Year 2 walking to school alone

[justlikebuses]

Just a quick one:
Would you let your year 2 walk to school alone?
For context: school policy states only year 5 and above to walk home alone.
Child would walk a distance of 3/4 mile, crossing main road that is 75% manned by lollipop.

It would be a no from me, and my DC is pretty switched on for their age. You can't guarantee who/what they'll encounter on the journey.

Absolutely not. (CP Social worker).

In 3 tier system areas children start walking to school at the end of year 4.

No. My year 4 has just started walking home alone, with a friend most of the way and it's only a 5 min walk with no major roads to cross.
I'm surprised the school would let a year 2 out alone.

I was reading yesterday about a 10 year old who was walking with two other friends from school and died in an accident. Not their fault, it was the driver fault who was a woman.

I agree that any child is capable of walking on their own if that's what the parents want. But, is it wise to risk your child safety and life? Only because they can do it?

So your DC aren't on their own are they? They have each other.

Generally children under 8 don't have enough road sense, especially if they have to cross a main road as they cannot accurately judge the speed of traffic and safe gaps in traffic in the way that adults can, and should not be left unsupervised to cross even quiet roads alone (advice from RoSPA).

It also depends on how busy the roads are. For all I know you may have significantly fewer vehicles on the roads than where I live.

In answer to the OP, no I wouldn't.

Here's the news. Also, the sentence of only 20 months in prison after killing a 10 year old is horrible. I can't imagine what parents of that girl went through.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-48921253

I wouldn't take any chances by letting my children walking on their own to and from school.

Not only do you have dangers from traffic, strangers and also 'risky people' (abusers of children are far more likely to know the child than not, so we need to educate around risky behaviours and people rather than focusing on strangers) but also for me there would be concerns around the lack of communication between primary care giver and school professionals should this be an ongoing arrangement as well as concerns around the environment the child is living in.

As a parent I enjoy the school run as and when I can do this (working means alot of breakfast and Grandparent pick ups) and the interaction with the school community this involves. I would ask why a parent would even consider this appropriate for such a young child and then would also want to understand what other 'freedoms' are being afforded to this child behind closed doors and outside of school time. Is there a parent or carer even at home when they get back? What is the home like? Any safety risks? Alot to unpick here.

Absolutely not.

No

If the parent allows this will be look g after your child then it would be a no thanks from me! That's far too young to work out what to do if something goes wrong or if somebody stops them
For whatever reason

Not worried at all. Its completely normal here. Loads of kids walk, cycle, scoot or bus to school from P1. Some also go with parents or in cars.

My kids were very excited about getting the bus. Again lots of other kids on the bus too.

Its just what we do.

When my eldest started school he didn't have his sister and then when he moved to high school she didn't have her brother. Although of course they have all the other children waiting at the bus stop at either end.

I completely agree it depends on the child and the area and the traffic. It in our case (and most others locally). All good.

Not till at least 8 so that would be sometime in year 3, junior school. I read that is when they start to judge the speed of traffic better. They are also that bit taller and more visible. My daughter started doing very short walks alone with no roads to cross at 8 then with easy to cross slow roads.

This is advice from RoSPA.

My DC did a lot on their own but in yr2 DS only walked with older sister in yr5. I wouldn’t have let him do it on his own.

Yes, if it’s a local school there will probably be loads of kids walking in the same direction. When there are lollipop people, at my DC’s school, walking from P2/3 was usual, and if they didn’t go the whole way alone, the parents usually walked halfway then left them.

While I wouldn't do it it on Yr 2...

They are probably safer than the Secondary kids wandering about with their faces in their phones and not looking when crossing roads.

Neglectful before year 6 - this is really shocking!

Absolutely not. 6 is so little.

I live in Germany and it's expected that kids walk to/from school alone from 1st grade (age 6/7)

I grew up in the UK in the 80s and walked to school alone from year 4 (age 8/9)

No way. But my kids would not have wanted to do this at 7 and would have been unhappy with this arrangement. My eldest started walking himself
to school occasionally at 9, and now does daily at 10. My 8 year old still walks with me. I do know some year 2s who walk with older siblings in year 5 and 6 and who begged heir parents to be allowed! So I think it’s very child dependent.

No.

@WiseKhakiGoose but that accident involved a car mounting a pavement which can happen if you are with your dc. Disgraceful sentence though.

Neglectful before year 6 - this is really shocking!

I walked and got a bus by myself in yr 5. Early 90s in London, was pretty normal.