Yr 6 biking to school alone

[Whatames]

My current year 5 daughter bikes to school. I live in a tiny village around 700 people. It’s just one road and the school is at the other end. Approx 10 minutes on the bike and pavement all the way. At present I drop her younger siblings in the car or walk dependent on weather and I can see her bike is parked in the bike shed when I get there. It’s safe as can be but I like the reassurance of seeing her bike in the yard and knowing if something went wrong I’d see as I went past in the car. My daughter loves the independence and never gets in the car or walks with me . From September when she is in Year 6 I am back in full time work and so will drop siblings at breakfast club. My daughter wants to continue to bike but it would mean leaving her in the house for half and hour and then her biking in. I want to foster her foster her independence but am a bit worried. I got the bus on my own in a big city from much younger but still I worry. The Next year (year 7) she will have to be in the house by herself and then go out to get the school bus as I leave before it comes. Would really be Interested in others opinions

I think that's fine, lots of yr 6 kids do this in our school ( well walk or bike). It's good to get them used to the transition to high school where they'll generally have to go much further on their own.

Our school encourages it so once they move up it's not a new school plus a new routine

I would do it if she's happy, but maybe a couple of trial runs first with you not too far away. Do you have neighbours she could ask for help if she needed it? What would she do if she was locked out? Does she have a phone or another way of contacting you (my DD same age has a smart watch so she can keep in contact on the days she walks home from school by herself).

For a mature 10 year old who is keen to be independent it's fine, but there are things that could go wrong so I'd just make sure you've both carefully thought everything through beforehand.

Thank you. I feel like theoretically it’s fine but I just worry. It’s a small. Ullage s hook with about 50kids. Everyone travels the same way so if she did come off someone would see stop and help as everyone knows everyone. The worry is more I think for the bit by herself at home. If the weather was bad or she just didn’t want to she could always go to breakfast club on the day as we don’t need to book in advance. She has a sister who will be in Year 4 and I have seen some Year 6s walk with their younger ks2 sibling but I think I may wait for the summer term for this

That should say village school

Surely she should be cycling on the road not the pavement , unless it's a joint cycle path. I would have no issue with this scenario if you have risk assessed it as her parent. As always depends on maturity of child.

It would be the getting out at the right time and locking up bit that would worry me most. But with practice I'm sure that will be ok too.

@bimbodoc thr council have put in an extra wide footpath precisely so kids can get to the school without going on the road. I worry more about road users who really speed along the country lanes. All the kids bike on the path—it’s sort of accepted—and she knows that pedestrians have priority

it's absolutely fine.
Like PP I would say tha she should cycle on the road unless it's a shared cycle path (not clear from your update whether it is or not).

My concern would be more leaving her in the house unattended for half an hour - can she be trusted to leave on time, lock up and not leave taps etc running?