Would this worry you? Child walking to school unaccompanied

[BikeRunSki]

Our next door neighbours have 2 DC, one Y5 age, one YR age. They walk to school unaccompanied by an adult every morning. Sometimes they are joined by a friend, who is also Y5.

The journey to school is short - around 150 m along pavement along a main road, crossing 3 side roads. Over a pedestrian crushing. Another 30m or so into school. Takes about 2 mins! School encourages children to walk to school if they can from Y5, in prep for moving up at Y6 (we have middle schools).

My concern is more about a 9 year old being responsible for a 4 year old (both dc have birthdays in the summer holidays) crossing a fast, busy road. There are pedestrian crossing lights, but there are still accidents on that crossing every few years (I have lived here over 20 years).

I would offer to take them with my DC, but I start work at 8 am and my dc go to breakfast club first. Seeing the girls next door go off alone slightly worries me every morning, but I don’t know if I am being overprotective of someone else’s dc! We don’t really know the people next door, dd has picked up on their ages/birthdays by playing ball with them over the fence!!

Please feel free to tell me to MMYOB !

I would mention it to the school. It’s fine for the Y5 child to walk bit not for them to be responsible for the younger child.

I wouldn't do it, but tbf, it's also a very short walk.
I wouldn't offer to help out either,or you'll be saddled for years!

That wouldn't be allowed at my dc school. Yr5 and 6 are the only ones permitted to walk to school by themselves. Younger ones are handed over to staff by an adult at the gate, before covid they had to be accompanied on school grounds.

We had a police officer give a road safety talk when DD was little a few years ago. He said that children can't judge a car's speed and distance until they're 11 years old. This makes crossing roads unaccompanied very dangerous, even if they understand the basic principles and think they know what to do. Their brains just aren't developed enough.

Our primary school didn't encourage them to walk to school on their own until Y6.

I'd worry about this YR child but probably wouldn't butt in and say anything.

Pedestrian crushing doesn't sound very safe 😬

It’s up to the parent demented

The school can only advise. I do agree reception is ridiculous.

I’m surprised the school would be happy to take the Year R from a Year 5. At our school they have to be handed over by an adult. So the school must know?

I think it really depends on the children. My daughter is an only, so no siblings, but at 4 years old I would have trusted her to walk with a sensible YR5 child as she was an incredibly old soul and obedient for her age. I would have trusted her to listen to the older child and only cross when the green man was showing etc. My sister's kids at that age - not a chance in hell!!

at “pedestrian crushing”, that is a rather unfortunate autocorrect I didn’t check!
@PleaseReferToMeAsBritneySpears - Y5 is the eldest year, children move to middle schools for Y6.
@Geamhradh -I’m not going to!! My working hours are far too unreliable!!

Due to Covid restrictions, parents are not allowed in the playground, and children find their own way to their classroom doors (all classrooms open onto to playground).

This would worry me too. I imagine once Covid restrictions lift the school will find out and not be too happy about it.

I think YABU. In other countries children walk to school unaccompanied (without an older sibling) from the age of 6.

We asked our school and they are fine with ds & dd to walk to school unaccompanied. They're in Y6 and Y2. As long as it's near to the school, it's fine.

Your post is a bit curtain twitching IMHO but if you have genuine concerns about potential neglect with this family, of course you should tell the school your concerns. What's the family like other than this, do they have form for being very relaxed parents?

Gosh how times have changed, we used to walk to school by ourselves crossing a fairly busy road when we were aged 4,6,8.

I think the parent has made a judgement call and trusts their DC to walk. It's a very short walk, I wouldn't be concerned.

Our school would be ok with this. There’s a playground supervisor at the gate at drop off but that’s as close to handing over to an adult as it gets. Lots of people do rolling stops where they pause the car, child leaps out and they’re off before kid has made it to the gate. This is the one that makes the head twitchy.

@LeadingTheBeeps, the younger child is 4

@jollygreenpea - I used to go 3 stops on the tube across central London, with a change at Victoria, then I was instructed to cross the road with other people.

@LadyDanburysHat, I think you’re right.

It’s a 2 minute walk and you’re not offering to help, so I would stay out of it.

I would let school know.
Ours would encourage yr 5 and 6 towards independent walking. Not so much a reception age child.

If they are sending them alone I assume they work too and maybe can’t afford bf club
If they could for the YR child woukd you be able to offer to drop them but might be an awkward conversation I think you’re right though the Yr5 dc ok to walk but reception is v little

It's a lot of responsibility for the older child, but I guess the parents are happy. Are the parents in when the children leave or is the older one expected to lock up too?

It's strange had you put that the two children were being left alone every day for 5/10 minutes when one parent went to fetch another from work they'd be outrage, yet something that is more risky is deemed acceptable.

Ah no, poor little thing at 4 years old. Lazy parenting at best.

I have found the more educated the parents, the more likely they are to allow their DC to walk to school without a parent. Our local selective (not in the U.K.), independent girls school has tiny children of 6 & 7 taking the train to school. Some with big musical instruments.

I am at the other extreme and was still driving DS to school when he was 15 .

@denverRegina

Ah no, poor little thing at 4 years old. Lazy parenting at best.

I think that’s quite unfair they may have to work and can’t afford breakfast club 😞

It wouldn't concern me at all. If their parents who love them feel they are responsible enough why would I disagree. It is a short journey. My children could manage that. I expect while not ideal many children would manage it perfectly safely.

I think it is OK tbh, I think my y5 dd would be fine walking a short distance with a dc of that age. I suppose that I might feel more worried if it was a particularly rough area.