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Original poster

What age did your child walk home from school alone?

93 replies

HelloGoodbye92 · 03/09/2023 18:46

This is the cause of a bit of debate in our house. The school is a 7 minute walk away.

what age did you let your child make their own way home from school?

OP posts:
soundsys · 03/09/2023 19:07

Y5 here, dictated by the school. (My daughter is in Y4 and I'd let her come back by herself - it's a 7 minute walk crossing one quiet side road, with plenty of people around)

Oblomov23 · 03/09/2023 19:08

Year 6. It's encouraged by primary school in preparation for secondary.

Crunchymum · 03/09/2023 19:09

7 minute walk. No big roads (3 small roads)

We've let him walk to school since the last term of year 5 (aged 10). Well he leaves a few minutes before us as I have to take my younger 2 anyway so I see him at the gate. He's out later than my others so we wait for him on the way home.

He's going into year 6 now so we'll be working on giving more independence in preparation for secondary school. Planning on letting him walk home alone after clubs 2 afternoons a week and he'll continue to take himself in the morning but I'll see him at the gate.

EllaPaella · 03/09/2023 19:09

At my DC school the kids are allowed to walk home unattended with parent permission from year 3.
I haven't ever let mine at such an early age though. My two older boys walked home alone from year 5. My youngest is just going into year 4 and I still wouldn't want him crossing one of the main roads home without me.

Grace204 · 03/09/2023 19:09

From start of year 5

PuttingDownRoots · 03/09/2023 19:11

Yr5 for us (9yo)
DD started walking to school by herself in summer term year 4 (which the school couldn't object to but wouldn't let her leave by herself... and no I wasn't going to go against it as I respected their reasoning.)

sillyuniforms · 03/09/2023 19:13

Yr5 Just under ten min and the norm at our school

Original poster
HelloGoodbye92 · 03/09/2023 19:14

DinnaeFashYersel · 03/09/2023 18:55

Our primary school was too far to walk but both of mine got the bus home and walked home from the bus stop from P1 (age 5)

Where I live in Scotland it's very common for children to walk home with older siblings from P1 or by themselves from age P3 or P (age 7 or 8)

Im also in Scotland. Mine is p5. I’m wondering if it’s too soon but he is desperate to.

OP posts:
StillWantingADog · 03/09/2023 19:16

Y6 is the norm round here but some do from Y5.

Blackscrackleanddrag · 03/09/2023 19:17

Year 4.

YerAWizardHarry · 03/09/2023 19:17

I’m a P5 teacher (have been for the last two years) and I’d say that the only kids who get picked up are the ones who have younger siblings. The kids here walk start to walk home from P4 generally although there’s definitely a big increase in P5.

Lemonademoney · 03/09/2023 19:18

Year 6 here. Twenty minute walk or he’d cycle which took less than ten minutes (to be honest the cycling freaked me out more than the walking)

Original poster
HelloGoodbye92 · 03/09/2023 19:18

Thanks everyone. The child in question is my 9 year old. He is about to start attending an afterschool
sports club once a week and is desperate to make his own way back. I have 4 younger kids, so will be walking back from the school at 3pm and I suppose it saves me dragging them all back out again to pick him up at 4.

Im nervous about it and I’ve been debating it with my husband all day but this is reassuring.

OP posts:
Original poster
HelloGoodbye92 · 03/09/2023 19:19

YerAWizardHarry · 03/09/2023 19:17

I’m a P5 teacher (have been for the last two years) and I’d say that the only kids who get picked up are the ones who have younger siblings. The kids here walk start to walk home from P4 generally although there’s definitely a big increase in P5.

Thank you- I’m so used to getting him when I pick the younger ones up.

OP posts:
YerAWizardHarry · 03/09/2023 19:20

HelloGoodbye92 · 03/09/2023 19:18

Thanks everyone. The child in question is my 9 year old. He is about to start attending an afterschool
sports club once a week and is desperate to make his own way back. I have 4 younger kids, so will be walking back from the school at 3pm and I suppose it saves me dragging them all back out again to pick him up at 4.

Im nervous about it and I’ve been debating it with my husband all day but this is reassuring.

Are they allowed to leave the after school club alone? I’d be surprised if they are, especially with the darker evenings just around the corner

ZonedIn · 03/09/2023 19:21

Y5, aged 9.

She to text me when leaving school, text when she got to her afterschool activity, and I’d clued in the activity teacher that she’d be arriving by herself. She scooted, as it gave her more confidence than walking.

helloisitmeyourelookingfor · 03/09/2023 19:25

Last term of year 6 as I was a full time working single mum and it meant she was on her own until 6pm -it was t the journey home that worried me, it was being in the house by herself go that long

Had she been walking home to someone being in I would have let her in year 5 which is the earliest the school allows

DinnaeFashYersel · 03/09/2023 19:29

@HelloGoodbye92

Im also in Scotland. Mine is p5. I’m wondering if it’s too soon but he is desperate to

Does he go out to play?

starpatch · 03/09/2023 19:30

10 years old, but I was letting him get the local bus a short distance across town from 9 3/4. Walking home from school was more problematic due to the behaviour of the other kids!

Libmama · 03/09/2023 19:30

Ds is 9 and just going into year 5. He is cycling 10/15 minutes there and back by himself from this week. I will be walking behind him though as I have to take his younger brother.

Original poster
HelloGoodbye92 · 03/09/2023 19:32

YerAWizardHarry · 03/09/2023 19:20

Are they allowed to leave the after school club alone? I’d be surprised if they are, especially with the darker evenings just around the corner

Show quote history

Yes they are- the sign up slip asked if they would be getting collected or heading home alone.

OP posts:
Rockbird · 03/09/2023 19:32

Last term of year 6, about a half hour walk at her snail's pace. She's just going into year 7 now and has informed us that she is perfectly capable of getting herself home thank you very much and our services are no longer required!

Original poster
HelloGoodbye92 · 03/09/2023 19:33

DinnaeFashYersel · 03/09/2023 19:29

@HelloGoodbye92

Im also in Scotland. Mine is p5. I’m wondering if it’s too soon but he is desperate to

Does he go out to play?

Not outwith my house or his friends house (we tend to drop him off).

OP posts:
43ontherocksporfavor · 03/09/2023 19:33

Y7.

HateTheView · 03/09/2023 19:33

Year 5 after May half term holiday. Eldest's walk was 15-20 mins though he often took his bike and did it quicker. Youngest's walk (we moved house by then) was 8 minutes but he scooted so was quicker. Both routes had wide pavements and main roads that needed to be crossed had pelican crossings.