Paper sign-in sheets at multiple school entrances present significant security vulnerabilities as of December 2025, primarily due to the lack of reliable identity verification and real-time visibility of who is on site, creating gaps in duty of care and compliance with Child Safe Standards.
Currently, paper-based systems rely on self-reporting, offering minimal assurance of a visitor’s true identity. Multiple entry points exacerbate this, as maintaining a consolidated and accurate record across all locations is operationally challenging. This impacts the ability to effectively respond to emergencies, conduct accurate roll calls, or fulfil obligations under Work Health and Safety (WHS) legislation regarding the safety of students and staff. In 2026, education licensing and audit frameworks now require demonstrable systems for visitor management, and while paper records *can* be part of a system, their inherent limitations create compliance risks. The National Principles for Child Safe Organisations, as updated in December 2025, emphasise the importance of knowing who has contact with children, a requirement difficult to consistently meet with fragmented paper records. Furthermore, the lack of digital records hinders efficient contact tracing if required, and complicates retrospective investigations.
This results in a system where the school’s understanding of who is present is reliant on manual processes prone to error, delay, and potential circumvention.