School security checklist: what security does your school need?

Keeping your school safe should feel manageable. But when you’re balancing a busy campus, ageing equipment and a limited budget, it can be difficult to know what needs attention first.

This checklist helps you review your school’s physical security, spot gaps and plan practical improvements. It covers everyday access, protection after hours and the procedures that help your team respond.

What security do I need for my school?

Your school needs security that suits its layout, activities and identified risks. A practical approach combines secure buildings and grounds, controlled access, visitor procedures, suitable alarms and CCTV, and a clear emergency response plan.

The Victorian Department of Education recommends combining physical measures, electronic systems and everyday procedures to help prevent crime. No single device does the whole job.[1]

The government requirements below apply to Victorian government schools. Catholic and independent schools should check their own sector requirements and applicable obligations.

1. Understand where your school is exposed

Start with a walk around your campus and a conversation with the people who use it. A side door that is regularly propped open or an outbuilding missed during lock-up can be just as important as an ageing camera.

The department encourages schools to undertake a physical security assessment and include identified risks in their Emergency Management Plan.[2]

Your checklist

• ☐ Review previous incidents, near misses and concerns raised by staff.
• ☐ Consider how access changes during lessons, after-school activities and holidays.
• ☐ Identify equipment and areas that need additional protection.
• ☐ Record each improvement, who will organise it and when it should happen.

Our tip: Decide what problem you need to solve before choosing equipment. This helps keep spending focused on improvements that matter.

2. Check gates, doors and outdoor visibility

Small maintenance issues can leave avoidable gaps. The department includes locks, fencing, lighting, signage and vegetation management among its crime prevention measures.[1]

Your checklist

• ☐ Check gates, fences, doors and windows for damage or unreliable locks.
• ☐ Make the route to reception clear for visitors.
• ☐ Check lighting around entrances and frequently used outdoor areas.
• ☐ Look for vegetation that blocks visibility.
• ☐ Check that security arrangements preserve safe emergency exit routes.

Our tip: Review the site after dark as well as during the day. Ask your facilities team to identify areas where lighting needs attention.

3. Review who can enter each area

Your school may need to accommodate teachers, relief staff, cleaners, contractors and community groups at different times. Access arrangements should reflect what each person needs to do.

Electronic access control may help manage permissions, but the right approach depends on your buildings and how they are used.

Your checklist

• ☐ Keep an up-to-date record of issued keys, cards and fobs.
• ☐ Remove access when a person leaves or their work finishes.
• ☐ Review access to offices, equipment stores and other restricted areas.
• ☐ Give after-hours users clear access and lock-up instructions.
• ☐ Make lost keys and cards easy to report.

Our tip: Ask how you would cancel a lost credential and who can make that change. It should be a process your team understands.

4. Make visitor procedures easy to follow

Knowing who is on site helps your team manage everyday safety and respond during an emergency.

Victorian government schools must have procedures to screen, manage and supervise visitors. Their visitor records must capture arrivals and departures during school hours, including the visitor’s name, signature, date, time and purpose.[3]

Your checklist

• ☐ Direct visitors to reception before they move around the school.
• ☐ Record arrivals and departures consistently.
• ☐ Complete the suitability checks required for each visitor’s role.
• ☐ Make relevant child safety and emergency information available.
• ☐ Ensure staff know how to report an unidentified visitor safely.

5. Check that your CCTV serves a clear purpose

CCTV can help deter incidents and support investigations. Camera locations should address identified risks and respect privacy.

For Victorian government schools, installation requires Security Unit approval and school council consultation. Cameras must not be installed in toilets, changing areas or other locations where privacy is paramount.[4]

Your checklist

• ☐ Confirm required approvals before installation.
• ☐ Review camera coverage against identified risks.
• ☐ Check picture quality and recording playback.
• ☐ Provide required signage and an online CCTV privacy notice.
• ☐ Restrict footage access to authorised users and record access.[4]

Our tip: Bring your current camera plan and details of any recurring issues to a consultation.

6. Know what happens when an alarm activates

An alarm is only part of the response. Your school also needs a clear understanding of who receives an alert and what happens next.

Use these practical questions to review your existing arrangements with your security provider and, where relevant, the department.

Your checklist

• ☐ Confirm which buildings and areas the alarm covers.
• ☐ Check that authorised staff know how to arm and disarm it.
• ☐ Confirm monitoring arrangements and escalation steps.
• ☐ Update nominated contacts before school holidays.
• ☐ Investigate repeated false alarms.
• ☐ Ask how faults, power outages and connection failures are handled.

7. Practise your emergency response

Staff need to understand what to do if a security incident occurs. Technology should support your school’s response procedures.

Victorian government schools must run emergency drills at least once every term. Their Emergency Management Plan must be reviewed and approved by the principal at least annually, by 1 September, and after a significant incident.[5]

Your checklist

• ☐ Include relevant security scenarios in your emergency planning.
• ☐ Make roles and communication arrangements clear.
• ☐ Induct new and visiting staff into emergency procedures.
• ☐ Plan assistance for anyone who needs additional support.
• ☐ Record drill outcomes and act on what you learn.[5]

8. Keep systems working

Security needs ongoing attention as buildings, staff and activities change.

For CCTV, the department recommends termly operational reviews and encourages an annual recording-equipment check by an approved contractor.[4]

Your checklist

• ☐ Give someone responsibility for tracking faults and repairs.
• ☐ Agree a maintenance schedule for your equipment.
• ☐ Keep service records and support contacts accessible.
• ☐ Review arrangements after building works or changes in site use.

Common school security questions