Can you remember when this started?

[user1499164702]

I don't have children so please forgive my ignorance! Doing research for a book.
Can anyone remember when it became normal to require an appointed adult to pick up a child from primary school? Five years ago? Ten? Does anyone's child still go to a primary school that allows them to leave alone or with a sibling? In the late 60s I walked two miles to and from school from the age of 7. When did it all start to change? How do you cope?!

I started primary school late 80s and it was very much the norm to be taken and picked up until around year 5

Early 90's at least.

I don't know when it changed. In the 1960s/70s it was not a requirement.

By the time my DC were primary age in the 00s, it was the norm for pupils to be picked up (by nominated/known adult) unless they were on the 'home alone' register - something the school didn't have an exact age for, but strongly discouraged below Year 5 (age 9/10). They weren't keen on older siblings being in charge of younger ones either, but would consider it on case by case basis.

Just wondering if your book is set rurally/village/town/city as there are variations between them. Based on nieces/nephews of similar age, large village/small town seem to be more permissive than larger, more traffic-ridden places.

my DS1 is year 6 and they can walk home alone from year 4 or 5 I think. I'm 35 and my mum took me to school and picked me up until the beginning of year 5.

Thanks so far! Auntie Stella yes, my book is set in a rural area in 2004-2006. The child involved is six at the time. Older siblings could pick her up.

I went to primary school in the late 80s and the infants had to be picked up, although it was still acceptable for an older sibling to take the younger ones home.

At my DCs primary you can give consent for them to leave alone from year 3. In practice most parents pick up till the start of year 6. Each class has a separate exit from the building so many parents sign the consent from year 3 so that the older child can go round to the exit for a younger sibling and be picked up there, but don't actually allow the child to leave the site alone. It seems to work well.

Children can and do leave our primary school unaccompanied. They are only required to be picked up by an adult in Reception and Yr 1. For the others the teachers open the doors and out they all come. There is no teacher on the playground checking who collects them. The teachers cannot even see the playground from the classrooms. My Y5 & Y6 quite often come home alone and (shock!!!) sometimes let themselves with their own key.

I started school in 1980. In the infants you had to point out your parent before you could leave. In the juniors you just left - children could have walked home alone.

Same thing in DDs primary school now - reception to year 2 handed to an adult and they just leave from year 3