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.

Department staff can access information on the WWCC clearance intranet page.

What has changed for contractors in schools

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

Please note:

1. The 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 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 WWCC application process.

Inform the department of your WWCC

All contractors are required to inform the department of their paid WWCC by completing a digital declaration. This enables the department to verify your WWCC details against the Office of the Children's Guardian (OCG) records.

Once your declaration is submitted, verification is usually completed within a few minutes, and the status will be reflected in the department's screening applications.

If your verification is delayed

A delay in verification is often caused by a simple data entry error where the details entered in the digital declaration do not exactly match the records held by the OCG.

Before submitting your declaration, ensure the following information is entered exactly as it appears on your WWCC:

• Full name (including any middle names or hyphens)
• Date of birth
• WWCC number.

Please refer to the quick reference guide for completing the digital declaration form for contractors (PDF 321 KB) for step-by-step guidance.

If your details are correct and verification is still pending after a reasonable period, contact the Probity Unit for support on 1300 32 32 32.

Check-in and -out using School Visitor Check-in

All school visitors, including contractors, are required to check in and out of school sites using the School Visitor Check-In (SVCI) system available at the front office. They must also present a valid government-issued photo identification to verify that the details entered into the SVCI system match their ID. Where the information provided does not match the ID presented, entry to the school site may be refused.

Contractors can refer to School Visitor Check-in for more information.

Department staff can refer to the School Visitor Check-in intranet page for additional resources and guidance.

Check-in requirements for cleaners

The screening of all school cleaners is managed by the Probity Unit. School cleaners are required to check in and out of school sites using the School Visitor Check-In (SVCI) system. Their WWCC record will not be visible to schools through SVCI or eCPC. While SVCI may prompt the school to complete additional checks, no further action is required unless they are identified as Not to be Employed (NTBE).

Emergency services personnel

Emergency services personnel are exempt from the WWCC requirement when attending a school in response to an emergency affecting school operations or the health and safety of students or staff. If they are visiting the school for educational purposes, or any other non-emergency reason, they must hold a current WWCC clearance.

Official exemption for police on duty

NSW police officers or members of the Australian Federal Police are exempt from the WWCC requirement when attending a school in their official capacity. If they volunteer or work in a separate child-related role outside of their official duties (such as coaching a local children's sports team or mentoring a band), they must still hold a WWCC for those specific activities.

School crossing supervisors

School crossing supervisors are managed by Transport for NSW – they are responsible for their employment screening and WWCC compliance.

School crossing supervisors are not required to complete a digital declaration or sign-in or –out using SVCI.

The following requirements apply when a school crossing supervisor attends a NSW public school site:

• They must carry and present their current Transport for NSW identification when entering the school site.
• Their Transport for NSW identification must remain visible at all times while on the school site.
• They must wear the Transport for NSW uniform, including the required fluorescent safety vest and hat.
• Schools should not undertake additional WWCC or screening checks where the person is identifiable as a Transport for NSW school crossing supervisor and is attending the site in the course of their official duties.

Incidental activities that do not require a WWCC

Incidental activities with supervised student interactions and locations such as the front office or external access areas, do not require the individual to have a valid paid WWCC. These include:

• utility meter readers
• drivers conducting deliveries, cash pick ups, parcel pick-ups, skip bin collections
• concrete truck drivers and general materials delivery drivers
• bus drivers during a school-related activity when students are accompanied by school staff
• council inspectors of shared external facilities such as sports fields
• apprentices under 18 years of age
• animal catchers
• media personnel attending for news coverage.

If the individual working on an incidental activity is required to enter areas within the school where students are present, they must be supervised at all times or students must be supervised to prevent interaction. This also applies to instances where the work requires urgent remediation that will affect school operations or the health and safety of students and staff.

Requirements for School Infrastructure engaged contractors

All existing Facilities Maintenance Contractors (FMCs), Local Contractors (LCs), general contractors 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 before adding individuals to the FMWeb 2.0 system and site attendance.
• LCs 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, LCs and general contractors or their employers.

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.

Questions and answers

Additional questions and answers will be added as new information becomes available. Contractors can refer to the department representative engaging their services if they have any unanswered questions.