Best Camera Placement in Schools: A Detailed Guide

When it comes to CCTV, one of the most common questions schools ask is:
“Where exactly should we install cameras?”

Good camera placement is as important as choosing the right cameras — it ensures you cover the areas that matter most, minimise blind spots, and use your budget effectively.

This guide explains the key areas every school should monitor, why each area matters, and how to position cameras responsibly and effectively.

1. Entrances & Exits

Why it matters:

• Controls who comes and goes.

• Helps monitor visitors, late arrivals, and deliveries.

• Deters unauthorised access.

• Provides evidence of students leaving without permission or intruders entering after hours.

Best practice:

• Install cameras at every main entrance, positioned to clearly capture faces at eye level as people enter.

• Cover side gates, staff doors, and emergency exits — often overlooked and exploited by trespassers or students skipping class.

• Position cameras to avoid glare from sun and lights at certain times of day.

Example:
A primary school placed cameras at its front gate and a side staff gate; footage was used to identify a vandal who entered through the side alley after hours.

2. Corridors & Stairwells

Why it matters:

• High-traffic areas where bullying, fights, or accidents often occur.

• Typically unsupervised between classes, making them hotspots for misbehaviour.

• Locker areas are especially prone to theft and damage.

Best practice:

• Place cameras at each end of long corridors for overlapping views.

• Cover stairwell landings to avoid blind spots behind walls.

• Ensure locker banks are fully within the field of view.

Example:
A high school used hallway footage to resolve a dispute where two students claimed they were shoved; the footage showed it was an accident caused by crowding.

3. Toilets & Change Rooms — Monitor Appropriately

Why it matters:

• These areas are sensitive but often the scene of bullying, vandalism, smoking, or intimidation.

• Students and staff have a strong and reasonable expectation of privacy inside these facilities.

• Monitoring who enters and exits is often enough to identify those responsible for incidents.

Best practice:

• Install cameras outside the entrance to toilets and change rooms, clearly capturing who enters and exits.

• Position cameras carefully to avoid capturing any activity inside the room, even when doors open.

• Use clear signage to inform that CCTV monitors the entrance area only.

• Do not install cameras inside toilets, showers, or cubicles — this is illegal and breaches privacy.

Example:
A suburban high school identified a group of boys responsible for repeated vandalism by reviewing entrance camera footage, which showed who entered moments before each incident.

4. Playgrounds & Sports Fields

Why it matters:

• Outdoor areas are prone to rough play, injuries, and bullying.

• Large open spaces make supervision more challenging.

• Ensures incidents during recess, PE, or after-school programs are recorded.

Best practice:

• Mount wide-angle cameras on walls or light poles to cover the playground.

• Consider multiple fixed cameras with overlapping views rather than relying on a PTZ, which requires active monitoring.

• Install high enough to prevent tampering while keeping faces visible.

Example:
A playground camera helped prove a student tripped while running, contrary to claims that he’d been pushed.

5. Carparks & Bus Zones

Why it matters:

• Drop-off and pick-up times are hectic and prone to accidents.

• Helps resolve disputes over vehicle damage or poor driving.

• Protects staff vehicles and monitors pedestrian safety.

Best practice:

• Mount cameras on building corners or poles to cover the entire parking area.

• Use cameras with licence plate recognition (LPR) at main vehicle gates.

• Cover bus loading and unloading areas clearly.

Example:
Footage cleared a teacher accused of damaging a parent’s car; another parent was shown as the culprit.

6. Perimeter & Fencing

Why it matters:

• The perimeter is your first line of defence against trespassers and students leaving unsupervised.

• Deters after-hours intrusions and vandalism.

Best practice:

• Face cameras along fence lines, especially corners, gates, and secluded areas.

• Use long-range night-vision cameras for visibility after dark.

• Ensure adjacent cameras overlap slightly to avoid blind spots.

Example:
A rural school stopped repeated weekend vandalism on its oval after perimeter cameras identified intruders climbing the back fence.

‍ 7. Reception & Office Areas

Why it matters:

• Reception is the first point of contact for visitors, contractors, and parents.

• Helps enforce visitor sign-in procedures and monitor behaviour.

• Protects office staff from aggressive behaviour and covers cash-handling points.

Best practice:

• Position a camera behind reception to record anyone entering.

• Cover entry doors from both inside and outside angles.

• Avoid pointing cameras into private offices unnecessarily.

Example:
Reception footage was used to identify and warn a parent who verbally abused staff and left without signing in.

Additional Placement Tips

✅ Height & Angle: Mount cameras high enough to avoid tampering but not so high that faces become indistinct. Typically 2.5–3m indoors and ~3–4m outdoors.

✅ Lighting: Avoid glare from sun or artificial lights; choose cameras with wide dynamic range (WDR) if needed.

✅ Overlapping Views: Ensure cameras’ fields of view overlap slightly at edges to eliminate blind spots.

✅ Signage: Install clear, prominent signage in all monitored areas to comply with laws and reassure the community.

Final Thoughts

CCTV placement is about more than just coverage — it’s about safety, privacy, and peace of mind. With thoughtful placement — and respect for sensitive areas like toilets and change rooms — your school can achieve effective monitoring without overstepping.