Getting to and from school safely
Getting your child to and from school is your responsibility, however your child’s school wants this to happen safely every day.
Pick the safest way to school and practise travelling the route with your child. Talk about how to be a safe road user.
Keep your school community safe by:
- modelling how to be safe as a pedestrian, passenger or cyclist
- always holding your child’s hand when walking on the footpath, in the car park and when crossing the road
- using the safest place to cross the road
- dropping off and picking up your child from the school side of the road
- never calling your child from across the road
- ensuring your child is properly buckled up in the right child restraint for their age
- driving and parking legally, even if it means parking further away and walking the rest of the way to school.
Share this information with your child’s carers such as grandparents, nannies and friends who may be taking your child to or from school: education.nsw.gov.au/safe-travel
Saying goodbye
At first, you might like to stay for a while until your child feels secure at school. When your child has settled into school, a short and reassuring goodbye encourages independence. Let them know who will pick them up at the end of the day.
Picking up children at the end of the day
When school finishes each day, your child will gather at a regular place. Teachers will wait with and direct the children. Make sure your child and their teacher know who will be collecting them each afternoon. This could be a parent, a carer or an after school care worker.
Children can get upset if the person picking them up comes late. Check with their teacher about the best time to arrive in the afternoon and where to stand.
Learn more ways of safely travelling to and from school with your child.