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?

Today's generation, about 20

🥱

Legally at the age of 8 they can walk home providing that there is someone there at home . My daughter walked home at the age of 8 and my son was there ( he would come home from secondary school) , there are only 5 min walk and we live in village outside Cambridge ( everyone knows each other) .

i first followed her in the morning and afternoon for few weeks to make sure that she knows what she is doing and then we allow her to walk home . The headteacher knew . She hated her child minder , she did not want to go to afterschool club ,she did not want her brother to pick her up either. There was very little that we could do .

For us it was age 10/11. Eldest was 11 but younger ones started at 10 as older siblings home.

There is no legal age at which a child can walk home alone, or be at home alone. The NSPCC issue guidance, but it’s not law.

It sounds very young but it’s normal in lots of countries

Secondary.
Walking home from 8/9 but coming home to an empty house isn't nice and shouldn't be before secondary school.

10

I would say a responsible 11 year old

Secondary school is often the age this starts.
Perhaps final term of year 6 if they are sensible as the days are lighter….my kids (& I) were more weary about going home to an empty house in the dark.

Must depend a lot where you live.
Wouldn't do it for my 8yo in case she had trouble with the key. It's not an issue anyway as school is 2 miles away. She can't walk from bus yet either as busy road and rough area. Other child started doing it in Year 7.

I guess it couldn’t be any later than the beginning of year 7 as no after school clubs and people have to work. But as my youngest child is born the 2nd September I guess I would contemplate it in year 6 as he so narrowly missed that year anyway. He does have a brother who is a year older though so they would be together which I guess makes the circumstances different.

Mine did this in y6-walked home, let themselves in and were home alone for an hour or so until someone else got in. So, 11.

8 eight I’d report you to social services myself if you were a neighbour of mine; that’s far too young;

My ds, 11, has been walking home from school since he 10 and half. However, my friend whose son is 1 week older would never trust her son to do this as he is a bit of a pleb and easily distracted so it does depend on the child!

I think we did this from year 6. She finished at 3.30, I finished at 4 and would be home at 4.30. Family lived down the next street for emergencies. Once or twice a week depending on shifts, no going out with friends, no cooker turning on.

My son was doing this from year 5

12

11

We've been building up from about 5-10 mins at home on her own from start of Y6 here (she is one of the oldest though).
Y7 now and she gets the train home on a semi regular basis and stays for an hour/hour and a half while youngest is at activities.
DD also spends an hour once a week in a local family cafe having breakfast (we/she know owners well) before school as we are uncomfortable with her doing the walk from ex-DHs house. (At least 30 mins through very quiet woodland, not really any other public around and no friends to walk with).

DS will be a completely different kettle of fish as SEN. He's only just started walking from the school car park into school on his own.

My year 6 would be ok doing this (he is just 11). He doesn’t as we live 10 miles from his school, but if he went to a village school and lived in that village I’d be happy for him to walk and let himself in. He’s pretty switched on and capable - some of his friends absolutely would not be ok doing this! My eldest (year 9) would have been ok from 11/12 in year 7 I think, but not before - he’s less sensible. Both my boys are used to being independent and roaming out on our farm together playing and generally adventuring - some of their friends are less used to being without adults supervising.

Hahaha good joke

It's perfectly normal in many areas. There are 8yo's walking to/from school with their friends around here every single day.

It's not about walking home, as people have repeatedly pointed out.

It's about walking home and then being left alone in the house for an hour plus after school.

But as much as people may disagree with it, it's not illegal, so unless the children were physically in danger, what would people expect social services to do?