Overview
- England sets no legal minimum age for solo school walks, leaving decisions to parents based on a child’s maturity and confidence.
- NSPCC local campaigns manager Gail Sayles reports many families begin allowing independent walks between ages 9 and 11.
- Parents are advised to assess route length, traffic and crossings, then build familiarity with supervised practice runs.
- Preparation tips include short solo errands to grow confidence, memorising home address and key numbers, keeping phones charged, knowing how to call 999, and refusing unarranged lifts.
- Road-safety advice urges removing headphones when crossing and choosing safer routes over quicker ones, and families should check school policies that may restrict younger children, often under eight, walking alone.