What age is reasonable for a child to be home alone after school?

[Fortheloveofpizza]

Another price increase email from after school today. As of next year I will only have one child left needing childcare thankfully.
I have always kept them in until P7 which is 11/12 . My youngest will be 8 next year and I will only need OSc one day for an hour. He’s a short walk home. What age do you think a child can let themselves in and be alone for an hour?
Appreciate not 8 but interested on what ages.

Depends on the child entirely

ours 11 ish

@Fortheloveofpizza as @frozendaisy says, totally depends on the child.

Sensible child, with access to phone + adult contact, possible neighbour support, from 8 yrs up, with the proviso no cooking/using oven, safety measures such as those.

Sensible child and great neighbours. No phone as yet but access to iPad in house. Lots of kids walk same route.

wouldn't see an issue then, especially with strict ground rules @Fortheloveofpizza

Mine are 11 and 12 and they have stayed in for short periods alone for about a year. After the summer both will be getting a key for after school for 2 days a week. I'll be home 1 hour after them from work.

I'm surprised someone has suggested 8 years old. That's far too young and if a police officer knocked on your door to find an 8 year old on their own, you may find yourself locked up for child neglect and a referral to social services.

There is no actual age however I'd suggest not until they were in high school/a teen. An 8 year old wouldn't reasonably be able to take the right course of action in an emergency.

When my boys were at school, After School Club stopped after Y6 (age 11) when they were moving up to High School. So they had to look after themselves from then on. My youngest was actually the most independent and capable of the 3, and could have managed himself from Y5 onwards. It literally depends on the child and your own view of what is right for your family.

I’d be shocked if a school let a child of 8 leave the premises alone. Ours only allowed year 6 pupils to leave unescorted.

I would say age 10 and above, but child dependent, and only if the child was happy and confident enough to be left alone.

Yes as others 10/11.

11/12. No way at 8.

Does the school not have rules around releasing them without an adult? But I’d say probably around age 10 for a sensible child. I have a 9YO and I will leave her now for 10-15 mins to pop to the nearest shop but I wouldn’t be happy for her to walk home alone yet or leave her for a whole hour especially without having checked in first.

I'd say when they go to secondary (but of course dependent on DC).

You really wouldn’t; at the most it would be a quiet word.

I am also not entirely sure it does depend on the child - up to a point yes but just as children learn to swim by swimming, children learn skills of independence through independence. I’d say between 9-11.

Both of mine would have been fine from 8/9 to walk home from school and let themselves in for an hour alone. But, it would have meant that I would have to get them a phone, which I didn’t want to do till secondary. Our school lets y5, so from 9yo walk home alone.

Our school lets them walk home from year 4. DS will be 8 for the whole of y4 as he’s summer born. So they clearly think it’s fine.

Far far more common for Scottish kids to walk to and from school without an adult.

English schools don’t actually have the power to allow children not to leave with parental permission unless they have genuine safeguarding concerns that they will refer on. It’s preference for collection until Y6. I’ve seen (in 20 years working in schools) numerous HT’s had to admit that it’s not a rule, it’s a preference, when challenged by a parent

My DS is 9 and I will leave him at home whilst I nip to the local shopping area ( literally a 5 minute walk away )

He has a phone to ring me if need be and I have 3 friends who he could get to in an emergency on our street / the street behind us.

I'll also leave him at home if I go to my friends and he doesn't want to come,

The only rule is that he's not allowed to eat whilst I'm out as I choked as a child and that fear has never left me

No, you wouldn't.

I really think social services have more pressing concerns than this. In many countries, it is absolutely normal at 8.

My now 9 year old has had a key this school year (primary 5) so since he was 8.5 and has walked home with friends walking the same route and let himself in. Hes not daft has a mobile on him and knows the neighbours if any issues. He now stays home up to 2 hours alone if his brother has football training and he doesnt want to go too. We've gone over the what to do in an emergency chats and hes mostly gaming with friends when we are out (with a headset ear cocked so he can hear) our school let them leave without an adult/someone collecting them from primary 5 onwards. (Senior section of primary school)

Only you know your child though and if they'd be ok.

I think it's fine to leave an 8 year old on their own for 1 hour a week. If he walks slowly/goes to friends houses/goes to park on the way back he may not even have any time at all :)

13 for an hour but im an anxious parent dont like leaving even for that

Secondary age. I literally live next to the junior school (not exaggerating, I can see it from my window), so I would practice letting my DD walk (about 30 seconds haha) back and let herself in with a key starting from 7, with me waiting at the door. By 10 I'd build up leaving her for an hour, and by 11, I think you can reasonably expect a sensible secondary age kid to open the door, lock the door, grab a snack from the cupboard, and turn on the TV for an hour.

I think times have changed. We all caught the bus independently from Y4 onwards, or rode our bike to school. I did have a group of friends who lived on the same street though.

During covid our school encouraged dc to walk home without parents in year 5 (dense catchment area)

Set age rules for this sort of thing are also a stupid, and sometimes dangerous, idea.

When it’s safe entirely depends on the child, the route home, the neighbours you have (we currently have one set who make crossing a quiet street bloody dangerous with their speed), and the experience they have.