Older sibling walking younger home from school

[user133367]

DC 1 and 2 in the same school, and DC 3 starting a different school in September. The clash in pick up time means having to pay £10 a day after school care for youngest or middle DC unless I can find an alternative solution. DC1 will be in year 10 so is fine alone but DC 2 year 4. Would you let DC1 year 10 pick up and walk home DC year 4? Is it too much responsibility?

To much responsibility. X

Year 4 = 8 turning 9
Year 10 = 14 turning 15

My year 8 dd sometimes picks up my y4 dd- only when we're stuck and not often. Also both pretty sensible. I was babysitting other people's 4-8yr olds when I was 14. I think as long as they are sensible it's fine.

Age 10 I would hesitate but Year 10? There are people that age who have babies themselves. Yes I would absolutely expect them to walk a 9 year old home.

Sounds fine to me. Year 10 is 14/15 so definitely old enough.

Yes, I used to get my year 7 DD (age 11-12) to walk DS year 4 (age8-9) home until he reached year 6 (age 10-11)

My year 7 (11) picks up my year 5 (10) when I can't, not an issue here.
My year 5 walks home on his own if no one can get there.
It's a 10 minute walk through a quiet housing estate.
So much depends on the children, their sensibleness, if they get on, if they're happy to help out.

Lots of secondary school kids seem to walk their younger siblings home round here. By year 10, definitely - they could leave school in a year, they should be up for some responsibility.

How would you manage if yr 10 child got
kept in for detention and wasn't there when younger child came out of class?

Is it an a through school? Quite unusual to have primary and secondary children in the same school - do they finish at the same time?

Totally fine if you are ok with it. We had a similar arrangement when I was young with my older brother. We made an agreement very early on that I would just walk myself home and see him there. My parents only found out last year.

@caulkheaded thank you!

@copperleaves I agree! What's wrong with just giving the children's age, especially when it's not actually about school curriculum? School years don't always correspond to ages as I know well: I was a full year younger that anyone in my year and that was even after having repeated a year due to moving into the UK system from abroad.

At the primary in our village I see tons of the secondary kids are 14 or 15 pick up younger siblings daily. My own sibling picked me up every day once I was in juniors (they were yr 9).

So are your 3 children at 3 different schools? Or do your youngest 2 go to the same school?

Confused here but probably missed something.

Yes I think it's fine. Here they would allow years 4 to go home on their own. But that's mainly as we used to be a middle school area so Y5 had to make there own way home from middle school not so long ago.

My year 10 child drops off his year 6 brother for me when I have an early meeting or picks up if I’m late.

My yr6 daughter collects my yr4 son & they walk home together. My yr2 daughter goes to after school club though because a) I think she's too young to be at home with those 2 & no adult & b) key stage 1 kids have to be collected by an adult anyway.

Dd1 is year 10 and yes I would have no problem with letting her. She is definitely responsible enough, I wouldn’t have any concerns about that. The only concern would be if she had things after school. She does net ball, hockey and DofE and often has to stay late for one of these. As long as you can make provisions of any clubs the old DC does, then it would be fine.

I don’t understand why you would even question it!
It’s almost like it’s expected at my youngest’s school. When my son left year 6 he came home with a form to apply for a pass that allowed him back onto the school property without an adult in order to pick up younger siblings! Half the time I don’t even need him to pick up his sister it’s just bloody lovely that I don’t have to!

Op yes It would be fine

@Purpleartichoke

You can work here (England) from 13. Both my DDs did.

My eldest has done this on occasion (not regularly), but was agreed with the school beforehand. Only issue for him would be wanting some kind of financial reward as he's having to go out of his way to do it. Would be happy with less than the cost of formal care though.

I'm shocked atthe posters saying that DC1 is too young. I used to pick up my year 1 aged sister when I was in year 7, and I continued to do so for most of secondary school. An NT 14 year old should be able to pick up an 8 year old just fine.

I wouldn't hesitate to do it. The only issue is if your yr10 dc has stuff going on after school. And what time do the schools finish and how long does it take to get from the secondary to the primary?

Of course, mine walked together in year 3&5

What if the year 10 wants to stay for clubs / study / see friends etc?