Exactly when you're legally allowed to let your child walk to school alone
School is back for September and for many parents it's time to consider whether their child should travel alone or not.
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Whether they're heading into year six or you're looking to offer your child a little more independence, an important question for parents is exactly when is it legally okay to let your kids walk to school and home alone.
With many primary education settings encouraging parents to let their children travel unsupervised as they get older, it can be a tricky situation to navigate.
So what is the legal minimum age a child can go to school alone? Well, it turns out there isn't one.
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With the government not setting an age restriction, the NSPCC has spoken to Yahoo UK about the best ways to decide if your child is ready for the extra independence.
According to the charity, it's best to use your parental judgement - assessing their maturity and confidence as well as the distance and environment from your house to school.
NSPCC local campaigns manager Gail Sayles said: "Typically, many parents start letting their children walk to school independently around nine to 11 years old. Think about your child and how they feel about it.
"Starting to go to school by themselves for the first time can be quite scary, especially if it's a new school and they don't have their usual friend groups around them."
Most schools in England advise against letting children under the age of eight walk alone to school but it becomes increasingly encouraged as they approach 11-years-old and prepare for secondary school.
The NSPCC also recommends making sure your child knows their address and phone number, is efficient in road safety and to tell them to never accept a lift from strangers.
It's also advised you do a few dummy runs of the school run before letting them go solo.
In the UK, there is also no legal age limit for leaving your child home alone but it is illegal to leave them if they face risk or danger.