To allow my son to walk to school on his own?

[tresdreg]

He's 9, it's not that unusual is it? It's about an 8 minute walk, through a village.

[continuallychargingmyphone]

I bet it is tempting sometimes

[SuburbanRhonda]

They can't turn him away in the morning after all.

As if.

[Skyejuly]

Mine walked from year 5.

[paxillin]

We did from age 9. We are in London. Some schools have rules about not "allowing" it, but they can't really stop you, it isn't their place to allow or disallow this. They can't turn him away in the morning after all.

[ChanklyBore]

Yes I would and did let them walk in at 8.

There are lots of good reasons to do this.

[SuburbanRhonda]

I agree, continually.

That’s why we try our best to find a solution first.

[continuallychargingmyphone]

If it is everything absolutely but if you are otherwise happy and the child is achieving well it would be a bit ‘throwing baby out with bathwater’ to move schools over a small issue.

[jarhead123]

Not at 8. Why would you need to?

[treaclesoda]

It is completely normal where I live for children from P4 upwards (so, age 7 at the start of the year) to walk without a parent. Not everyone does it, some parents accompany, but it certainly wouldn't raise any eyebrows if they didn't. From P4 onwards we don't actually see the teacher anyway, as they don't accompany the class to the school gate, the children are released from the classroom and make their own way.

With regards to turning up in the morning, the school would have no idea how anyone gets to school, as even if accompanied by a parent, the parents don't go past the school gate, so the teacher would never know if they're accompanied or not.

[SuburbanRhonda]

• the right

[SuburbanRhonda]

I disagree that your child was going home alone, so I would have challenged that too.

I encourage parents to come in and speak to the head teacher if they find one of the school rules difficult to uphold for personal reasons. And of course it’s not legally enforceable - even the NSPCC says that about this and other issues.

But precisely because it’s not legally enforceable, it’s important we remind parents that not supporting the school in upholding rules they’ve signed up to will inevitably result in our thinking it’s not true right school for them.

[continuallychargingmyphone]

What I mean is that it is nothing personal against a school that may try to uphold this rule but that if it doesn’t work for me or any other parent it is acceptable to politely challenge it.

We are going round in circles somewhat but I will repeat, the school creates a rule but they cannot actually insist it is followed if the law states otherwise and nor can they request that the child is removed because of this. They can of course make appropriate referrals if they deem it appropriate.

‘The idea’ I’ve got is an anecdote from some years ago - technically my DS was ‘going home alone’ but he wasn’t, I just wasn’t actually standing on school grounds to collect him. However the school treated it as a child going home unaccompanied and tried to insist that the ‘rule’ was followed but they could not. Nor can any school.

[SuburbanRhonda]

And I’m not sure what you mean by “this isn’t something personal”.

[SuburbanRhonda]

No, I don’t think it’s ridiculous to ask a parent to consider whether the school is right for them, if they feel unable to follow the rules they signed up to.

And I don’t know where you’ve got this idea that the school rule is about where you stand when you collect him.

[continuallychargingmyphone]

This isn’t something personal.

It is not a ‘rule’ that can be enforced. It is therefore the schools ‘preference’.

For my part, I collected my children but wished to do so with the dog. The school ‘rule’ stated I could not because my child had to be physically handed to me. However the school rule was wrong because the law states otherwise.

Take my DS out of the school local to him where all his friends were and where he was happy and achieving well because of a silly quibble over the logistics of where I stood when collecting him? Do you not honestly think that’s a bit ridiculous surburban?

As an aside it isn’t the first time I’ve noticed ‘find another school if you don’t like it’ attitudes and they are both rude and dismissive.

[SuburbanRhonda]

Yes but surburban the parents may wish the child to attend that school and to leave without an adult and they do have that right - that is the point.

I’d be very surprised if a parent who is insistent that the school rule for walking to and from school alone does not apply to their child still wished their child to attend that school.

If I had been that insistent about a particular aspect of a school’s policy when I was looking for schools for my DC, I wouldn’t have deliberately chosen a school that had a rule that wouldn’t work for me or them. But then, it comes as no surprise that people think the rule they’ve signed up to doesn’t apply to them.

[flopsyrabbit1]

yes i would and have

my DC started secondary this year and some parents are still walking their DC to secondary

[yikesanotherbooboo]

YANBU.
It is only VERY recently that children were constantly accompanied. There is often a good reason eg parent dropping off on way to work or child at school out of catchment; also Children are not all road secure until 8 or so . However, I really think we are getting this wrong. One only has to look back to children in1970s to see most were getting themselves to and from school on foot, bike or bus. DSis and I caught bus+ train+ walk from years 3 and 5. We were together and looked after each other. The main concern for my parents was the long day and getting tired. We weren't the only ones doing this .

[CherryPavlova]

It’s not a ‘safeguing issue’ for goodness sake. When mine were at primary plenty of children caught a bus from neighbouring villages into the town bust station and walked the 6 -7 minutes to the school.

[continuallychargingmyphone]

Yes but surburban the parents may wish the child to attend that school and to leave without an adult and they do have that right - that is the point.

The school do not get to make the decision about it.

[SuburbanRhonda]

That would be a MN thread and a half - child permanently excluded for going home at the end of the day

Who said anything about exclusion? I’m talking about parents having the right to move their child to any school that has a space if their current school doesn’t meet the child’s needs.

[Willow2017]

Yes its fine. Our village has loads of kids walking to school at that age. And parents didnt have to stay in playground either. Some did just for the chat though or personal pref.

Some kids get a bus from p1 with all the other kids from outlying areas so no parents in the playground with them.

If the child is capable enough of walking for all of 8 minutes what's the problem? Probably will be other kids walking to school at the same time.

[DunesOfSand]

Mine catch a bus. From Y2 there is no requirement for them to gave a adult ensure they get the correct bus. Most of them manage it no problem.
However, watching the younger kids crossing roads to get to / from the bus is frightening. I watched one car this morning slam on its breaks as a 6 year old ran out, and it's not the first time.

So I'd say yes, but be absolutely clear on road safety.

[Qasd]

I let mine walk from nine (beginning of year 5), she was earlier than some of her friends but certainly not usual

[continuallychargingmyphone]

The parent certainly has the right to do that, but (as I’m sure you know) you wouldn’t be able to insist upon it.

That would be a MN thread and a half - child permanently excluded for going home at the end of the day

The school has rules but the rules of the school do not supersede the law - the opposite in fact.