AIBU to let my Year 5 daughter walk home alone?

Really? Hardly any kids played out locally in recent years. My best friend’s DC (now 25 and 23) were rarely allowed out by themselves until they were much older. Eg 10 onwards.

Because it's in daylight yes. I assume none would say yes if it was after dark?

I'd let her.

My eldest 2 also did Middle School so we're allowed to walk home from Lower School in Year 4. Year 5 they were straight into walking a mile or so to the new school, crossing roads etc. There were literally hundreds of them doing it though!

My nephew luckily knows the very friendly staff in his local Nisa shop. God knows he spends enough there on tat and Pokemon cards. I think he’d be fine with staff he didn’t know.

My 7 year old (just turned 8) nephew has had road safety and stranger danger at school which is a relief for his parents. Bring back the Green Cross Code man and public information films I say!

Fine as long as she’s fairly sensible and had had safe road crossing drummed into her. Mine walked alone from May in Y4 on a similar journey after a few weeks of him walking 20m ahead of me to show he could consistently do it safely. He’s finishing Y6 now and since mid way through Y5 has his own keys to let himself in (we WFH)

Yes same as this.

Mine did it from about mid year 5 as we moved house so are about 5 mins from the school. Had no issues and she enjoys it. Most of the kids walk from our middle school and go a lot further.

Great to get stuff for themselves but if they’re helping mum eg to buy milk, flour, bread whatever it gives them great skills in choosing, prices, weights if applicable and responsibility and pride in being trusted, helpful and in getting it home.

And also develops confidence in dealing with adults they don't know - if they have to ask where something is, or need help reaching something on a high shelf.

Oh, and a warning: my vitamin D levels dropped massively when I stopped doing the school run.

Every area is different, but 4 minutes in a residential area sounds fine. Are there plenty of families walking the same route? If so, that provides another layer of safety. (I remember dobbing in one kid to his mum because he was messing around crossing the road.)
Mine started walking with a friend (10 minutes, village, one B road to cross) partway through year 5. She knew that if she was not sure about the B road, she could wait for another family and tag on to them. In practice, the road was sufficiently busy and slow that, most of the time, you crossed when a friendly driver stopped to let you - there were plenty of drivers who did, especially the parents who used to walk the same route.

The only thing that's unreasonable is that you feel you have to sanity check your instincts. 4 minutes walk in a quiet residential area is totally fine
(My DC cycled just over a mile in Year 5, for comparison purposes).

A four minute walk?! Of course!

Have they never gone to the shop or to the park without you?

Wish my son’s primary would have done this. I was reported to children’s services for a perfectly straightforward journey.

Depends where you're at with it - next year I will have had kids at school for 12 years so I was very glad to stop this year when the you youngest reached year 5 😂

Summer term of year 5. Mine started in year 6, but included crossing a road, and getting on a train for 2 stops.

It was totally normal when and where I was a kid for kids to be out and calling on each other and playing out from around age 6 with older siblings, or 7-8 if alone. And not that long ago, either.

@Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain I don't make time for making bread by hand. I love my bread machine and the fact that it's simple enough for kids to take responsibility for making the bread. See, I'm not that terrible, my kids do have options. They don't have to buy milk in order to have breakfast. They can have toast. Yes, they might have to go shopping for some butter...

By themselves!

I recall at age 8 or 9 the local youth club was making chocolate Easter eggs in moulds. Almost our whole class was racing around the local high street 10 mins walk away buying cooking or other chocolate!

That’s so funny about the milk! My mum used to make her own bread aeons ago. Remember it fondly, so do my friends from that time. Without a bread maker too all by hand.

There are no year 5 parents at our school gate after the first term. Its very normal for them to walk home alone at that age.

Great thanks! I think his parents would let him go. He loves doing grown up stuff like cooking and in the local Aldi with me recently told me what we needed for cakes. And what they had in his house where I was looking after him.

I’m sure I did too. Definitely from age 8 but only one quiet road to cross which now has a zebra crossing directly opposite the school. The separate infant school was appeox 5 mins away but had a lollipop lady to help us cross. No shops nearby (well up a steep hill) to tempt us.