Walk to School week: When can children walk to school on their own? How to know if they're ready

• This week is national Walk to School Week, which encourages kids to get to class in an active way
• There is currently no legal minimum age when children are able to travel to school on their own
• But experts say parents should make sure they have the emotional and mental maturity before they start
• Things to check on include their understanding of road signs, stranger danger - and whether they’re independent enough to run small errands alone

From saving money, to nurturing independence, to getting some extra exercise in, walking to school can offer your child all kinds of benefits.

This week (May 19 to May 23) is Living Streets’ annual Walk to School Week, which encourages children to walk, wheel, cycle or scoot to school - to celebrate the health benefits of moving more. But deciding when your child is ready to make a solo school run can be quite the quandary for parents, with even suburban streets posing many potential perils.

To mark the occasion, First News - the UK’s only newspaper specifically for young people - has updated its guide on everything parents need to know before their child starts walking to school alone.

But what do official guidelines say on how old is old enough, and what can you do to make sure your child is ready for this new responsibility: Here’s what First News has to say:

How old does a child have to be to walk to school alone?

There are currently no laws dictating how old a child has to be to walk to school on their own - or even how far they’re allowed to travel. However, First News says that most local authorities recommend eight as being a good age to start learning how to do this safely.

In England, children who go to their closest suitable state school are usually eligible for free transport to school by their local council if they meet certain guidelines. This guidance can be helpful for working out how far is too far depending on your child’s age. It says free transport is available for children having to walk more than two miles to school if they’re under eight, and or three miles if they’re over eight.

But children’s charity NSPCC says that ultimately, it’s up to parents to decide when they feel their child is ready to take that step. “Parents and carers should make their decision based on their child’s maturity, ability and the safety and distance of the route to school,” they say.

How to know when your child is ready

First News has included a few expert tips to help parents determine whether their child is mentally, physically, and emotionally ready to make their own way to school this Walk to School Week - and beyond.

Here are some of the things you can try:

• While grocery shopping, get them to fetch you something from a different aisle
• Have your child walk to a friend’s house alone (with their friend’s parent waiting to make sure they arrive safely)
• Get them to collect dinner from the local takeaway themselves - this is extra useful as it will test their skills at talking to grown-ups
• Test your child’s understanding of different road safety signs and crossing types (zebra, pelican etc.) with flashcards
• Walk the route with them a few times beforehand, and point out landmarks they can use to orient themselves if they get confused
• Try a few different routes, then ask your child which they think is safest - and why
• Talk through some ‘stranger danger’ scenarios to gauge whether they know what to do to keep themselves safe
• Make sure they know your full name, address, and phone number off by heart, as well as emergency numbers. You can quiz them on these if need be until they have them down pat

This article is produced in partnership with First News, an award-winning newspaper for children read by 2.6 million each week. To find out more about getting First News at home or in your child’s school, or even to browse its other online offerings for young people, you can visit its website here.