What age is ok to walk home alone

[BipolarBabe34]

My DS 7 is asking to walk home alone now he is in junior school. I absolutely will not allow this at the moment as I personally feel he’s far too young but it got me thinking what age would people say is ok for a child to walk home alone?

we live about 5-10 min walk away from the school. I could even stand at the end of my road and watch him up to the lollipop lady.

TIA for replies xx

Mine walked from year 5.

Mine have all been year 5

And how do they police the child arriving? A parent can simply instruct a school to release. Schools overstep a lot, it’s ok for parents to push back.

After Easter break in year 6, so 10/11 depending on where their birthday falls

My son has walked a mile to school on his own since he was 8. He wanted to at 7 so we spent the year practicing.

depends on the child. But approx 10.

Depends on the child and the journey. School allows it from year 5 but DS didn't until start of year 6, partly because I had to get DD anyway but mainly because we live on a particularly nasty corner for cars whizzing round it and there are several other roads to cross (though the two main ones do have lollipop ladies). When he did start I did initially walk him across said corner.
DD is now in year 6 and still isn't quite ready, though she does have SEN and gets easily distracted. I'm hoping she will be soon so we can work up to the full journey before she starts high school.

I walked to and from school alone from the age of 11 at secondary school. I wasnt alone for long cos i made friends with other girls who walked too. I asked to be allowed at the age of 7 because we only lived a 5 minute walk from my primary school and I hated having to go to childminders morning and evening. This request bothered my Mum so much she moved me to the school at which she taught.

My daughter started walking home alone summer term of year 4.

She was one of the first. The school dont usually allow them to leave until year 5.

No they can’t, the school would not do it.

I think it entirely depends on what you’re comfortable with, distance & types of roads etc.

I’ve started letting my 9 year old take himself to & from school as he’s in year 5 now but we literally live opposite & a few doors down from the school.

Part way through year 6. Was 35 min walk, mostly on a cycle path and then 2 roads to cross. Building up independence before year 7 but not until spring because the route was rural and unlit.

My DS is 10 and just gone into Year 6. He's been asking since Year 5 to walk home from school (5 mins). I still feel he's still a bit young even though most of his friends now walk home. He is the youngest in his year and only turned 10 in August. We've come to a compromise that as I'll already be picking up DD 7 he can leave school on his own, cross the crossing outside school and meet us over on the grass area opposite. This seems to have made him happy for now. I think 7 is definitely too young and wouldn't even consider that for my DD (school wouldn't allow it either for that matter).

Same my 10 year old is in year 6 and has only just been allowed to walk home herself from school. I was debating it even for now but she insisted and luckily the school is a 5minute walk with no roads to cross. I allow her as school allows the kids to take a phone to school so they can message or call a parent whilst walking home

From Y4 here. Very small catchment though

Thanks again everyone I really appreciate the advice. My DS is quite mature for his age but I think I will
definitely wait a couple more years. I mean I wasn’t planning on till year 7 anyways but as some of you have said I don’t want him not having his independence before senior school. Xx

This question comes up occasionally and the responses really confuse me. We live in a city (busy streets, traffic lights) and very few of my eldest's classmates (aged around 10) get picked after school - mostly those with younger siblings. And it was pretty much the same last year (when they were all about 9). Some walk as far as 20-25min. I even know one kid that takes a bus back home.

Yesterday I saw one his classmates walk a younger sibling (7 y.o) to a sports club (10-15min) - as I walked behind them, I watched them cross streets etc., they both seemed very responsible.

We are in Scotland if that means anything.

It definitely does. We are in Scotland too and kids near the school walk themselves from 7/8. My house is the last street of the catchment so the farthest to go but my son has been walking himself since the end of p4, so he was 8. When he was p3 and my daughter was p7 she walked him in. The only kids still with parents now in p6 are those with younger siblings. I think it’s very different in England.

yes they would have to unless they can demonstrate a safeguarding risk.

also you didn’t answer my question about policing the mornings.

Depends on the child and the route. And also the general attitude towards children walking alone in the area as it can't be pleasant for a child to be constantly asked by well meaning strangers if they are OK and have they lost their mum.

I'm in Finland where children normally walk or bike alone from the 1st week of school at 6 or 7 years old so obviously I don't think 7 is too young (generally speaking, with some it is) and for many it's a lot longer walk than 5-10 minutes, in my town they could be coming as far as 4km (the limit for transport for the youngest children) on their own.

Well obviously they can’t in the morning though I suspect they would see it on the cctv that child has come alone. My kids school wouldnt even let my 14 year old pick up my 8 year old and yes they did stop him even though I had told them I give him permission, so not sure why you think they can’t stop a child leaving alone, our school dont hand them over until they physically see a parent.

Many kids in our school start walking home in year 4 or even toward the end of year 3 (England). I think it depends on your child, how close you live and the area you live in.

I would’ve let my eldest walk home in year 4 (then 8yo) if we lived closer and the roads were ok. We don’t live close enough and I had to go there to pick up her brother anyway so instead I gave permission for her to meet me outside my youngest’s classroom instead of her own. There’s no way I would trust my now year 3 (7yo) youngest to walk home. He’s too immature.

Most here do after Easter in year 5

I wouldn’t let a 7 yo. However, where I live it’s encouraged from the summer term of Y4, and most kids do it from the start of Y5 (when they start middle school).

Children only allowed to by the school in year 6 and the school has to review and approve the route/ proximity to school. I think it has to be 3 roads or less

edit: we live in a busy London suburb town