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.

[SuburbanRhonda]

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

[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]

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.

[SuburbanRhonda]

• the right

[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.

[jarhead123]

Not at 8. Why would you need to?

[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.

[SuburbanRhonda]

I agree, continually.

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

[ChanklyBore]

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

There are lots of good reasons to do this.

[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.

[Skyejuly]

Mine walked from year 5.

[SuburbanRhonda]

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

As if.

[continuallychargingmyphone]

I bet it is tempting sometimes