Safety and Walking Alone
We frequently get calls from parents asking: “when is it OK for my child to walk to school on their own?” Our answer is always the same - “when you and your child both feel that you are ready”. Every child, parent, school journey and community is different – and we are in no position to make that decision for you.
While there is no simple answer, we hope these pages will give you some ideas of the sorts of questions you should ask yourself, and some ideas to make it easier to prepare.
There is no legal minimum at which a child is allowed to walk to school on their own. It should be a joint decision between you and your child.
How can I get my child ready to walk to school independently?
Give your child responsibility for crossing the road when you are out together. Ask them what they know about crossing the road and stranger danger so that you are reinforcing their school's teaching, rather than confusing matters.
Practice walking to school together allowing them to lead the route. Over time you could allow them to walk further ahead and start walking semi-independently of their own accord.
Explain that walking to school on their own is not a permanent arrangement – either of you can change your mind at any time. This could be because of their behaviour, if something changes on the route (roadworks making crossing more dangerous for instance) or if they decide they want company once the novelty has worn off!
Discuss responsibilities with them – let them know how you expect them to behave on the way to and from school and praise them when they do well.
Could they start by walking home on their own, rather than walking to school? That way you are there to meet them, and you know they have arrived safely?
Don’t be afraid to follow them to set your own mind at rest – but again, let them know you will be doing it, and why – it is for your own peace of mind, not because you don’t trust them.
Walking to school independently doesn’t have to mean walking alone! Could they walk with some nearby friends? Agree the ground rules with other parents – and be sure to all stick to them.
What about the law?
As we said, there is no minimum age at which a child is legally allowed to walk to school independently. That said, you do have some responsibilities in law which you should be aware of.
A very useful publication is "Is it legal? A parent's guide to the law" published by the Family and Parenting Institute (www.familyandparenting.org)
The following quotes in italics are taken directly from this publication. This page is meant as a guide only and should not be used as a substitute for professional legal advice.
Attendance at school:
The law puts the responsibility for children attending school squarely on the shoulders of parents.
By law, the parent is responsible for making sure their children (up to 16) get a full-time education. If your child does not attend school regularly, the local Children’s Services (the CS) could take legal action against you. The CS is responsible for making sure that parents fulfil their responsibilities. Even if your child is missing school without your knowledge, you are still responsible, and could be committing an offence.
This does not mean that you have to take the child to school yourself, just that you are responsible for them getting to school. This is an important distinction - this law does not stop a child from travelling to school independently.
Children out on their own:
There is no law prohibiting children from being out on their own at any age. It is a matter of judgement for parents to decide when children can play out on their own, walk to the shops or school.
There are new powers under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 which allow Police to disperse groups of people, or return children under 16 home after 9pm. However these powers only apply in specific areas and should only be used for persistent and serious anti-social behaviour.
Children being left on their own at home:
If a child is walking home on their own, you also need to consider whether anyone will be there to meet them.
It is not against the law to leave children on their own in the home. However, a parent could be charged with ‘wilful neglect’ if they leave a child alone when that may result in the child being harmed or injured. Leaving your child alone will depend on whether you and he/she feel comfortable and confident about doing so. The parent remains responsible for the child until the age of 16.
Children and traffic
Living Streets believes that children who are driven to school do not have the opportunity to develop road awareness and are therefore more vulnerable when they start to walk to school independently at secondary level. We run the Walk to School campaign as we believe there is no substitute for real-life experience. Walking children to school from an early age is the key to their future safety as they perceive the world in a different way to adults and need to be taught how to negotiate traffic. For instance:
• they have difficulty judging the speed and distance of vehicles. They cannot distinguish between a large vehicle going slowly and a small vehicle going fast – the larger vehicle seems the most dangerous.
• they have a physical disadvantage in traffic: their peripheral vision is two-thirds that of an adult.
• they have difficulty determining where a sound is coming from. Traffic noises and sirens may confuse them.
• most children under six lack a sense of danger and often mix fantasy with reality. They do not always understand that a vehicle may seriously hurt or kill them if they collide.
• they can be restless and easily distracted. They tend to focus on the things that interest them at the moment so they have trouble waiting for things such as traffic lights or cars heading in their direction.
• most young children are unable to understand a complex chain of events.
• they often believe that all adults will look out for them. They think that if they can see an adult driving a car toward them, the driver must be able to see them.
• they assume vehicles can stop as quickly as pedestrians can.
By walking with your child from an early age all of these hazards can be addressed so that long term, your child can walking alone safely.
