Road safety education
Direction and guidance to support effective implementation of road safety education in NSW public schools Kindergarten to Year 12.
Audience
All staff, including principals, teachers and support staff.
Version | Date | Description of changes | Approved by |
---|---|---|---|
V01.0.0 |
30/01/2025 |
Under the 2023 Policy and procedure review program, new policy document with consolidated instructions previously provided in the Road Safety Education, Driver Education and Training policy and guidelines. |
Executive Director, Teaching Quality and Impact |
About the policy
Road safety is taught in each stage of learning as part of the Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) Kindergarten to Year 10 syllabus and the mandatory Stage 6 Life Ready course.
Term | Definition |
---|---|
A whole-school approach |
Schools, parents, carers and communities work together to create a sustained safe and supportive environment for students to learn, understand, practise and apply road safety knowledge and skills. |
Road users |
Includes passengers, pedestrians, wheels users and future drivers in a variety of contexts and locations such as rural and remote, regional and metropolitan. |
Wheels users |
Riders of bicycles, including e-bikes, foot scooters and skateboards. |
Driver education |
Focuses on attitudes and behaviours of young people as road users (passengers and future drivers). |
Learner driver training |
Focuses on developing the skills for behind-the-wheel operation and control of a motor vehicle as a learner driver. |
Principals:
- ensure road safety is taught in each stage of learning as part of the Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) Kindergarten to Year 10 syllabus and the mandatory Stage 6 Life Ready course.
- provide opportunities for staff to undertake the department’s road safety education professional learning
- regularly communicate and consult with parents, carers and students about the road and traffic conditions near the school, such as changes and hazards
- annually review the Location and transportExternal link page on their school's website to ensure current safe travel information is provided to the school community
- provide information to parents and carers promoting safe travel
- ensure teachers follow the Excursion and variations of routine procedures
- review safe entry and exit procedures – contact Work Health and Safety Advisors for support and advice on risk assessments
- take reasonable care to minimise the risk of foreseeable harm (physical and psychological) to others
- refer to Work health and safety policy and advice for the Risk Management Procedure such as Vehicles on school grounds
- report near misses and potential hazards to the Incident Report and Support Hotline 1800 811523
- notify and liaise with relevant agencies, including local councils, NSW Police and Transport for NSWExternal link, as well as relevant department officers such as Work Health and Safety Advisors and local department Road Safety Education Officers about issues in the school zone.
Teachers:
- follow the Excursions and variations of routine procedures and safe travel advice
- explicitly teach road safety through the curriculum to meet student needs (pedestrian safety, passenger safety, safety on wheels and future driver education)
- undertake the department’s road safety education professional learning
- share student learning with parents and carers to ensure consistent road safety messaging and reinforce safe behaviours
- supervise students’ safe entry and exit of school grounds, as required by the principal
- report near misses, potential hazards and unsafe behaviours to the principal.
Students:
- develop the knowledge and skills to progressively manage their own and others’ safety
- follow the school’s procedures for safe entry and exit of school grounds
- cooperate with staff and others such as school crossing supervisors and bus drivers to be a safe road user.
Parents and carers:
- reinforce safe road use with their child/ren
- model safe behaviours for children and young people in the road environment, including safe driving behaviours around schools.
What needs to be done
1. Provide road safety education
Schools should adopt a whole-school approach to effectively implement road safety education by considering the three areas outlined in this section.
1.1 Provide quality teaching through the curriculum
Schools should provide quality teaching of road safety to meet all students’ needs. Effective road safety teaching and learning is:
- explicitly taught in each stage of learning, Kindergarten to Year 10
- aligned with Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) Kindergarten to Year 10 syllabus and Stage 6 Life Ready course learning outcomes
- localised, student-centred, skills-focused and engaging
- developmentally appropriate
- sequential and ongoing, not just a one-off event
- strengths-based with educative purpose
For more information refer to best practice road safety education.
Principals must:
- ensure road safety is taught in each stage of learning as part of the Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) Kindergarten to Year 10 syllabus and the mandatory Stage 6 Life Ready course
- ensure teachers and staff understand the road safety needs of all students and develop age-appropriate teaching and learning activities for each stage
- provide opportunities for staff to undertake the department’s road safety education professional learning.
Teachers must follow the Excursions and variations of routine procedures and safe travel advice.
Teachers should:
- explicitly teach road safety through the curriculum to meet student needs (pedestrian safety, passenger safety, safety on wheels and future driver education) for each stage of learning
- use quality road safety resources provided by the department and Transport for NSW
- contact their local department Road Safety Education Officer for support
- follow the guidelines for best practice road safety education
- not use shock and fear tactics when teaching road safety and take a strength-based approach
- undertake the department’s road safety education professional learning
- consider students’ previous traumatic road experiences
- use incidental learning opportunities, such as excursions to model and practice, road safety learning
- use translated road safety information as needed to support students
- differentiate the learning to cater for all students’ abilities, experiences and understandings about the road traffic environment.
1.2 Communicate with parents, carers and the community
Parents and carers are responsible for their child’s travel to and from school.
The department encourages students to walk or ride to school when the school and the parent or carer believe it is safe to do so.
It is important to share road safety information with parents and carers so they can reinforce safe behaviours when out and about with their children.
Principals should:
- regularly communicate and consult with parents, carers and students about the road and traffic conditions near the school, such as changes and hazards
- provide information to parents and carers promoting safe travel, via various communication channels such as social media, school websites, newsletters, enrolment information for new families and transition to school for kindergarten and high school.
- annually review the Location and transportExternal link page on their school's website to ensure current safe travel information is provided to the school community
- support newly arrived families and provide translated road safety information or interpreters to ensure road safety messages are clearly understood
- engage and liaise with parents and carers about road safety concerns and safe practices through school P&C and road safety committees
- collaborate and consult with parent and carer groups or volunteers to organise safe active travel and safe parking initiatives, if requested by the school community.
Teachers should:
- share student learning with parents and carers to ensure consistent road safety messaging and reinforce safe behaviours
- educate newly arrived students about road safety.
1.3 Manage road safety environment and culture
Schools should create and maintain a safe, supportive environment and culture onsite and in the school zone.
The department’s Health and Safety policies and procedures guide schools to manage road safety in the school grounds.
Principals should:
- ensure teachers follow the Excursions and variations of routine procedures
- review safe entry and exit procedures – contact Work Health and Safety Advisors for support and advice on risk assessments
- take reasonable measures to protect students against risk of injury or harm that should have reasonably been foreseen as outlined in school’s duty of care and road safety. This may extend outside of school hours and off school premises in circumstances where there is a clear and close connection to the school.
- refer to Work health and safety policy and advice for Risk Management Procedures for Vehicles on school grounds and road safety
- report near misses and potential hazards to the Incident Report and Support Hotline 1800 811523
- use a process for managing a school’s duty of care and road safety to help address local road safety concerns
- notify parents and carers of students’ unsafe behaviours on or near the road
- notify and liaise with relevant agencies including council, NSW Police, Transport for NSWExternal link, School Infrastructure NSW, Work Health and Safety Advisors and Road Safety Education Officers about road safety issues in the school zone
- refer to advice from Transport for NSWExternal link and local councils about School crossing supervisorsExternal link, pedestrian crossings, bus safety, and other school zones
- liaise with the Assisted School Travel Program on effective management, where applicable.
Teachers must:
- supervise students’ safe entry and exit of school grounds, as required by the principal
- report near misses and potential hazards, unsafe behaviours to the principal.
2. Consideration of learner driver training in high schools
Learning to drive is a key responsibility of parents and carers.
Teaching to drive is not part of the NSW PDHPE Years 7 to 10 syllabus or Stage 6 Life Ready course. It is not a requirement in NSW high schools.
This section is only for high schools that have identified a student and community need to support learner drivers in obtaining their driver’s licence.
Principals approve the implementation of a learner driver training program and must ensure these learner driver training implementation procedures are followed.
Learner driver training program implementation checklist (PDF 330 KB)to be downloaded
2.1 Ensure legal compliance
Schools that offer learner driver training must:
- ensure instructors hold a NSW Driving Instructor's LicenceExternal link under the Driving Instructors Act 1992External link
- abide by the Driving Instructors Regulation 2016External link
- support licensed learner drivers to obtain their 120 hours of on-road driving as part of the Graduated Licensing Scheme (refer to Getting your driver licenceExternal link)
- only provide the training to students who hold a NSW Learner driver licenceExternal link
- be scheduled to operate outside regular school hours (as documented by the school timetable)
- use a duplicate-controlled motor vehicle
- use a car with comprehensive motor vehicle insurance
- be at no cost to students.
2.2 Meet conditions for driving instructors
Any person giving instruction must:
- hold a current NSW Driving Instructor's Licence
- meet all compliance requirements for the Working with Children Check as a volunteer
- have the approval of the principal
- be on a voluntary basis and attract no payment
- deliver instruction on a one-to-one basis during learner driver training sessions
- not directly market their services to students at the school
- develop practical driving tasks as defined in the Learner Driver Log BookExternal link to meet the required 120 hours of on-road driving.
2.3 Plan and schedule the program
NSW high schools that offer a learner driver training program must:
- consult with their Director, Educational Leadership
- schedule it outside regular school hours
- develop a consent form outlining
- program and training provided
- risk management procedures and safety of students
- expectations of students and the driver trainer.
- NOT offer Advanced driver training
- consult with Legal Services directorate before any contract is entered into between the school and external provider
- evaluate the program annually.
2.4 Ensure students meet all conditions
Students can participate in a learner driver training program under the following conditions:
- it is free of any charge
- participation is voluntary
- written consent from parents and carers is specific to the activities and the arrangements for the training
- a current NSW learner driver’s licence is held.
2.5 Comply with ownership and maintenance requirements
Schools that own motor vehicles for learner driver training must ensure:
- ownership complies with the conditions in the department’s policy on Commercial arrangements, sponsorship and donations
- each vehicle used for learner driver training is equipped with duplicate driving controls as per the Driving Instructors Regulation 2016External link.
Mandatory tools and templates
Supporting tools, resources and related information
Teaching and learning
- Personal development, health and physical education (PDHPE) Kindergarten to Year 10 (PDF 2 MB)External link syllabus
- Stage 6 Life Ready course
- Road safety education professional learning workshops
- Teaching and learning road safety resources
- Best practice road safety education – provides advice about shock and fear tactics, whole-school approach
- Driver education and learner driver training advice for schools
Safe road use
- Promoting safe travel resources support schools to communicate effectively with parents and carers about road safety such as Transition to Kindergarten and Year 7 advice, translated road safety information in 36 different languages
- School crossing supervisors information to support schools
- Wheeled devices in and around schools – advice about e-scooters and e-bikes, bicycle/wheels guidelines school templates
- Assisted School Travel Program individualised transport to and from school for eligible students
Road safety culture
- Safe entry and exit of students supports student safety when travelling to and from school
- School’s duty of care and road safety provides a process to manage local road safety concerns
- Risk Management Procedure for Vehicles on school grounds and road safety which includes information about onsite parking
- Excursions and road safety information for schools when planning and completing risk assessments
- Managing cycling and walking school buses provides advice and considerations for schools and communities
- Who can assist with road safety on and around schools contact details for principals such as:
- Work Health and Safety Advisors for support and advice on risk assessments
- Road Safety Education Officers for support to implement effective road safety education
Driver training
- Behaviour code for students
- Excursion and variations of routine procedures
- Emergency management (staff only)
- Risk Management procedures (staff only)
- Vehicles on school grounds factsheet (staff only) (PDF 137 KB)
- Lithium-ion batteries – usage,storage and management (staff only) (PDF 103 KB)
- Reasonably foreseeable emergencies summary (staff only) (PDF 244 KB)
- Duty of care to students and behaviour management (staff only)
- Commercial arrangements, sponsorship and donations
Policy contact
The Executive Director, Curriculum monitors the implementation of this procedure, regularly reviews its contents to ensure relevance and accuracy, and updates it as needed.