To be concerned about this child

[FlyingFox95]

And if so, who do I contact?

I'm not a mother so I'm not aware of the contacts in schools or what I should do. I work evenings and travel in round about the time school ends. There is a girl who gets on the bus with a primary school uniform and travels herself to the city centre (about an hour depending on traffic....definitely outwith the catchment area) I've not seen where she goes since then. Today I noticed she was starting to get up at different points then ended up getting off at a different stop. Really don't think she knows her way at all.

I know I should have done something else but I didn't really consider it until today. My head is always somewhere else travelling but I noticed today I've seen her regularly so it is a common thing

Is my concern unreasonable, if so what should I do? Again, I'm not a parent myself so please excuse my ignorance. I just want to do the right thing. X

[Letstryagainshallwe]

I do think your unreasonable based on this small piece of information.

[FlyingFox95]

Fair enough. As I said I've not done anything but I was never allowed to travel that journey alone before I was much older than that so it seemed off

Just one of those fleeting thoughts, seems strange to me but again, I don't have a child so wouldn't know

[sadiemm2]

Where about in the country are you? Are many schools back yet?
If you are concerned, you could hazard a guess from where she is getting off the bus, to which school she attends, and contact them with your concerns. I work in primary ed, and we never take any concerns lightly, even if they turn out to be unfounded. She may have moved house recently and not know the best route to school yet, or may be meeting friends. Doesn't hurt to be aware. If you really can't work out which school, phone the nspcc. They'll reassure you.

[FlyingFox95]

It's my old school which is how I roughly know the age but she was an older looking girl, I'd say 7 and above but not sure. I will definitely look into contacting the school xx

[sadiemm2]

If it reassures you, I was getting the tube to school from 10...tnis was the 80s though, and we were allowed to do all kinds of things that make me clutch my pearls now

[FlyingFox95]

Also I'm in Scotland so schools have just gone back. I recognised her from before summer too, always about the same time of day but I didn't notice much at the time

[PollyFlint]

It's the summer holidays in most of the UK, so are you in Scotland?

If so, the kids have only just gone back to school so presumably it's her first week back so she's still getting used to the journey.

If she's in a primary school uniform (do you know which primary school, or are you just guessing that it's not a secondary school uniform?) she could be 11, which is as old as kids who travel to secondary school anyway.

I don't think 'child catches bus to school' is really a cause for concern, so based on what you've said, YABU. It may well be the only option for her to get to her school. The length of the journey is immaterial really. A one-hour bus journey is not more complicated than a ten-minute one.

[sadiemm2]

Jesus, 7 is too young to be travelling unaccompanied on the bus. Ring the school x x

[PollyFlint]

Sorry, cross post - I see you answered some of my questions now. I still think you're probably worrying unnecessarily though.

[FlyingFox95]

sadiemm2 haha that's true! It just made me worry because im from this area and it seems like such a long journey when there are so many other closer schools on the way. I may have had a sheltered childhood though

[MyOtherProfile]

Call the school if you are worried but ask to speak to the head not the office staff. Or email the head. Email will be on the school web page.
If she does it every day presumably she doesn't get lost though?

[GotToGetMyFingerOut]

My daughter is seven and has just gone into p4 and we have just been told the kids are now allowed by school to leave alone without an adult. I imagine her school is the same and there's not much they will do if she's just travelling home. But can always call and notify the school of your concern incaae there's a possible issue at home they are unaware of such as the child having no childcare etc after school or something. However if you seen her before the holidays and now,she's obviously competent at making her way home and knows the way.

Where abouts in Scotland are you?

[Letstryagainshallwe]

She might not be as young as she looks though as I thought my neighbours little girl was only slightly older than my child till I saw her in the local secondary school uniform! She looks 7/8! Also she could have even been deferred a year so might be a year older than she is.

[FlyingFox95]

The main reason it flagged was because the council areas are completely different. In saying that I'm no expert on catchment areas here, just one of those things that seemed a bit off.

[FlyingFox95]

It's an area an hour outside Glasgow travelling into Glasgow city centre. That's true, I really so apologise for my ignorance on the topic but that's why I want the second opinions xx

[Nicknacky]

I'm not getting the issue here at all. You have regularly seen a kid travel home on the bus. That's it and you want to report it?

She may live right beside the school but gets the bus to her grans etc after school.

[Nicknacky]

So basically Edinburgh to Glasgow?

[DelphiniumBlue]

I agree, contact the school.
You have a gut feeling that something isn't right, that's enough reason to flag it up to the school, who can check it out. It may be that there's not a problem, in which case no harm done, but if there is, the school are best placed to deal with it, or at least assess it taking into account other info they might have about that child.
Don't expect them to tell you anything though, you are unlikely to get any feedback.

[Zaphodsotherhead]

Maybe she's travelling to her mum/dad's office and they will drive her home because her home isn't on a bus route? That might be why she travels so long and out of catchement, she's not going home.

Also might be why she gets off at different stop sometimes, perhaps they are working somewhere else and she has to meet them there?

[Lunde]

Not sure what the issue is really. She may have been going home, to grandparents or to an after school activity

My dd2 used to travel 10 miles by bus after school twice a week from the age of around 8 to attend music lessons. It would have been very upsetting if someone had tried to stop this based on a very vague "concern"

[FlyingFox95]

Not Edinburgh. It's a suburb of Glasgow that is an hour on public transport. Yeah I honestly am not bothered about finding out anything, it may all be fine but I would hate for anything to happen. I was about 14 before I was allowed to travel into town with friends but I may have been sheltered.

Thank you for all the replies so far, really appreciate the points of view xx

[Nicknacky]

What suburb of Glasgow takes an hour at 3pm?

[chitofftheshovel]

It may be that she had been told to get off at a different stop than usual, parents work or something, and was a bit unsure. But she managed it and will feel an enormous sense of achievement.