School crossing patrol ahead plate: what it means
The Patrol plate under the children going to school sign warns of a school crossing patrol ahead. Slow down and be ready to stop.
What does the school crossing patrol ahead plate mean?
The Patrol plate goes below the children going to school warning triangle. The Highway Code shows the two together as the school crossing patrol ahead sign; some have amber lights that flash when the crossing is in use. Know your traffic signs explains that plates below warning signs add detail.
Near schools, drive slowly and watch for young cyclists and pedestrians (rule 208). You must stop when the patrol shows its Stop for children sign (rule 210).
Quick quiz
What does the sign at the top of this page mean?
- A school crossing patrol may be ahead.
- Stop when the patrol holds this sign up.
- Traffic lights are ahead.
Show answer
A. A school crossing patrol may be ahead. The Patrol plate below the children going to school sign warns of a school crossing patrol ahead (The Highway Code). Source: Know your traffic signs: warning signs, GOV.UK; The Highway Code, rule 208, GOV.UK; The Highway Code, rule 210, GOV.UK; The Highway Code: traffic signs, GOV.UK; Traffic sign images: image details (spreadsheet), Department for Transport, GOV.UK; Traffic sign images, Department for Transport, GOV.UK
Where will you see it?
Below the children going to school warning sign, on the approach to a school crossing patrol.
What should you do?
Drive slowly and watch for young cyclists and pedestrians. Stop when the patrol shows its stop sign.
What do people get wrong?
Do not confuse this advance warning with the patrol’s hand-held stop sign. You must stop when the patrol shows that sign.
Common questions
What does Patrol mean on a road sign?
It warns of a school crossing patrol ahead (The Highway Code).
Does the Patrol plate mean stop here?
It warns of the patrol ahead. Rule 210 requires you to stop when the patrol shows its Stop for children sign.
Compare with
Children going to or from school signWatch for children near a school.
School crossing patrol signStop when the patrol holds this sign up.
Want to test someone else? Play a road-sign quiz with friends and family.
Sources
Checked on 5 November 2026 against Know your traffic signs (warning signs), The Highway Code (rules 208 and 210; traffic signs) and the Department for Transport’s image details list.
- Know your traffic signs: warning signs, GOV.UK
- The Highway Code, rule 208, GOV.UK
- The Highway Code, rule 210, GOV.UK
- The Highway Code: traffic signs, GOV.UK
- Traffic sign images: image details (spreadsheet), Department for Transport, GOV.UK
- Traffic sign images, Department for Transport, GOV.UK
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Traffic sign images are Crown copyright, from the Department for Transport. Sources and image credits.