Is it OK for a Yr7 pupil to be home alone for an hour after school?

[Pipsquiggle]

Trying to sort out my childcare from Sept onwards.

At the moment I pay quite a lot of money for wrap around care for my 2DC - long story, but they currently go to different primary schools, one of which didn't have any breakfast or afterschool clubs. Both DH & I work FT

My eldest starts secondary school in Sept. They will take the train. They will get back at 4:30ish each day. We will get in usually around 5pm-5:30pm. Would it be OK for him to be on his own for this amount of time? Is it the done thing? They are usually pretty sensible.

I am thinking this will be a couple of times a week, as they will probably join some form of clubs / societies.

Of course it is.

Yes fine, if anything a bit late to the game, most dc around here walk home from the start of year 6.

Yes, I think this is quiet normal.
When dd was in the last half term of year 6 I stated to leave her at home for half hour/hour for her to get used to it. She now does this a few times a week now she is in year 7. She has contact number for next door neighbour should she need anything urgently.

Yes because childcare doesn't include secondary school age children.

Who hasn't let their 11yo be home alone? Unless you're going to dripfeed SN or some other ND stuff of course.

There is - you are not allowed to neglect your child. The reason there is no age specified in law is that the answer will vary according to the child, how long they are left for, other circumstances too. So if you say the age to leave a child is 10, that doesn’t mean you can go away for a week. Equally, if you raise that age to 14, then it would mean it was illegal to leave a 12yo for 10 mins.

Only you can answer that question - you know your child best.

Yes it's fine

Yes

If it helps at all I'm a CP SW manager and I let my DS come home after school from half way through y6 when he was 11.5. No SW team would be concerned with a secondary age child being left at home for a few hours after school while parent works. Unless they had significant LDs and came to harm in a totally predictable way of course!

It's totally normal, there's very little in the way of childcare for secondary age children.

I do allow my yr7 to be at home alone - but I wouldn’t let them take a key to school. It hasn’t happened yet, but we have a lock box with a key in ready instead.

Where we lived when DS was younger there were SS guidelines for what should be reported as possible neglect, so absolute minimum ages in effect for a sensible child.

DS was mature for his age and young for his school year (more grown up than a similar aged child in the year below) so I went by the guidelines. They were up to two hours for an 8 or 9 year old, up to 10 hours (so an inset day for example) between 6am and 10pm for a 10 to (I think) 13 year old.

I found it useful, it's more difficult here with the under 12 thing.

I think it’s absolutely fine and they’ll love it!

I would tell him to go home and lock the door after him and not answer it.
I’d also ask him to text you to say he’s home and to not use the cooker etc.

How far is the train station from home?

Him being at home is absolutely fine but if the station is far away or it’s a really rough area then id be more concerned about him walking home.

Thank you ♥️

I mean those are generous guidelines, I think most would agree. Some 8yos are not ready to be left for two hours, and some 10 yos would struggle with a whole day tbh, so I still think you would have needed to make your own judgment call as a parent.

If by "the under 12 thing" you mean the ridiculous NSPCC "guidelines" then I agree that they are worse than useless and in fact IMO dangerous.

In same dilemma but for me it is more about worrying about state of mind if had a bad day at school. After school clubs are fine but then that would mean coming home in the dark!

Of course it is, if he's comfortable with it. Ds1 and ds2 always have been totally fine about being left.

I'm in a similar situation ( though only go into the office one day a week). DS is a young year 6 but he's been fine being left for up to 30 minutes so an hour should be fine in September. My only slight concern is it would take most if that hour for me to get back if there was an issue. His new school keeps the library open until 5 which did seem like the perfect solution until I realised he would then have to walk home in the dark in winter.

I agree they are generous, but I still found them helpful as a minimum age.

I started when DS was 8 leaving him for up to an hour, he was letting himself in from school from year 5 (bus ride then I was home 45 minutes after him). I did leave him for inset days from 10 as there was no holiday care, he was happy to play online with school friends or read.

When lockdown one hit we were here, he was still only 13 and all day every day completely alone was too isolating so I had to send him into school in the May. I was told on here that he shouldn't have needed 'childcare'!

Yes!

My year 6 daughter has done a few times this year.

Mine did once starting secondary as there was no other option. She wasn't allowed to put the gas hob on though.

I think that’s fine I was similar age when my mum took a new job and wasn’t home until then

Most people start doing this from year 7 ime, once they start secondary school.
I did with mine and they had 2 hours every night, they called when they got home and knew not to open door and had an emergency number if required.
I did give them the option of continuing with after school club but they did not want to go.

I would say so. One of my friends used to get 2 buses home solo and then start cooking dinner for younger siblings when we were in y7

Talked to DH.

He has seen the light - DC will be fine for an hour after school.

Thank goodness.

It will save us quite a lot of money.