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?

I'd say 10/11, year 6.

From a teacher's perspective, we're duty-bound to report this. I do personally see it as negligent, given my own personal experiences that I shared up thread. It would at the least lead to questions about the parenting at home, and the suggestion would be made that the child should attend after-school club or that alternative adequate supervision for the longer term should be secured asap.

I was 6 when I stayed at home alone and walked from school. Mind you I did end up in a horible and abusive Foster home back in 1968. 😪

Can social services force people to use childcare or clubs though? In many areas they don't exist.

No, of course they can't force use of an ASC that doesn't exist but that's not the only intervention SS can use. If a parent is regularly leaving an 8 year old unsupervised and failing to secure adequate childcare, then SS have every right to investigate that and take the steps within their power to intervene on the child's behalf.

Year 7 and definitely if they're a September birthday. No younger, primary school is completely different to secondary - in secondary they are learning to be much more independent anyway.

Thanks - I genuinely don't know much about what SS could or couldn't do in that kind of situation.

Y7 I agree with others anything younger is negligence, and mainly done for the benefit of the parent not the child.

Really? How many Y7s want to be brought and collected from school?

If 8/9 year olds are being left home alone for an hour, would they be capable of getting themselves out of the house in a fire.

If walking home, would they know how to react if an adult tried to snatch them off the street. This can just as easily happen very close to home.

I remember when I was a kid someone tried to snatch my cousin when they were only vert close to home. Luckily they managed to run off. A 8/9 year old would be very vulnerable imo.

Why on earth would you report it? It's not illegal and if the child can be trusted ie. not answer the door, don't use kitchen appliances etc then what's the issue?

The issue is it’s too young. In an emergency situation the child probably wouldn’t know what to do. And that’s just for starters.

I’d report it too.

At eight?

Because it's negligence. Pure and simple. Nothing to do with "trusting the child". I could be trusted, as I shared before, but it put me in a position where being left alone (at 9) led to me being sexually assaulted after school.

I take a very dim view of parents who think it's ok to have no after school care for an 8 year old and I won't apologise for that.

@reluctantbrit I'm confused at your reply? I'm saying year 7 is the appropriate age for what the OP is describing?

But definitely not primary school - yes they can walk home alone in year 6 for sure, but not then be left for an hour at home as well.

I'm sorry to hear that.

We started this with DD when she was in year 6 but with just leaving her home for short periods and letting her walk ahead of us when we walked her to school.
Once she started secondary school, we would let her catch the bus home from school and was generally home for 30-60 minutes by herself.
One thing we did do though was install a doorbell with a camera to see when she got home and gave her a cellphone with a tracking app on so we could make sure she got home safely (Google family link, also allows you to limit usage, apps etc). She also had to call us when she got on and off the bus, so we knew she was safe.

My children’s primary didn’t allow children to travel to and from school themselves until year 5 so age 9/10. This seemed about right to me although one of us was home so they weren’t home alone. I think at least 12 to let thmselves in and be home on their own for an hour or so after school.

10/11. With the proviso of no using the oven or knives. Would ensure there was toast and cereal for food. And obviously no answering the door.

Secondary school age, 11 years +

You said definitely when they are a September birthday.

DD is a July one. For me it sounded as anything being a younger Y7 would stil not be appropriate.

I still think a Y6 with 10/11 should absolutely be able to be alone for a bit.

@reluctantbrit I said definitely a September birthday as that is the age the OP said the child in question is - so was the most relevant response to the actual question.

Year 7 of secondary school

Exactly this. It's not the aspect of being forced to used ASC, it's that you have failed to adequately care for your child and look after them properly and safely. Children's services should be investigating this. Anyone who thinks this is appropriate for an 8 year old is a poor parent.

I'm genuinely surprised that the consensus seems to be it's more acceptable to walk home alone at a younger age (whether that is 8/9/10/11) but it's the being home alone that is the problem.

Maybe it's because our school is over a mile away with a busy road to cross but I'd not be at all comfortable with my 8 year old walking home alone. However I could start to consider leaving them alone for short periods of time (I'm talking 10 minutes popping to a shop).

Beginning from secondary school, aged 11