Taxi for pick up?

[Mumster40]

Does anyone do this? My daughter is starting a new school in September in London. She will have just turned 10. The journey home is very easy - a 15 minute train ride. However, at 10 I feel she is still too young to do this on her own. I’m self employed and won’t always be able to pick her up when her new school finishes. A taxi would mean that we’d both get home at pretty much the same time..... But is it safe? Is this something people do? And if so any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

practice the train journey over the summer. she will be fine taking the train with her peers.

I'd definitely prefer practising the train and doing that rather than taxi. Our eldest was just 10 when he started commuting by himself, and that was a 45 min journey with two different tubes and change at a busy station. It didn't take more than 5 practise runs until he nailed it.

It also gives them more leeway, if they want to wait for friends, or chat to a teacher, or can't find something and have to stay and look for it, or want to go to a friend after school, etc. With a taxi waiting it can get pretty stressful.

Would a taxi take an unaccompanied minor? My local ones won’t unless it’s part of their ECHP and funded

Taxis will not generally do it until the children are older, eg 14+
We had an issue once and rang around loads of taxi firms.. Part of the issue with the young ones is having to park and pick them up at the gate...

I think they would be much safer on a train! You'd have to check that each & every driver was CRB checked etc. If it's an easy journey with no changes they will be fine

Try speaking to her new school sometimes they have taxis on account for certain children. Failing that speak to your local council who license the taxis, mine were very helpful when I looked into this and assured me the drivers do have CRB (whatever it's called these days) checks etc. As it happened we are managing without the need for taxis

A taxi company definitely picks up and takes my friend's children to a secondary school and collects them at the end of the day. There are 3 picks ups and drop offs. It is paid for in advance on a monthly basis.

Taxi drivers are DBS checked to be able to do this.

But there is no real alternative. Bus routes are complicated and the timings are bad meaning standing around for long periods with no shelter.

If there was a train they could catch they would. Teach your child about how trains run and timetables/display board etc and what to do if something goes wrong.