11 year olds travelling to school - London

[TeddyIEI]

Hoping some London parents can put my mind to rest or something.
My brother his wife snd 3 children live in south west London. My eldest nieces (twins) turned 11 at the end of July, they are due to start senior school. I've just learnt they will be going to school in central/west London and taking the tube there alone!!
On the first day my brother is going to make sure they get off at the right stop and they have done the walk from their stop to the school before with their mum before. They have to be there for 08:10 and will leave at 16:50ish, so will almost definitely be caught in the rush.
My sons are 13 and 15, we live rurally and right now they can do whatever in our village, walk to the bus stop for school (school provided bus), my 15 year old has been allowed into the nearest town to go for food with friends and I wouldn't mind dropping to the cinema/picking them up or similar. But the thought of them going into central London alone, at peak times at 11 makes me feel a little ill. They will be on the tube for nearly 30 min (no changes) and a 5 or so minute walk either end.

Is this normal? Do lots of kids in London do this? AIBU to think this can't possibly be safe ?

Quite normal. The tube will be busy at those times, mainly with commuters. I would be concerned if they were travelling at night maybe. But in some ways you’re safer with lots of people in a busy area than by yourself rurally.

County lines freaked me out to be honest about moving to the countryside….tons of kids go to my kids’ school from up and down the train line on their own

Absolutely normal. My tube is packed with kids of all ages in the morning, most travel in groups. It’s bliss right now since it is the summer holidays!

I am sure their parents have coached them on what to do if a train is cancelled and there isn’t another one on that line (pretty unlikely)

Good to have independence from a young age, particularly in a city

If there are delays (which are never long on the tube) or cancellations there will be announcements and alternative routes signposted. They'll have apps on their phone which show alternative routes. Services are regular and easily tracked, all stops are well- lit. Buses and Tube Stations have CCTV. Loads of other passengers to witness or step in. Clear signage. No dark country lanes where someone could get quickly bundled jnto a a car and noone would know.
Greater security coverage in London than anywhere else in the coverage. More transport options than anyone else in the country.

Exactly @Citygirlrurallife it's great to grow up in a big city from the perspective of nothing fazes you about urban environments in later life. You can navigate transport systems around the world.

I used to take my 8 year old sister age 11 and make her walk 100 metres behind me! Got the wrong train once and had to figure out what to do without help.

Now it's super easy as everyone has a phone.

SW London to Central/West - so , say Wimbledon to St Pauls? They'll be 2 of dozens of girls on that type of route!

It’s normal in London. Thank god my 11 year old doesn’t live in London because I would hate that.

I think it's pretty normal. I did it in a big city. I was very used to travelling that way though so didn't feel like a big deal.

I don't want to say the exact school, but Kew - Kensington/Victoria sort of area, I know it's not my business but I'm worried so if any Londoners can settle me and say this a perfectly safe route it would be reassuring?

So District line, not even the scuzzy Northern? So normal, and actually very safe. Maybe yours are a bit cosseted?

I work for London Underground as a station supervisor. It is totally normal for kids to use the tube from Y7, but sometimes from Y6. If the service goes down we usually direct people to buses, but most kids are pretty savvy. They ring a parent, or relative, if they are properly stuck or use their phones to find an alternative. Because we get groups of kuds from the same schools they tend to stick together and find a solution together. Sometimes they might go off to find food and drink and wait nearby.

Why do you need people to 'settle' you?

These are not your children, is there any particular reason you don't trust the parents with this?

Yes, really this and no different to getting an overground train to travel to school, or a bus, honestly. It's just a means of transportation and perfectly safe.

I do that journey the days I go into the office - perfectly fine. And much better than some of the other lines

If they can get on at South Kensington or Sloane Sq rather than Victoria in the evening that will be quieter

Completely normal for Londoners.
I did it age 8! 3 stops with a change at Victoria.
DDad (god bless his eccentric soul) used to take us out sometime around our 8th birthday and pretend to be a foreign tourist, and we had to take him round wherever he wanted to go. After a day of going to all sorts of places we'd never need to go, as well as all those we would, we were free to roam almost at will. Except on Wednesdays when there was no one to pick me up. Sometimes I'd keep the 10p and walk home, about 3 miles.

My country mice Yorkshire dc are both horrified and amazed!

As a pp said though, you seem to be getting very distressed about children who have their own parents. Parents who have made this choice, don’t see why you need to be settled as it really isn’t any of your business

Agree it’s v normal but they do have to have a plan in case something happens to the tube network unexpectedly plus there’s strikes too. But if they have the option of driving in these instances then all good.

Very normal.

I went to school in London and we had overspill students from another area attend my school meaning they had to travel quite a way via tube or bus.

Early morning and after school times at any tube station or bus stop are just a sea of school uniforms.
Kids that are brought up with London public transport are used to using it.

It's perfectly normal, and safe. How do you think London DC get about?

FWIW I went to primary school by London bus + 10 minute walk, miles acress town from - when I was about 8, with my younger sibling in tow.

I mean this isn't normal these days, but it was then and we were perfectly capable. Assuming no severe SEN, your nieces will be fine at 11.

Completely normal in London - in fact it's completely normal in most large cities and towns in the UK for kids to get public transport to secondary school especially if it's a private school rather than the local comp. What on Earth do you think will happen to them if they have to get public transport?

Are you, personally, scared of the tube? Or of London?

I think you may be projecting.

If they were travelling late at night, or in a dodgy area, then fair enough. But central London at rush hour is pretty safe IMO.

Kew into Central London? Could hardly be safer!

Incidentally, @TeddyIEI maybe it's time to think about letting your 15 year old have a bit more freedom...

Of course it's normal. Virtually all secondary age kids in London are getting themselves to school and all around the city on public transport, safely and happily (and for free!). What exactly do you think is going to happen?

Another one to say totally normal and they will quickly navigate alternative bus/ tube routes if something is out of action. No getting stuck in the arse end of nowhere because the one bus a day has left without them.
Tubes, trains and buses are full of secondary school kids travelling all over the place.

Should be OKAY, Most of the journey is overground. There should be other girls joining along the way. Wouldn’t be my choice but should be fine.