Walking from/to school unaccompanied

Walking to and from school unaccompanied

When children reach Year 5 & 6, some parents like to give them more responsibility by allowing them to walk home alone or with a friend. While we as a school promote independence in our children, we are always mindful that safety and security should come first, particularly as the evenings start to get darker. 

Only pupils in year 5 & 6 can go home on their own provided that both the school and family have no concerns about the child’s ability to keep themselves safe, that the dwelling is within a reasonable walking distance and the school receives permission in writing from the parent/carer.

To enable your child to walk home from school you must complete the application form that will be sent out to you by the school.  During the application process the school will review behaviour in school, identification of route, location and time to be travelled.

The school does not support children walking to school unaccompanied. It is your parental responsibility to ensure that your child arrives safely to school, is presented to a member of staff at the school gate and crosses the gate threshold.

Parents should ensure that their child understands the Green Cross Code/Road Safety, is aware of stranger danger and clearly understands what action to take in case of an emergency. It is advised that children of primary age walking home alone go straight to an agreed residence and do not go home to an unsupervised dwelling.

Parents must ensure that they have discussed the procedures they have in place with their child in the event of an emergency or a school closure and have mechanisms in place to check with their child that they have safely presented themselves to a staff member and crossed the school gate threshold.