is 11 too young for a going into town alone?

Oh it's usual for 11 year olds to make their own way. If still in primary as practice for secondary

Mind you I come from the days when all kids made their way to school by themselves after about 7

And move were allowed into our " town" from about 10 onwards. Which is t really one high street.

After about 11 they could go to the next town on the bus . Usually only went there for Primark or cinema. My DS went regular between towns on train as he is dad lived in one a few stops away

She's not going to be alone! She's going to be with her friends.

DS started going into town with friends in Y6 so he would have been 10. We lived in a village so they caught the bus in and I went to pick them up. DS didn't have his own mobile but we had an ultra cheap, PAYG "house" mobile that the DC got issued with if they were going into town etc. so they could call if there was an issue.

Only you know how sensible your dd is. But if there are no concerns about her ability to cope, then you need to let her start to have some independence.

At 11 I started secondary school in a different town where I only knew one other person, and she wasn't in my year. I had to catch a train and then a bus. No mobiles back then, although I did have 10p for a pay phone! Plus I didn't know the town at all. I think we've lost our sense of what risk is.

I'd definitely allow it. I honestly don't see what can realistically happen, she has her phone if she needs you. Don't be the over protective parent out of the 4 that says no

BTW I think you are fine to say you are not comfortable and would rather be around. One of dds friends wasn't allowed until almost 13 and noone gave her a hard time over it.

If in year 7 then ok for me although daughter is july born.
At first I'd hang around in shops, until confident e.g where to find toilet

I tend to be on the cautious side on MN (eg no overage films etc).
But i would be happy with a group of 4 friends walking a short distance into and then around a familiar town.
Talk through a few 'what ifs' and let her enjoy it.

My son is 11 and walks through town to get to school and back every day. He is fine with friends or on his own.

my daughter will be having her phone. However she has not been into town without adult supervision before- I think it's all the news you hear nowadays that's making me nervous.

What do you hear in the news about young people having a stroll around town?

I find it a bit surprising that she has access to a mobile, yet you're feeling anxious about her exploring the real world. What exactly are you worried about?

11 is actually a great age to start going around town with a friend or sibling. I’d probably stay nearby at first, maybe in a café, just to keep an eye out in case she needs help.

Does she have a bank card?

I’d likely take her out myself the first time, letting her guide through the route and choose where to go, speaking with shop assistants. I started doing this with my kids when they were about 9. It also depends a bit on where you live London or Birmingham might feel different from a smaller town. Tell them to Never Ever cross a red light even if their giddy friends do. Talk to her about peer pressure and having awareness about who is around her, behind her etc. It's a normal life skill and perfectly safe.

What if they have a falling out and your daughter ends up walking off on her own? It happens a lot with girls especially. I wouldn’t let my daughter walk off anywhere alone until she was strong enough to fight someone off or be mature enough to cope in a dodgy scenario or difficult situation and 11 is way too young

At 11 in year 7 this began for us with dtds (not dd1 due to covid when she was 11). We went into town and had a coffee so we were around. I asked for a plan too - which shops are you visiting type plan to help her rather than hanging on benches.

Why are you making a distinction between Y6 and Y7? It's not the year group she is in but the level of maturity and independence she has.

This sounds totally fine.

Worth examining why you are worrying. What are these "things you hear on the news"? Do you hear of groups of 11 year old girls being attacked/abducted in a busy shopping centre in the middle of the day?

Also, worth considering if you think she is too young, when you will think she is old enough and what will be different between then and now.

Given that they are travelling to secondary school by themselves I don't see why you wouldn't allow this. It doesn't do them any good to baby them.

Year 5 as in aged 9/10?

Chessington from memory don’t allow kids in unsupervised, think it’s now 12 and over without an adult but am sure it use to be a bit older then that.

Mine went into London ( 30 mins on train) when they were 11. No trackers or phones back then.

I wouldn’t have let my 11 year old go into town, unaccompanied by an adult. 11 is just too young, especially with the dodgy types you get hanging around busy towns.

From y7 this is perfectly normal here. Most of the kids from the villages around the city go to school in the city anyway, so they’re familiar with it.

That’s fine. Mine were getting public transport home from school at 11 and we are south London suburbs so not a quiet place. Year 7 is ideal time to start giving independence.

My school was in the centre of town! I was obviously walking around, usually with friends and sometimes alone. I'm sure it's still normal for today's kids.

A couple of hours at the shops with a group of friends seems like a beautifully gentle introduction. She'll have a nice time 👍

Well I agree but OP says she lives rurally and if it’s like where I grew up there are no buses - so the parents have to take them in (or in my case, take them to the train station to get the train in)

Is she Y6 or Y7. If Y7 I would say that’s fine. 10 mins isn’t a long walk. I grew up rurally and at 12 we were getting a train 15 mins to the nearest large town to go to the body shop, tammy girl etc

I think as a parent it can be difficult to allow independence in a timely way, but we must do it for our kids’ wellbeing, independence and mental health going forward.

11 is fine to go into town with friends imo, just set a few low key ground rules - stay together, phones charged etc.

I can't remember the age my dd was when she first went into town with her friends, but probably around 11 or 12. It was in year 7 but whilst she isn't the youngest in the school year, she is born in the 3rd term. She hadn't asked before then.
I think it depends on the child and how comfortable with it/street wise she is.

How well she knows the town and if she is ok making purchases by herself.
The friends she will go with - how well you know them, are they sensible or flighty etc, how will they react if something happens.
The nature of the town they are going to and if there is any trouble with pick pockets, anti social behaviour .

The first time my daughter went with a friend, I dropped her off and did my own shopping - which i would have been doing anyway.
She has gone quite a few times, but I know all of her group of friends quite well - it isn't unusual for me to drop them off from school. They are generally quite sensible for the age and I know if there was a problem either my daughter or one of her friends would call me - some have my number anyway.
One of the last trips they caught the wrong bus - there were two that went between towns that are about 5 miles apart. They caught one to the correct place, but it went the direct route, instead of the route that went nearby to where they all live. I had a call to check 't which bus numbers and the times of the next bus that they could catch home. Whilst it may have been displayed in the bus station, it isn't always the easiest to find the info, and some of the busses were running at odd times due to traffic. Between them looking themselves and what I told my daughter they worked it, With your dds friend being a short walk, they haven't got transport to worry about.

Is this secondary school? Really I think we do our DC no favours if we walk them to school in year 7.

And I agree @PeanutPies ditch the tracker.