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.

Not in a million years. I will consider it in year 6 as preparation for secondary school. But wouldn’t dream of it even in year 5.

Not in the UK and I would report to the safeguarding team at school if I saw it happening.

In other countries where it is the norm for young children walk to school alone the infrastructure is set up for it, drivers expect children to be walking alone. Adults walking along the road also probably keep a eye out for children around them. In the UK we expect young children to be with an adult so don't carry out the same amount of vigilance.

Absolutely no way! Wouldn’t even cross my mind to think it’s an option!

The Uk has very very different ways of doing things in its different parts

In Scotland it’s much much more common for children to walk to school alone than in England. And considerably younger too.

Short walk, safe area, sensible child - year 4.

no. We live very close to school and I agree with not walking alone before year 5.

However I have friends in France and Germany who would not think twice, their journeys are not trafficky though and certainly don't involve crossing a main road, with or without a lolipop

In Scotland it’s much much more common for children to walk to school alone than in England. And considerably younger too.

Exactly, and Scotland is part of the UK.

I don't think you'd see many 6 year olds walking 3/4 of a mile to school completely unaccompanied in Scotland, but you most definitely would see them walking with an older sibling in P5 or P6 - so 10 or 11. No adult. Or a group of 8 year olds going home or to school by themselves.

England is the outlier on this, they have all these rules about having to drop your child off in the playground and there having to be an adult to collect, and safeguarding and rules and social services, and not until year X. Scotland takes a different approach and leaves it to the parents, and I don't think there is any evidence that the more liberal approach up here results in a much higher number of children coming to harm on the way to or from school?

Another Scottish person and have worked in schools for years. Yes a 7 year old might walk to and from school although more would be doing it by age 8. Depends on the area and how busy the roads are but there are lollipop men and ladies everywhere because of this. Children know the routes they can take to cross with a lollipop person- do you have these in England?

This topic comes up again and again on Mumsnet and there is always hysterics from English posters.

WAY too young. Can't believe you even need to ask @justlikebuses

And IDGAF what people used to do back in the day. It's ludicrous to let a child in year 2 - (aged 6 or 7) walk nearly a mile home, on their own!

No. For 3/4 mile?! No!

Year 4 maybe for a walk home a few minutes away if the child was very sensible and had a friend walking too.

Year 5 probably with a friend, if they were sensible.

Year 6 probably, if they were sensible.

This topic comes up again and again on Mumsnet and there is always hysterics from English posters.

They're just conditioned by schools about the rules and what's "safe" and can't get their heads around other parts of the UK doing things differently. From a Scottish perspective, I can't get my head round people accepting it as normal that school dictates how you get your kids there and how you get them back home again. Here, school is in control 9am to 3pm. Everything that happens 8.30-9 and 3-3.30 is my responsibility, not the school's.

It’s actually the same in England. The school don’t actually have the final say - it’s a parental choice.

schools here just rely on parents not knowing that, or when they do, not wanting to be the parent that rocks the boat.

In 20 years working in schools I’ve seen parent challenge the “rule” numerous times and only once, when it was a genuine concern and part of a bigger picture, did it not end with the school simply accepting the parents choice with zero fuss (because they know it’s a parents choice).

Nope

No way.

Absolutely not. Even if they were ‘mature and sensible’ - way too young. Unfair to put that pressure of independence on such a young child imo.

Aye right everyone north of Carlisle is neglecting their kids 😂😂😂

Oh my gosh absolutely no way!

Is it really normal though? It's not in our area of Scotland.
My DS didn't start walking the 10 minutes to school until into P6 (y5), and he walked home from late P5 (y4). Kids aren't allowed to walk home alone until P4, they have to be collected.
When I was younger we lived in the countryside so bussed it like your kids on the local bus, not a school one. I think that's different to walking 3/4 mile alone (I'm assuming yours don't do that at either end). Apart from anything else, it was the only way some children could get to school.

Should explain he walked home with friends in late P5, walking to school he's occasionally on his own - there's a difference, just like getting the bus with other kids is safer than walking alone.

I've lived in the suburbs of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dumfriesshire and Fife and its been normal in all of those places.

I agree with you, but that's the point, accidents can happen anytime regardless if you are with your child or not.

But, as an adult, you'll have a different reaction than a child and you can save his life. For example, seeing ahead that there's a car with engine on and being aware of that car. Reacting faster than a child once the car starts moving, pushing him away and saving his life. There's different scenarios where an adult reaction is different than a child reaction and can save a child life.

I gave this article as an example, that if this kind of accidents can happen with a 10 year old, on the pavement, with friends next to her, then why would anyone ever consider to let a 7 year old walk on his own to and from school?

I also speak from my own experience, as a child who walked to and from school since the age of 7. I had to take a bus and it was a 30mins journey. It was child neglect, even if my parents don't think so. I had a lot of dangerous situations as a child. It's a miracle I'm still alive today, despite everything what happened to me during my childhood. It's not only about crossing the road and being hit by a car, there's so many other things which can happen with a child while walking on his own.

There's plenty of time ahead for a 7 year old to learn how to be independent and walk on his own. I see no reason why parents will push a kid to grow up faster, other than if the parents don't care and actually neglect their own child.

Yes, normal in suburban Glasgow.

My point was that it's not 'completely normal' all over Scotland. The poster claimed that it is and that it's just hysterical English parents who think otherwise.

I did this with a friend in the 80s sometimes.

A tad too young imo. Mine went to the shops on their own crossing at a pelican crossing in the summer before ks2. But then ks2 didn't need to be collected in the way they are now, rec Y1 and Y2 had to go to a parent though.