Police will patrol each school at least once this term, cracking down on speed and taking note of drivers who fail to give way at pedestrian crossings.

ACT chief police officer Rudi Lammers said police would take a hard-line stance against those who disobeyed the traffic rules.

"Speed limits in school zones are there to ensure the safety of our children by allowing motorists extra time to stop in an unexpected situation," he said.

"Police will continue to enforce the 40km/h limit by proactively targeting each school throughout the term."

Failure to slow down in school zones can see motorists slapped with fines of between $215 and $1811 and one to six demerit points.

Last term, police issued 222 traffic infringement notices for speeding in ACT school zones and 194 official cautions, up from 197 notices and 116 cautions the same period last year.

Police Minister Joy Burch held high hopes for a reduction in these figures over coming months, and said there was no excuse for ignoring school zones.

"We're hoping to see fewer people caught speeding in school zones this term," she said.

"Motorists have been warned, police will be out targeting speeding in every school zone this term and the 40km/h speed signs are on display - there is no excuse for speeding around schools."