Children walking home alone from school

[Jeclop]

General discussion here.

At what age did people start allowing their children to walk home alone from school?

For a little context, we live in London in a fairly busy area that is also very touristy on Fridays - think well known street market that is visited en masse. School on said street. The walk home would be around 20minutes or a short cycle (on the pavement!).

My children are still a few years off being able to walk home alone but out of curiosity, when did you start allowing your children to walk home alone, with a parent waiting for them at home?

Year 6, their primary school didn't allow them to leave unattended until then. I did it gradually. I picked him up most of the time, then I'd start meeting him halfway, occasionally let him do the full journey. It is a worry, especially when they aren't streetwise and have main roads to cross, but by year 7 they need to be doing it properly.

I was thinking my DC is on year 7 or 8

My initial reaction for your walk would be last half of Yr6, but not on a Friday. Maybe earlier in the year if Autumn born, or with sensible friends.

My DD has a 3 minute walk, and started going to school in Yr4 and home in Yr5 (the school didn't allow it before then). I apparently got a bit of judgement before people realised how close we actually lived.

Our primary school only permits it from Year 5, with a signed slip from parents.

Year 6 here too.

Schools don’t actually have the authority not to allow it - they can rely on parents not challenging it, but they can’t actually stop it (in 20 years working in schools I only saw a school dig their heels in once because it was genuinely unsafe and part of a bigger picture of neglect).

My DD3 started walking to school in Y2 and walking home in Y3, but you can see our front door from the school door and vice-versa.

I say the same thing on all these threads - it totally depends on your child and where you live. DD1 could likely have walked herself to school (different house to where we live now) at 5. DD2 made me nervous at 15! Totally different kids, attention spans and friendship groups

Our school was last term of Y6 as well.

I agree Y6 in the majority of cases, but PP is correct and it’s always your call as a parent, not the schools.

Five. Just like all his local PI friends. We lived on a quiet road very near the school and there was a lollipop lady to cross the only traffic road.

Year 5. Big English city. 10 minutes. 2 roads. He is only 1 of 2 children I know whose parents allow them to do this. I grew up in London, I don't consider where we live dangerous at all (fast cars aside).

A few years back, I also got his year 6 brother to collect him in year 3 once a week. School weren't too happy about that but allowed it after I explained I would be home (WFH). He only forgot him once!

year 4 . easy walk ,no main roads

Where I live it's very common from about age 6 or 7.

However my two have always got the bus.

Year 5. Mostly cycling. Mile and a bit through a mostly quiet residential area; no major roads.

My son started walking home when he just turned 9 we only live 10-15 minute walk away and it's through a town centre. We did it gradually over a few weeks with him walking further on his own each day. I think it really depends on the child and what the roads are like and whether there will be someone at home when they get there.

Schools don’t actually have the authority not to allow it - they can rely on parents not challenging it, but they can’t actually stop it

How though? Our school the teacher stands on the yard with their class and hands them over to parents/carers. If there's no signed form for walk homes in y5 and y6 the students would stay with the teacher. Eventually you would be called to come and collect.

Depending on what I felt like doing, I did a two bus; one bus + walk; or long walk (40 mins) commute from year 6.

An easier/shorter commute could easily be done by a younger child.

DD will start next year when she's in yr 5 and 10yo but we are on the same road as her primary school, so it's 2 minutes door to door.

You’d tell the school beforehand. Most likely they’d have you sign the same form as the Y5/Y6 students after a bit of complaint over how it’s not the done thing and awkward for them.

Then they’d let your child leave as the older children do then curse you when other parents realise their perfectly capable children can also walk home alone

Year 5, both of my dc. When they were younger than that, they would walk on ahead of me once we'd got across the main road and would go up the street to our house and wait in the garden.

Dc 1, Y7, now walks the half hour or so to high school in the next village along.

We live in a typical ex-mining village with a busy main road running through it but there is a crossing and my dc know how to use it properly.

Year 5. DS has a summer birthday so was 9. for most of that year. We lived quite near the school, the biggest issue was the total twats of parents who parked on the zig zag lines outside the school which was supposed to be a safe crossing point for the children.

Our school won’t allow until Y5 or Y6 either and whilst another poster has said they cannot stop them, ours refuse and will make you take the child out of the school to go elsewhere. Maybe it’s a difference between state and private though. 🤷🏼‍♀️

No, it isn’t.

The school don’t have the authority to make that decision. You do, as the parent. The school CAN inform the police or other authorities if they feel that the child is at risk of harm or being neglected but they cannot physically prevent your child leaving.

Of course, asking a nine year old to walk away from a teacher is a big ask, and I wouldn’t personally want mine walking home alone any younger than Y6 anyway, but it’s still annoying when schools behave like they do have the right to make this call: they don’t.

I plan to after ds turns 11 in January so year 6 but only on mine or Dh's days off as he not quite ready to come home to an empty house after school just yet. He will stay in afterschool club until end of year 6

I'm always shocked with school restrictions so late. I'm in Scotland and dc regularly walk from primary 4 (yr3) and this was actively encouraged during covid. Dd is p5 (yr4) and has walked to early breakfast club and home every day since august and did do many times before then when necessary. Given the longer and busy walk I'd be a bit more cautious but I expect this to be no problem for the majority of 9/10 yr olds familiar with the area especially if they have a friend to walk with. Maybe with the exception of Friday

Older 2, year 4, last term. We had middle schools from year 5.