What age is considered appropriate before a child can do this...

[Poppymayday]

Get themselves home from a local school, let themselves in and stay home alone for an hour or so until adult gets back home?

11

Depends where you live. My children went to a very small rural primary school in a safe area. All the children take themselves to school and, in the summer, ‘play out’ after school from about the age of 7. In London, I’d probably say 12 or 13.

Entirely depends on the route to home from school and maturity of the child. I would say not before 10/11 or year six. I would also give them half hour trials to be at home alone, and also leave something out for them to snack with instructions not to heat anything up. I would ask then also to be starting on their homework after they had had their snack. But, it all depends on the individual child. Some are very mature, some a little adventurous! You would be the best judge. My very sensible and mature son decided to experiment with something under the grill, it did not go well! He learnt his lesson though!

I started leaving each of mine home alone for short periods (<1hr) from age 10. I think they're capable of keeping themselves safe for an hour or so from that age.

What would worry me more about the "getting home from school and being alone for an hour" is the translation from school to home being alone. It's a pretty stark contrast from micromanaged time, noise, bustle, attention, business to a silent house all alone, and I think most kids would benefit from that time being buffered by a caregiver.

Until secondary school I used a childminder to collect from school and buffer the time until I finished work. She was able to tell me that children had come out of school quiet or upset or excited or happy, and she was there to phase school in to home.

Since my older kids started secondary I now need to collect them every day as there's no bus and they won't go to a childminder (though had geography worked out, they could have continued with the primary childminder). So I'm there to do the buffering.

Safety wise, I would say 10 years+ with some prep and close emergency support. Emotionally, I'd try and have an adult regardless of age.

Some children are more sensible and mature than others. Having said that, once they get to senior school they should be OK for an hour or two.

My daughter did this from year 5/6 so I’d say 10/11

I don't think you'll find a school that lets children younger than year 6 (10/11) leave school on their own. An adult would need to collect them.
That's certainly the case at the primary school I work and the primary school my children attended.

My eldest was mature 11 and just at high school and would pick up her younger sister 4 in reception at 3.30 till I got home, between 4 and 6.

Years later the younger sister is now 10 yr6 and collects younger brother yr3 8 and walks the 2 minutes home, I'm home by 4. I call by 3.40 so I know they're in and safe.

Youngest however won't be walking home alone come September, he'll be almost 9 then.

Children walk home from Year 4 around here.

We're in London.

11

I'd say age 10 to practice ready for secondary school. I'd try to start in spring / summer so not too dark to start. Possibly age 9 if walking with older sibling.

I’d say after they’ve settled into Y7 and know the way home etc

I'm assuming parent is at home if at primary school.

Walking home alone - year 6
staying by themselves for up to 30 mins - year 7
staying by themselves for up to 90mins - year 8/9
staying by themselves and expecting to cook etc -year 10
staying overnight by themselves -year 12
this is the timeframes we used with our ds. Some children will be ready earlier others later

I'd say 11 if no one there to look out for them.

I’d say 8 if the wait for someone else to come home is pretty short. 10/11 if the wait is more than about 45 minutes.

Secondary school , year 7 if it is only an hour or two by themselves. Assuming they are sensible, know about basic safety and will do as instructed (mine has the rules of no fire or cooker, but fan heater and microwave are fine).

For me it was age 11 and first year of highschool as that’s when mum went back to work full time. Got my own key, would be home for about 4 with my sister and alone at home until 5:30.

10

Isn't the legal age 11?

Massively depends on the route. We're 4 miles from school, so not whilst they're there!

No. There's no legal age in the UK - possibly in other countries there is though.

My daughter did this around age 12, just after starting secondary school.

About 11