When did your child start walking to school alone?

quietheart

My son is nearly 10 and quite sensible. I've applied for a job that would mean him walking to school (15 minute walk) for 2 days a week. He's confident to do this what he is desperate to avoid is going to a childminder.
We live in Birmingham and he'd have to cross a main road he knows only to ever cross at the lights.
What age did your kids go to school on their own?
My older son started walking to school on his own about 9 months later than this when he was half way through yr 6 to get him ready for secondary school.

PasturesNew

At that age I was walking a mile to school alone - used to be with mum/sibling, but the school split to an old buiding and a new one - and we went to different ones, so mum used to take sibling and I'd go alone.

Then, aged 11, just like most people, I caught two buses to get to school - with a 30 minute "hanging around" slot in town between them.

Wyre

With my 4 it was the last term before leaving primary school to prepare them for secondary school. We live 4 miles from school and while I had no problem with them walking home after about Christmas of year 6, I wanted to know they made it to school ok. By the time the school had rang me at 10am to say they weren't there anything could have happened.

That said you live alot closer to your son's school than we did and only you know how sensible he is. One suggestion is to get him a VERY basic mobile phone that does no more than text and call (so noone will want to steal it!) and get him to give you a text/brief call when he gets in to school so you know he is safe. He gets to avoid the childminder and be grown up and you get the knowledge that he is ok and has the means to get hold of help if he needed to.

ETA: Two of mine are August babies so were about 10.5 by they time they walked alone, one was 11.5 (September baby) and one was 11 (May).

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

It was eleven for mine, getting them ready for senior school. But I went with a friend about the same distance at ten.

Is there somebody he could walk with?


ETA; I'm being stupid. DD2's birthday isn't until June, so she was walking to school at ten.

onlyroz

From age 10 I was allowed to make my own way to school - this involved a 2 mile cycle. I was given a route which only required left-hand turns so it was safe enough..

JoW123

My son walks to school one day a week as he has a before school music lesson there. He will be 11 in May and started walking at 10 and a half. It's about 3/4 mile with one road to cross which is busy but it has one of those bollard stops half way across.

shortdog

My daughter was 7 (almost 8) but I can almost see the school from here. She has one road to cross, but knows to use the lollipop man. She walks home on her own most nights too.
From our old house, I'd probably still be walking her (and she's 10 1/2) due to the really bad junction she'd have to cross. It's only round the corner from where we live now, but that junction is really dangerous, and difficult to cross at.

cef66

My children both started walking on their own, with friends, aged 9 when they started at middle school. This is the norm around here (bedford) , I don't know any parents who walk with them now. I did do a practise walk a couple of times with them in the summer holidays before they started middle school and the eldest cycled his route to upper school , first with me then on his own a few times, before he started. I have also drummed into them only using the designated crossings and making sure the cars are actually stopping before starting to cross. I did worry the first couple of weeks after they started, especially when they dawdled and got in later than I expected, but I don't think anything of it now.

cutestkids

My oldest was about 9 when he started walking with two friends, we are quite rural with no major roads to cross, but on the other hand no pavements on some parts of the route.

He is now almost 12 and can get about most places locally on foot, on his bike or on the bus himself.

My younger son is almost 8 and we plan to start after easter him and his almost 9 year old friend walking part way by themselves with a view to being able to do the full route together by the time school is back in after the summer holidays.

It really depends on the child though and how used they are to walking and being aware of dangers, where to cross etc.
Both of mine have always walked with me since very young so are used to crossing at the correct points, not to close to corners etc.

moomoomama27

My eldest was 10 when she got the school bus on her own for first time, I put her on,and it stopped right outside school, same for the return home. She started walking with friends at about 11 yrs old. Every road though was ' manned ' by a lollipop person or pedestrian crossing.

My middle child has just turned 10 she's begging to go, but as I still walk my youngest to same school it's pretty pointless!

jellyhead

Mine was in year 6, but he was a mummy's boy. School suggested he walk to school alone in year 5 when he was frequently late due to the baby being a sicky one, but he didn't want to.

My 7 year old thinks he's old enough now! He'd stroke every cat or dog that he saw, and would never get there on time. They don't let year 3 out without an adult or I might let him walk home alone on the one day a week he doesn't have an activity.

If you think he can manage the roads safely, keep an eye on the time and not wander off with strangers then I think he's old enough. As for calling you when he arrives - our school has a system where they call the parents of any year 5 or 6 children who haven't arrived and haven't got holiday booked, and nobody's called in sick for them. Younger children can be added to the list if you ask.