinforce this by:

• placing signs at the school gates
• reminders in the school newsletter, website and enrolment information (see parent information about driving and parking safely)
• close school vehicle gates to prevent entry. Only open for authorised entry, such as staff or contractors.

Schools can use traffic management devices to restrict access or change traffic movement on the school site.

• Contact the School Infrastructure NSW (staff only) for advice prior to any installation to
  • ensure the building standards and codes met and any council approval required is granted.
  • advise on the potential impact on planned future changes.

• Anyone parking a vehicle on school premises does so at their own risk. Principals need to make sure they are aware of this as outlined in Legal Issues Bulletin 8. (staff only)
• A school is not obliged to provide parking on site to anyone at any time.
• If a school has space available they may offer disabled parking spaces and parking for visitors and staff.

• Principals make the decision to allow or restrict students parking private vehicles on the school site.

• Principals may give permission for students to park in school grounds if there is adequate space available and it is safe to do so.
• Principals wishing to allow students to park in school grounds may request vehicle users and/or owners to sign a disclaimer.
• Student parking is a privilege, not a right (schools are not required to provide student parking).
• Learner drivers should not be permitted to use onsite parking.
• Before student parking is permitted a risk assessment must be undertaken.
• Refer to Legal Issues Bulletin 8 (staff only).
• Sample Application for student parking private vehicle onsite (staff only)

• Parents and carers are responsible for how their child travels to and from school.
• Schools do not require a permission note from parents for students to drive to and from school.
• A permission note is ONLY needed if the travel is to and from a school-endorsed activity (drivers and passengers) For example: on excursions, students travelling to TAFE/VET courses or work experience during or outside of regular school hours.

These sample consent forms are for schools to use and contextualise to meet the needs of their school community.

• Student as driver parent consent form (DOCX 41.96 KB)
• Student as passenger parent consent form (DOCX 39.75 KB)

To address concerns about students displaying unsafe driving and/or parking behaviours in the school zone, schools should:

• promote safe travel with students and families – driving and parking safely (PDF)
• follow duty of care model and report any unsafe practices to parents/carers, police and WHS hotline.

An optional letter to support principals with informing parents/carers about unsafe behaviours. Driving and parking safely near schools sample letter to parents/carers