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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

What age did/will your children walk to school alone?

35 replies

longestlurkerever · 16/08/2017 18:03

Following on from the playing out discussion on another thread I wondered at what age and how people start to introduce independence for their children. Round here kids seem to get walked to school (v small catchments- generally 5 mins away) until y5 or y6 but then often travel by bus or train to secondary school. My dd1 is a way off that yet but it seems quite a big leap and I don't currently imagine her being ready to travel by public transport alone in 5 years' time. How do people build up to it? What age would your kids be allowed to walk to/from school?

OP posts:

WhooooAmI24601 · 16/08/2017 18:10

DS1 began towards the end of Y5 with his best friend. They're pretty sensible and reliable, and both have phones so we let them start. They're both going to be getting to High School via public transport in September and they're ok with it.

Most of it depends on their maturity levels and how much you're willing to trust them. If you'd asked a few years back when I'd have been willing to trust DS1 I'd have said never because at 7/8 years old he was like a giant toddler. They mature in spurts though and are suddenly capable of things you'd never dreamed a few short years back.

VestalVirgin · 16/08/2017 18:11

I walked to school alone when I started school, in my memory. Rural place, no crossing of dangerous streets involved.
I'd follow my intuition in deciding it.

What could happen? How likely is it to happen? What can your child do about things that can happen?

Enb76 · 16/08/2017 18:15

Depending on whether I get a job I've applied for my child will be walking to school by herself this year, she will be 9, a very sensible 9. She's happy to do this but wants me to pick her up from school still.

corythatwas · 16/08/2017 18:17

Large city, busy road, but with traffic lights on main road, and a crossing lady on another road. Ds started round about Yr 5 (dd disabled so a bit more on and off). We did other things to build up confidence too, like encourage him to go to corner shop on his own.

If your dd is 5 years off secondary school, you can expect to see big changes in the way she handles things and the way you think about her.

PoppyPopcorn · 16/08/2017 18:17

It's pointless asking though as everyone's walk to school is different.

My kids have gone on their own since they started, and I stopped picking them up from school after about three months. But that's because we are two houses from school, there's no roads to cross and I can stand on my doorstep and see them all the way down the pavement on the 20 second walk to school. Would I let them go on their own at 5 if it were a 20 minute walk through a busy town centre? Of course not.

x2boys · 16/08/2017 18:20

My son's s school is a few miles away so it's to far for him to walk back he does wait for his Dad to pick him up though after crossing the main road his Dad finished work at 3 p.m *shift worker so ds waits about 15 minutes for him

Original poster

longestlurkerever · 16/08/2017 18:22

Thanks everyone, that's reassuring. I can imagine her being fine walking to school in y5 or so and the corner shop etc - it's just that that still feels quite a jump from getting the train to school, where unpredictable things can happen on the route eg a station closure or something. Dd will be only just 11 when she starts secondary school. Obviously I've ages to think about it - am just interested really as there are secondary schools closer but with downsides and most people who leave her primary school seem to travel further afield.

OP posts:

Gindrinker43 · 16/08/2017 18:23

Walked home from yr6. Now in yr 7 and it's 2 busses home and a wait at a busy bus station plus quarter of a mile from the bus stop. The first bus has lots of children from same school then second bus alone.

Original poster

longestlurkerever · 16/08/2017 18:26

Yes I realise that poppy - I'm just interested in what the variety of practice is and how people deal with that leap to independence. I think it's partly because her school is so close that I worry that doing that particular journey alone won't really prepare her.

OP posts:

Birdsgottafly · 16/08/2017 18:31

My DD was nearly eight. There was a Lollipop Man and plenty of children/Parents walking on the route.

minionsrule · 16/08/2017 18:33

Hi op, my ds walked about a mile home in year 6. During the summer before year 7 we practised getting the bus to and from school a number of times.... the last time he did it on his own.
First day of high school i dropped him and picked him up but he realised a couple of boys he knew, not mates but knew them, got on and off the same stop. He did bus every day after that.
Iknow its scary to think of now but the warm glow you get when you realise how capable they are makes up for that

Crispsheets · 16/08/2017 18:35

Age 9..year 4.

FlakeBook · 16/08/2017 21:33

Year 3 but it's only at the end of our road and I can see her walk in.

FlakeBook · 16/08/2017 21:34

She's been going to the corner shop for a couple of years.

HoneyIshrunktheBiscuit · 16/08/2017 21:34

Year 6

manglethedangle · 16/08/2017 21:35

Probably year 3 or 4, but it's next door

EC22 · 16/08/2017 21:37

Son was 11, daughter 10 (they went together and with another friend.
It was less than 5 minutes away with 1 big road with no traffic lights or lollipop lady.

GetOutOfMYGarden · 16/08/2017 21:37

I think it depends where it is. Kids around mine start walking home alone around year 4, but it's a straight line to home and the only road that needs crossing has a lollipop man on there.

AndNowItIsSeven · 16/08/2017 21:37

All dc are different dd1 was 8.5, dd2 was 12 before she walked to school alone.

clary · 16/08/2017 21:39

Ds1 was yr 6 before he wanted to but DD started walking with a friend in yr 4, so 8yo. Safe route with zebra and lots of walkers.

TwoBlueFish · 16/08/2017 21:43

Last term of year 6 he started walking home once or twice a week. We lived about a mile away from the primary school and there was one busyish road to cross that didn't have a crossing.

dontcallmethatyoucunt · 16/08/2017 21:43

Year. 3, I'll expect social services round soon.

BackforGood · 16/08/2017 21:44

On a regular basis - it was secondary school.
However, we both worked, so they went to breakfast club. How close they were dropped, got further away as they got older (well, for the youngest, older ones were taken I suppose as they had a little one with them).
Started walking home on odd occasions first, rather than suddenly doing it all the time.
It so much depends on the route though.

If you dc are going on the train to secondary, then being familiar with 'how to use a train' will be more important to them than walking to school in Primary school.

londonmummy1966 · 16/08/2017 22:13

DD1 and DD2 went together with a friend same age as DD1 from round the corner after Easter in Yr 5 for dd1 (year 3 for DD2). They were walked to the bus stop and put on bus together. DD1 had to phone me when they got to school to say they had arrived safely.This continued until dd2 started secondary at a different school. From her 3rd day at school she had to navigate quite a busy railway station with several platforms. Never a problem.

elliejjtiny · 16/08/2017 22:48

My eldest doesn't yet, he's just about to start secondary. Secondary school is nearly 3 miles away and primary is 1.5 miles away.

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