7 year old walking home from school alone

[friendshipstruggle]

In a nice area, the school is within the housing estate with 1 small road to cross. The 7 year old is sensible, in Y3, but only just turned 7. Is it unreasonable to allow him to walk home with no adult? The parents around here have wildly opposing views on this and I'm interested to hear a wider opinion.

Yes Daisypond the same would apply to all those activities. I would say year 5 or 6 but depends on the child and how mature. My DD was mature enough, my middle DS is showing no signs of being as mature so I will have to wait and see! Age 10 at the earliest though.

I was listening to the mums chatting at family cafe today and heard that the school even lets preschool (around 6 years old, some will be just 5 when they start though) leave to walk home alone though the mums were of the opinion that's too young but clearly some kids must do it.

Schools can't actually prevent it.

They can insist on parental permission, can advise against it, and can even make a safeguarding referral but if a parent requests that their DC is released to walk home alone, a school cannot insist that they leave in the company of an adult.

Thanks for that nnchange! That's actually v good to know! I think I would allow it at that age, i certainly did at that age and lived in a busy (ish) urban area.

We did. We started by me walking them too school but them walking home after clubs because start and end of school day were busier.
Now at ten youngest walks too and from at usual start/ end times. He also spends every weekend exploring (We live rurally). When he starts big school he will walk to the bus stop and get a bus and I believe that he's confidant and able enough to do this.

Was on a rural bus thus morning and there were quite a few 7/8 year olds and older getting the bus themselves, normal public transport not specific school bus.

Slithy tangent, have you all heard about Mike Fairclough? He's my risk at school hero. Watch the promo video for his book.

Playing with Fire

slight

DS1 did at that age. He was in P3 (Scotland) and just turned 7. There were other people to walk with. He knew that it was a privilege though, and if he messed around or took too long he would not be allowed. His walk was probably more like 10 minutes. Small village and away from traffic and roads for most of the walk. Plenty of other children around too.

I think comparisons to the 70s and other countries are meaningless here. Countries like Finland are very different to England, for a whole variety of reasons.

In the UK, I think the vast majority would see it as neglectful for a 7 year old to walk home alone. I have called the police (non-emergency number) about a similar aged child and younger siblings being left alone in the park, as I believed them to be vulnerable. The police agreed with me and took the matter very seriously.

Countries like Finland are very different to England, for a whole variety of reasons.

Yes, they are - and yet when it comes to a lot of other aspects of DC's lives - such as education, then Finland is held up as a bastion of good practice which should be emulated here.

In the UK, we have a unique culture, which includes protecting our DC's from a level of risk that other cultures consider acceptable.

a school cannot insist that they leave in the company of an adult.

We wouldn't allow it but if a parent insisted, I would expect them to sign an agreement with the school that once off the premises they take full responsibility for the child and anything that happened to them.

The point is nnchange that the level of risk is different in Finland compared to the UK. Comparisons such as this are therefore completely meaningless.

We wouldn't allow it

Rhonda I assume you mean that you wouldn't advise it - after all, you've said yourself that you couldn't actually prevent it.

Is it really part of a schools remit to counsel parents regarding their risk assessments for their own DC's? I'm not doubting that most schools do it, as staff genuinely care about the DC's they teach - but is it actually part of the schools role?

Or is judgement about the way a parent parents reserved for other trained professionals?

I often think that school staff are their own worst enemy - in their well meaning attempts to protect DC's from things they believe are a risk, they step into the role of other professionals - who only too often are quite willing for the school staff to take on that burden from their own workload. So schools become more and more overworked, doing things that actually, aren't their job at all, but which others no longer do, because schools have taken it upon themselves to do it.

I was letting my nine year old walk to school before the school holidays to save him being late whilst I sorted his dawdling sisters ! There a fair few busy roads for him to cross , but he is beyond sensible and would always wait for the green man to cross (several of my friends walk the same route and would message to say tht he wdnt cross even with them unless there was a green man)!
During the holidays though there was an attempted child abduction in the same town us as ! Id rather he were late now!
Another thing tht that happened in the holiday was a taxi went speeding through a red light right in front of us as we began to cross , a stupid taxi driver on his phone who obv hadn't even looked at the lights.
Both of those things are obv rare, but I guess if it were to occur I cant undo any damage :-s

It depends what you mean by stepping outside of a school's remit, NN.

The DfE has made schools responsible for so many non-education aspects of children's lives now that it is impossible for us to do our jobs - or indeed pass an Ofsted inspection - without carrying out the extra duties. It's now possible for school staff to be prosecuted if they don't do enough to prevent child sexual exploitation, for example.

I think people would be surprised to know what falls under a schools statutory responsibility these days.

I would be happy for a parent to take decision themselves to let their 7-year-old walk home by themselves. But I think we all know who would be hung out to dry if that child was subsequently harmed.

I would be happy for a parent to take decision themselves to let their 7-year-old walk home by themselves. But I think we all know who would be hung out to dry if that child was subsequently harmed.

So the school pass it on to the agency whose job it is to make an assessment As long as the school has done the "right" thing, then they won't be "hung out to dry".

I am very aware of the responsibilities placed on schools by the DfE; I am also aware of the additional burdens schools choose to take on themselves - often because they do not trust other agencies to make what they consider to be the "right" decision.

Having spent time being trained alongside Headteachers and school safeguarding Leads, it came as no surprise to me that the schools securing the highest OFSTED judgements were the ones who were operating within their remit, rather than meeting the shortfalls they perceived in other agencies services.

Our children are happily enjoying the one of the safest periods ever for children, but I would not allow my daughter (8) to be out of my sight. 10 metres in front of us on a walk or bike-ride is quite enough.

I do live in London, where perhaps we may need to be more vigilant than in rural areas, but tragedies can happen, anywhere last July, Conley Thompson just 7 died on a construction site in Barnsley. Conley and friends had been playing unsupervised.

I don’t have a problem with my daughter hurting herself (she had a nasty scraped knee when she came of her bike during the summer, which still hasn't full healed) and I positively encourage rough and tumble play and sports, as by subjecting her to calculated danger will develop, avoidance strategies and coping mechanisms, engendering independence and responsibility. But allowing a 7-year-old to walk home is something I would strongly advocate against.

There are way too many unknowns, too many skills we have to employ when we navigate the outdoors, which a 7-year-old will not have developed, no matter how smart and sensible.There is no such thing as a safe area!!! Today a speeding or distracted drive could be passing through, the child could catch the eye of the local bully, we don't really know what predilections friendly Mr X at number 46 holds, and suppose the child chokes on something leftover in their lunch pack...

I acknowledge my daughter's increasing independence but she's a young child, who only a year ago learnt to tie her laces, so in the meantime, my husband and I will continue to hover over her; gradually releasing the reins as and when the time is appropriate.

the level of risk is different in Finland compared to the UK.

In what way? Less traffic, fewer building sites, a culture unblighted by paedophilia?

NN.

If a parent wanted their 7-year-old to walk home from school alone and were happy to take full responsibility for the outcome of that decision, why would the school pass it on to another agency? There would be nothing to report, surely?

I deliver the training the day you've mention. I make it clear to delegates what their responsibilities are and at what point they need to share their concerns with other professionals.

I would like to hear more about instances where schools "take it upon themselves" to do the job of other agencies, rather than carrying out their safeguarding duties as outlined in government legislation.

Just to say though that I'm on my way to a safeguarding course at the moment so will check in to read your examples this evening.

If my sensible DS was 7, I'd let him walk home alone in the circumstances you describe OP.

As it is, 6 year old ds gets the bus home from school and I meet him off the bus. When they go into Juniors, the bus will drop him off with no adult there to meet him, but he has to walk all of 20 yards from the drop off to our front door. At home we already let him call round for neighbours to play out, one on our culdi sac and one across a minor road. I can't see it's that different.

The school policies I have seen (state, UK) say from KS2 (year 3 and up) they can walk home alone. The schools don't seem to advertise this!

If a parent wanted their 7-year-old to walk home from school alone and were happy to take full responsibility for the outcome of that decision, why would the school pass it on to another agency? There would be nothing to report, surely?

Because the school do have a duty of care to report safeguarding concerns - even when parents believe they are right.

If the school thinks that a particular child will be put at risk by walking home alone, it is not the schools place to "not allow it" as you said upthread. Spending time trying to persuade the parent otherwise is not the role of the school. It is the schools place to report their concern to the Ch Serv dept, and if they believe there is an immediate risk of serious harm to the DC, to call the police.

As for examples I've seen - and my role has exposed me to failing, rather than average schools, so this is by no means representative - I've seen headteachers collect and drop off parents to appointments with probation to ensure the parent isn't in breach (which in turn would lead to the DC being placed in care), I've seen FLOs agree to provide childcare on school site late into the evening while Soc Services try and secure an emergency court order, routine feeding, washing and even dressing of DCs on arrival at school (uniform in a bag left with the pajama'd child every morning by the parent who wasn't able to help the child dress) - oh, and let's not forget the minibus affectionately known as the "child catcher" which collects all the pupils with poor attendance from home every morning ( this one was eventually legitimised by using Pupil Premium funding to pay for it). One HT I knew (admittedly a few years ago now) even established a nursery/crèche facility on school site, using school facilities and staff, but in her own name as the sole company Director - and offered free places to families she thought needed it at school expense. That was an interesting mess to explain to the (very naive) Governing Body, who were ultimately responsible!

I'm not saying it's easy - schools are picking up the slack from other agencies who are squeezed due to funding cuts and as the school actually works with the DCs they know the difference these things make to the DCs lives and are doing it for the good of the DCs who they know and work with.

But, many schools I have worked with do stray a long way over the boundaries of their role in order to make the DCs lives easier/safer/better. A HT shouldn't expect to spend 2-3 hours every morning with a queue of parents at their door, all seeking emotional support for the most recent drama in their lives.

In the case of walking home alone, it is sufficient to acknowledge the parents request, and refer on to the relevant partner agency if there is concern about the child's safety based on the DCs age, maturity or any SEN that may be relevant.

If you're happy, OP and your child is happy, it's fine

Sod what everyone else says.

It is the schools place to report their concern to the Ch Serv dept, and if they believe there is an immediate risk of serious harm to the DC, to call the police.

I've just finished my workshop and asked the principal children's social worker who delivered it what her response would be if we referred a child who was walking home alone in Yr3. She said if the parent gave permission and there were no other concerns they would not take it any further.