Child travelling to school alone

[SpinningFloppa]

Would you expect YEAR 6 child to travel to school alone? All his friends are but he doesn’t want to, he will have to do it when in secondary so I would like to prepare him for it now but what do you do if the child doesn’t want to? (His school alone it from year 5 summer term)

Travel how and how far?

Walk 15 mins, or bus 4 stops, either one but he will need to do bus once in secondary so prefer the bus so he is prepared.

My yr 6 doesn't want to yet. My eldest did end of Yr 5 as she was ready.

My yr 6 kid I'll keep meeting halfway and then worry about it in the final half term.

Now it's dark and cold I'm not going to push them to do it alone.

Have you tried building up to it with him? Taking him on the bus first, so he knows what to do? I agree he needs to learn before secondary school. Does he have friends he can walk with? And has he said why he doesn't want to. My kids loved having more independence. Walking, not particularly keen on the bus at first, but I pushed them to do it, and they appreciated it later.

I’d start by walking him to/meeting at the bus stop in winter.

And although it's completely fine for a Yr 6 to walk if they wish plenty don't. In yr 7 we still see kids dropped off by parents, or walking with them - especially the first few weeks.

There's still time to build up to it, and winter is a miserable time to start. We built up to it but by end of Y6 I was still mostly doing pick up as my DC liked seeing me at the end of the day. They are now happily taking the bus to secondary with no issues and going to the shops with friends at the weekend.

I won’t be able to drop him in secondary and yes he’s been on the bus we get it every day after school, he knows the route well and the bus stop is directly outside our house and directly outside his school. He already walks to the shop alone.

Starting in summer term will allow plenty of time to prepare.

does he have friends who are travelling the same way?

I think this deffo depends on how long the walk is and the area, if you think that hes mature enough then go for it, i do think that year 7 is the perfect age to let them start doing this as they've made that transition into high school

Has he said why?

Start when the clocks go forward as it is lighter in both the morning and evening.

While you need to teach your child to be more independent you need to be careful of forcing them to do things when they are not mature enough and emotionally not ready.

Just doesn’t want to, no friends this way for some reason we seem to live in the opposite direction to his friends, I’ve tried to suggest a few times after school that he goes home alone as my younger child is at after school clubs some days meaning I have to stand around in the cold/rain to wait for her as it’s pointless going home and coming back but he would rather wait with me.

I've had 3 dc and all had different opinions over it. One walked alone from beginning of y6, the other 2 from summer term of y6 with lots of encouragement and breaking it down. All managed bus/walk to secondary school no problem.
You can also do some practice over the summer (I used to send one of mine to the shops on the bus once a week in summer before starting y7 really improved his confidence). I wouldn't worry at this point it comes to different dc at different rates.

Do you drive him?

No we get the bus / walk

Mine is happy to walk alone and if he wasn't I wouldn't force him yet but build up to it in the summer.
Bus would be a bit pointless as it'd only be two stops but he wouldn't want to get it on his own. I'm not forcing it as his first and second choice high school are walkable, but as it's a longer walk will show him how to get the bus before he starts.

My ds started walking about 15 minutes alone to and from school from the summer term of year 5. However this was a route that we had been 'practising' for years and I had increased their independence gradually.

It does very much depend on the route - how easy it is to cross safely, etc

I preferred starting in the summer because of the light.

I would try to do it gradually. In my sone school they're allowed to walk to / from school from year 4. We started gradually after Christmas as he finishes school 15 mins after my youngest and it was getting annoying having to stand for 15 mins waiting in the cold. He still walks to school in the morning with us. We gradually increased the distance over a few weeks.

He knows the route well he does it all the time we me I have no car so he’s never been driven to school

Start towards the summer term then - when the weather gets better. Plenty of time to build up to it and time over the summer to practice.