Page 5 | To think Year 4 is too young to walk home from school alone

user63214 · 2025-09-24T17:27:44+00:00

School have just announced years 4 and above can walk home alone. My DS has autism so maybe my view is distorted but he is only 8. Whilst it’s obviously still up to us they seem to be pushing it abit reminding us to sign consent forms. We are off a fairly busy road and the parking/driving situation at peak pick up times is not always very safe. I get it from year 6 preparing children for secondary school. AIBU?

BigBirdOfPrey · 25/09/2025 10:39

My child did and she’s well capable of it, some of her peers would not be

ARichtGoodDram · 25/09/2025 10:39

Parent or nothing-they tried to hint they'd get ss involved (I laughed and told them to go ahead) but expected them to leave at year 6 and be fully independent!

That implied threat, and the belief that it is the schools choice, is what many schools rely on to stop parents arguing the point that it should be up to them.

I do actually think schools that actively block children walking solo until the last term of Y6 (I worked in at least 4) are the worst culprits as the children only get a few weeks experience and then have to, generally, do a much longer journey solo to high school.

Tryingmum456 · 25/09/2025 10:43

My child walks to school and I pick her up. She’s just started year 4. This is what she wanted and it’s only about a 7 minute walk with lots of school children and parents. She prefers me to pick her up in the car as she’s tired after school 😂 I expect next year she will be coming home alone.

Shes a very sensible girl. I have no concerns, and im very proud of her. She goes to the local shop alone too. Or I would leave her with her little brother who is 2 and pop down to the shop for ten minutes during nap time. Never had no problems with this at all. She likes the independence.

PurpleThistle7 · 25/09/2025 10:54

Calliopespa · 25/09/2025 10:22

I think it has to depend rather a lot on the child and the route.

However, I have just posted on another thread that generally speaking I feel the push for "independence" is often an excuse for parental convenience and doesn't really benefit the child as much as people claim. That starts to change as they hit their teens I think, but there is no harm in protecting children while they are exactly that, children.

However, some routes would be fine at that age.

I also would say there’s nothing wrong with finding a solution that helps the entire family. Most parents are juggling work and children and sometimes just a 10 minute solution can make everyone’s lives easier and why not? Of course I look after my children and I’m not reckless, but the first time my daughter went to the shops on her own was absolutely because I was home with her poorly brother and needed something easy for our dinner. That helped me first, but also she was really, really proud of herself. And the whole family had a much better evening.

Calliopespa · 25/09/2025 10:54

PurpleThistle7 · 25/09/2025 10:54

I also would say there’s nothing wrong with finding a solution that helps the entire family. Most parents are juggling work and children and sometimes just a 10 minute solution can make everyone’s lives easier and why not? Of course I look after my children and I’m not reckless, but the first time my daughter went to the shops on her own was absolutely because I was home with her poorly brother and needed something easy for our dinner. That helped me first, but also she was really, really proud of herself. And the whole family had a much better evening.

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But you called it was it is: helping.

NoisyLittleOtter · 25/09/2025 11:16

Calliopespa · 25/09/2025 10:22

I think it has to depend rather a lot on the child and the route.

However, I have just posted on another thread that generally speaking I feel the push for "independence" is often an excuse for parental convenience and doesn't really benefit the child as much as people claim. That starts to change as they hit their teens I think, but there is no harm in protecting children while they are exactly that, children.

However, some routes would be fine at that age.

It didn’t help me at all when my 9 year old started walking to school and home, as I still have to take her younger brother. If anything it made life more complicated!

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 25/09/2025 11:24

NuovaPilbeam · 24/09/2025 23:02

. I think children that young need to know someone is there for them, even if that’s a CM or after school club staff.

The point would be they'd be walking home to a parent who's working from home, who mightn't be able to do the school run for that reason but would be in at home.

Actually there's an increasing body of evidence that children need this sort of independent activity involving some risk and responsibility much younger, the way they used to. In switzerland kids of 6 walk to and from school.

I'm glad someone said this. I was doing this sort of journey alone at 5 years old and we lived in Edinburgh at the time. We then moved to a new town in Scotland and I was out and about and sometimes taking the bus by myself to go to the library, from the start. Admittedly that was the mid 1960s and there would have been less traffic on the roads, but another factor that made it reasonably safe was that most children were out and about unsupervised from a young age, so there were plenty of us, and most adults saw it as part of their civic responsibilities to look out for them and if necessary to tell them off. Parents didn't take offence at that, quite the contrary.

My own children had a lot less freedom than I had, and I feel sorry about that, but they grew up in a very different time. They are now in their 30s and things have got even more restrictive for children since then. A neighbouring child who is now a young teen has only just started going out unescorted by parents and even now is escorted to the bus stop in the morning on the way to school.

Natsku · 25/09/2025 11:37

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 25/09/2025 11:24

I'm glad someone said this. I was doing this sort of journey alone at 5 years old and we lived in Edinburgh at the time. We then moved to a new town in Scotland and I was out and about and sometimes taking the bus by myself to go to the library, from the start. Admittedly that was the mid 1960s and there would have been less traffic on the roads, but another factor that made it reasonably safe was that most children were out and about unsupervised from a young age, so there were plenty of us, and most adults saw it as part of their civic responsibilities to look out for them and if necessary to tell them off. Parents didn't take offence at that, quite the contrary.

My own children had a lot less freedom than I had, and I feel sorry about that, but they grew up in a very different time. They are now in their 30s and things have got even more restrictive for children since then. A neighbouring child who is now a young teen has only just started going out unescorted by parents and even now is escorted to the bus stop in the morning on the way to school.

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It is definitely much easier when there are other children out and about, they aren't alone. Adults will tell off kids round here sometimes, and then they post on the local Facebook group what happened, asking parents if they recognise their own kids to have a word with them too, so its maybe even better now as word about misbehaviour spreads easier. Though some will just post on Facebook and not actually say anything to the kids.

Natsku · 25/09/2025 11:38

Mostly its complaints about swearing loudly in playgrounds where younger children are rather than proper bad behaviour.

CurlewKate · 25/09/2025 14:02

Depends on the child and the route.

CurlewKate · 25/09/2025 14:02

Depends on the child and the route.

CurlewKate · 25/09/2025 14:02

Depends on the child and the route.

noparklife · 25/09/2025 14:04

Mine did and it was fine. He was super proud to be the first in his year to walk to and from school by himself. He is 12 now.

I am early 50s and this was completely normal when I was a child.