Purpose of safe entry and exit procedures

Safe entry and exit arrangements help create a safe, orderly environment for students, staff and families. Effective procedures reduce congestion, minimise interactions between pedestrians and vehicles, support predictable routines and help schools meet their duty of care responsibilities.

Managing movement around the school

Schools can support safe and orderly movement around the school through measures that:

• review entry and exit points and pedestrian flow
• provide clearly identified areas for pedestrians, buses, cyclists and pick-up/drop-off activities where appropriate
• establish clear separation between pedestrian and vehicle areas
• use signage, numbering or colour coding to identify entry and exit points
• ensure students wait in supervised areas until collected
• teach students safe road use and transport behaviours
• distribute arrivals and departures across multiple access points where possible
• discourage unsafe behaviours such as double-parking or U-turns
• raise identified traffic or road safety concerns with relevant local authorities.

Planning safe entry and exit arrangements

When planning or adjusting entry and exit arrangements, it can be helpful to consider risks such as:

• staff working near moving vehicles — ensuring staff are positioned safely and not directing traffic
• slips, trips and falls — uneven surfaces, wet weather, or cluttered pathways
• manual handling of bags and equipment — avoiding lifting or reaching into vehicles
• assisting students into vehicles, if needed — maintaining safe body positioning and avoiding stepping onto the roadway
• visibility in poor weather — reduced visibility for drivers and staff
• seatbelt responsibilities — ensuring staff do not take on duties that place them inside vehicles
• staff absences — ensuring safe coverage and avoiding ad‑hoc arrangements.

Supervision

Effective supervision is active, purposeful and appropriate to the school's local environment. Supervision should:

• position staff where they can observe student movement
• focus on foreseeable risks
• consider traffic, visibility and weather
• clearly define staff roles
• be documented in school procedures.

Staff supervising entry and exit should:

• remain behind school fencing, or away from road edges, where possible
• avoid standing between vehicles
• wear high-visibility clothing when appropriate
• avoid entering the roadway
• remind drivers to remain stationary until children are safely secured.

These factors help determine the most appropriate supervision model for each school.

Communicate with families

Regular communication helps families understand school procedures and encourages safer behaviour around the school.

Schools can:

• provide regular reminders about safe pick‑up and drop‑off practices
• explain any changes to procedures in advance
• encourage families to model safe road‑user behaviour.

Use newsletters, websites, social media, assemblies and signage to communicate:

• changes to entry and exit procedures
• temporary hazards or construction works
• School Crossing Supervisor absences
• public transport disruptions
• pick-up and drop-off expectations.

Review procedures

Schools should regularly review entry and exit arrangements:

• following incidents or near misses
• after changes to traffic conditions
• when construction or road works occur
• when student enrolments change
• following feedback from staff or families.

That links back to the department's risk management process and encourages continuous improvement.