Would you allow an 11yo to pick up 8yo from school?

No i wouldn't based on your description of the 8 year old. A silly 8 yr old is a lot of responsibility, especially one who probably wouldn't listen to their older sibling.

But even if I did most primary schools have a policy of 18 and over for pick ups. Have you checked yours?

I think that 16 or older would be fine for a school pick up.However younger children would not be safe I think .If any cars were going too fast or people hanging around would be best for an adult to be present

That said I wouldn’t leave an 11yo in charge of an immature 8yo.

theres not enough of an age gap for the older child to have the authority to deal with silliness imo.

It never gets as far as a legal challenge. In over twenty years working in schools I’ve seen numerous parents challenge schools and it’s very quickly accepted by most HT’s that their “rules” are actually “recommended guidance”.

Only on one occasion have I seen a school steadfastly refuse to allow a child to leave alone and referred it as a major safeguarding issue and that was part of a much bigger picture.

Schools don’t actually have the right to overrule a parent saying a child can leave alone. They can allow a sibling not to collect in the way an adult would, but if the parent allows their child to leave school alone and is then met by a sibling they can’t prevent that.

It’s an area where many schools rely on parents a) not realising they don’t actually have the right to dictate that and b) not wanting to rock the boat

My kids are similar ages and I wouldn’t agree to it, despite my youngest being very sensible. I don’t think it’s fair to either child or good for their relationship to give one child authority over and responsibility for their sibling like that. It’s the kind of thing that will be fine 99% of the time, but when it goes wrong you’re putting a still young child in a difficult position of being responsible for a difficult and silly younger sibling who won’t see them as having the authority an adult would.

Thinking of school run situations I’ve had this year with my youngest - would your 11 year old be ok to deal with, for example, younger child tripped, skinned both knees badly and was bleeding, screaming and crying and refusing to move? What if they argued and younger child stormed off in a different direction? Will your 11 year old be ok to judge road crossing and safety not only for themselves but with good awareness and consideration of their sibling?

Our primary school also wouldn’t allow it - only yr6 can leave without someone over 16 collecting them.

Most primaries will refuse to hand over a child to anyone other than an adult

Lots of schools would have concerns about this op.

on a personal level, I’d allow it but I’d want to do some trial runs with me at home waiting and I’d definitely want to be sure the 8yo knows the way home.

the problem will come when it fails - so your 11 yo is late because he’s playing footy in the park on the way home with his mates - what will the 8yo do then? If you are at home and a phone call away and the 8yo has been taught to go back into school and ask for help, fine (although school won’t like it) but what if your 8yo decides to walk home alone?

in addition I can’t imagine your 11yo is going to want to do this for very long. He’ll want to wander home slowly with his mates nattering about the school day etc etc.

Our primary school insists on an adult being there to collect the children.

No issues with it. Very common at our school. Also kids of any age are allowed to walk home

I never left mine alone togetber until the younger one was responsible enough to look after themselves. The elder one should be free to pursue hobbies, do homework, or just slend time meandering home with friends instead of making the school bell.

Where I live my 8 year old does this journey by herself (10 minute cycle).

Nope

I think it's fine. But, where I live, many children walk or take the school bus, without their parents from age 7 (2nd grade). At age 10 (5th grade) they are allowed to walk younger siblings to school (with their parents' written consent). It's like the UK was when I was growing up in the early 1980s.

Parents do really need to just pay for after school club and stop trying to find ways to save a few quid. I’m not saying that’s you OP but there are a lot about who do it - trying to “WFH” with small kids in the house, sending too young siblings to collect, allowing children below yr 6 to walk home alone or take public transport alone.

It needs to stop!

Of course it’s their business! They’ve got a duty to safeguard the child in their care, and that includes not releasing them to another young child.

I think 18 is a bit extreme as the cut off, but if they said 16 I’d think that was perfectly reasonable.

Our primary school always said 16, but they’ve definitely allowed older siblings aged 13-15 to pick up before.

I think 13 would be the very youngest but even that doesn’t sound ideal to me. I wouldn’t send my 12 yo to pick up another younger child if I had one - he just doesn’t have the maturity but also wouldn’t be seen as an adult in charge by the younger child.

No

Not the point but I think it's a huge overreach for schools to "not allow" an under 18 to collect if the parent has agreed it. That's not their business imo.

I wouldn't. It's too far for an 11 year old to be responsible for a "young" or "silly" 8 year old.
A lot of the neighbourhood kids near me walk with siblings or in groups of friends but there is a path (no need to cross roads) and its no more than a 5/6 minute walk.

Given that the 8 year old wouldn't be going to afterschool club, does that mean the 11 year old has to mind them at home too for a period of time after the walk?

Absolutely not. Too much responsibility for a child who is much too young. Our school would never allow that.

Crazy! I wonder if any parents anywhere have ever mounted a legal challenge to rules like this. I think it qualifies as "safeguarding gone mad".

It’s not really an option for us because you have to be 16 to pick up from the primary school. But with my children in my circumstances- no I’d probably wait until at least 13/14. But your kids and your circumstances are your own and I’m a big believer that parents usually know best.

Absolutely not, and I’d be flabbergasted if any school allowed it. An 11 yo is nowhere near old enough to be responsible for an 8 yo.

I have a sensible 11yo and 8yo twins.

One twin would be fine, the other not so much.

I actually let all three of them go for unsupervised walks on their own but NOT together. Because they can egg each other on to do stuff they wouldn't on their own.

Our dont allow it - and they are THAT strict that even if the parent was waiting on the car on the driveway (which is how i found out), they wont let the older sibling pick up, and the older sibling is one that actually went to the same school so they know them!!