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Original poster

Why don't kids walk to school anymore

268 replies

Failingatthemoment · 19/05/2023 08:09

I'm obviously old. BUT, when I went to school the majority of kids walked to school on their own from around the ages of 7/8. Now it only seems that ( some) secondary school kids do this.

OP posts:
manontroppo · 19/05/2023 08:10

For primary, I think it’s because many times a parent is going on to work, and don’t have time to walk to school and back home, pick up their car and do the onward journey.

For secondary, no idea.

CadburyDream · 19/05/2023 08:11

There was a long thread about this already but our school doesn't allow it till year 6.

Sussexcricket · 19/05/2023 08:12

1.7 miles to school for my seven year old. Big busy roads and loads to cross. No way

FastAndLast · 19/05/2023 08:12

I took mine all through primary, high school they took themselves.

JamSandle · 19/05/2023 08:12

I think danger of cars/stranger danger.

Sussexcricket · 19/05/2023 08:12

We do walk btw. She just doesn't walk alone

JoshLymanIsHotterThanSam · 19/05/2023 08:12

In my case because it’s too far and dangerous road to cross. My secondary kids bike to school. My yr 6 kid is allowed to cycle as long as I’m able to go with him and pick him up on my bike (I work so can’t do it every day)

AppleKatie · 19/05/2023 08:12

Schools don’t allow it until year 5/6

parents are working so can’t accompany them.

kids live further from their schools on average than they used too. (New build estate with no primary school anyone?)

NameChangeSorryNotSorry · 19/05/2023 08:12

Most kids round here walk to school. But we live in a city suburb and most parents commute by bike or public transport on from there. The majority of kids who are driven are the ones with SAHM (no idea why).

YukoandHiro · 19/05/2023 08:13

CadburyDream · 19/05/2023 08:11

There was a long thread about this already but our school doesn't allow it till year 6.

Same.
Depends where you live but in London year six is the earliest expectation.
And given we live a 20 min walk from school and younger DD will also still be going tbh I will probably still be trailing her then. She's v young in her year.

LubaLuca · 19/05/2023 08:13

Busier roads are harder to manage for young children. The volume of traffic has increased hugely since I was in junior school.

Howmanysleepsnow · 19/05/2023 08:13

Most schools don’t let them until y5, so age 9. Where I live the majority do walk.

FloweryName · 19/05/2023 08:14

Because parents have jobs to do out of the home after school drop off and don’t have time to walk.

MsWhitworth · 19/05/2023 08:14

Lots of schools don’t allow it before Year 5/6.

Children go to schools further away from where they live and/or are driven so there aren’t lots of kids walking the same route.

Children generally have less freedom to roam than they did in the past.

Mrsjayy · 19/05/2023 08:14

Parents are usually going to work or schools don't allow younger years to go to school themselves especially not 7 year olds.
My dds are adults and even then they weren't allowed to leave the playground alone tIll they moved round to the bigger playground so primary 4 where they would be 8/9.

Mrsjayy · 19/05/2023 08:15

I'm in Scotland so we don't say year whatever. Just for clarification.

LiliLil · 19/05/2023 08:16

My daughters school don’t allow it until year 6 (age 10/11)

My son walks to and from secondary school.

Pottedpalm · 19/05/2023 08:17

I think the OP means children walking alone.
I walked to school with my older sister from the day I started as a ‘rising 5’. So I was still4, she was 6. It was about a mile and we went across fields and into town. There were two or three roads to cross. I think children are over protected these days, though 4and 6 seems young. Schools have some ‘rules’ too, which parents ate expected to follow.

CadburyDream · 19/05/2023 08:17

YukoandHiro · 19/05/2023 08:13

Same.
Depends where you live but in London year six is the earliest expectation.
And given we live a 20 min walk from school and younger DD will also still be going tbh I will probably still be trailing her then. She's v young in her year.

Show quote history

Yes same for us our school is in London and not the local one as kids didn't get into it. To get there there are very busy roads to cross so it wouldn't be appropriate anyway

WheelsUp · 19/05/2023 08:17

I live in the suburbs where the walk is fine but driver behaviour outside schools is very dangerous. If there was a lollipop man/woman then I think younger kids than year 5 could do the walk but lots of drivers seem to forget all road rules outside schools.

Ladykryptonite · 19/05/2023 08:18

Plenty of working parents walk with their kids to school and then cycle to work

Sleepthief · 19/05/2023 08:19

Increased traffic, population density, greater awareness of safeguarding issues... the world has changed a lot since I were a lad. At our primary school children are allowed to walk to and from school on their own from Y5, with permission from a parent, and most do (small catchment, inner London). But schools would be failing in their duty of care if they let young children go home to a potentially empty house, which was perhaps less of a societal concern back in the day 🤷‍♀️ (along with drink driving, no seatbelts, smoking and many other things that we now know were a terrible idea!)

endofthelinefinally · 19/05/2023 08:19

Many do if there is a safe and manageable route.
A lot of children end up in schools miles away from home with no public transport and lots of dangerous roads to cross.
I used to drive my youngest to a nearby street, walk the rest of the way to appease the walk to school pressure group. Then sprint back to my car and hope for the best to get to work on time.

Kentishbornknitter · 19/05/2023 08:19

I would think it is because most parents work now and don’t have time to walk. I wasn’t aware that children weren’t allowed to walk alone these days. Remember though ‘You are the traffic’ I read that once on a billboard when I was moaning about being stuck in a traffic jam and it stayed with me. We all moan about traffic, but it is all of us!

Ladykryptonite · 19/05/2023 08:19

'Busy roads' - full of parents driving their kids to school