My son has just started in year six, he is ten, and he says that many of his classmates are allowed to walk, and from, to school on their own.
I remember when I was at school telling my parents that 'all the other kids.....' when it suited but it is clear that some of them are allowed to walk on their own.
For those that are parents, what age (or year) did you allow your children to walk to and from school on their own?
For reference the school is less than two minutes walk away and there is only one road to cross and it is a quiet residential road, all be it that parents drive down it looking for a parking space in the morning.
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Long ol gap to the mid-morning break...
I think we went with him a few times but let him do the crossing on his own to be sure he understood what to do and then just let him get on with it.
My boys walked a quarter mile to school (crossing Bromley High Street) from year 5.
Starting year 7, they've surely got to be able to get to a Secondary school, by themselves.
Certainly has in my case as I have only just allowed my son to walk to school - he has just started senior school and it is a 15-20 minute walk.
the school is less than a five minute walk away & no main roads have to be crossed.
If I'm honest I think I was hoping for more ammunition for my 'You're too young to walk on your own' stance. I've, always, been a nervous parent and since my wife left us and I've been bringing him up on my own I feel even more responsibility and have become even more overprotective.
I suspect I knew that it was time I just struggle with the risks that come with it and the fact that should anything go wrong it's all on me.
Strange really as I, like most of you, was walking to school on my own by the age of seven.
However, if you are gonna let it happen, do it now so he gets used to it before the weather etc changes.
Primary school? walked every day, across major roads, Westhourne Avenue etc. I know times have changed since the 70's but surely it's an added advantage to encourage the little butterballs to walk to school where possible.
That way you have a little more comfort that he's fine.
My daughter started going on her own in y5, but it was complicated because my son was at the same school by then. There's really only one road to cross and we live in Ladywell, so it's a pretty safe area and she had her own phone by then. I'd expect my son to be doing it from Y5 as well, though my other half might disagree. He's currently Y4 and looks little. But equally, he's quite sensible, so I'm relaxed about it. He's not pushed for it yet, though; if your son is after the additional responsibility, talk it through, ultimately he's doing you a favour if he can look after himself more and probably is at an age where he realises how much you're doing.
I'm not worried about the usual stuff just the crossing the road.
I'll give it a go later this week.
Thanks chaps.
While it's difficult finding figures from the late 1950s/early 60s, I'm always interested in what statistics tell us. It seems that pedestrian deaths fell from 76.9 per billion kilometres in 1981 to 30.9 in 2008, which is pretty impressive really. But how much of that decrease was down to changing habits and the rise of the school run? Rather than, say, safer vehicle design and safer roads because of measures like 20mph limits?
What does that mean in reality. Well, according to the Govt, there were only 20 pedestrian children under 15 years of age killed in the UK in 2012. While it's 20 too many, it's still a remarkably low figure. (But there were also another 1500 or so seriously injured.)
Meanwhile the National Travel Survey published by the Department for Transport, asked parents in Great Britain about their children’s independence in terms of travelling to school unaccompanied by an adult. The majority of children aged 7 to 10 were
usually accompanied to school by an adult in 2008 (86 per cent), an increase from 78 per cent in 2002. The
main reasons given for accompanying their children were traffic danger (58 per cent) and fear of assault or molestation
(29 per cent). So, perhaps child pedestrian deaths have been falling because almost all kids are accompanied?
However fear of assault or molestation is, clearly irrational. A (generally very depressing) NSPCC report states that children are only half as likely to suffer from assault as they were 30 years ago (despite the high profile issues we've all been hearing about). But it obvious that many of the unfortunate individuals that the NSPCC are reporting on would be so very much safer walking to school than they are at home with their parents.
It's clear, I suppose, that parents want to do all they can to minimise risk for their kids. But that has to be balanced, surely, against producing a well-rounded (but not obese!) young adult, confident in their surroundings and familiar with the day-to-day hustle and bustle of the streets?
Good luck @KHA - I feel your pain.