As a school we are responsible for the welfare of our pupils at all times while they are on the school premises. While this responsibility does not extend to the journey to and from school we have produced this guidance to outline what we consider to be good practice in ensuring the safety of our pupils. The intention is to provide clarity to all parents and staff members, but it is also clear that we have an obligation to alert relevant authorities should we believe a child’s welfare is at risk, and an inappropriate journey to or from school may be an indicator of risk.
When deciding whether your child is ready for this responsibility you might want to consider the following:
- Do you trust them to walk straight home?
- Do you trust them to behave sensibly when with a friend?
- Are they road safety aware?
- Would they know what to do if a stranger approaches them?
- Would they have the confidence to refuse to do what a stranger asked?
- Would they know the best action to take if a stranger tried to make them do something they didn’t want to do?
- Would they know what to do if they needed help?
- Would they know who best to approach to get help?
If you are not confident about how your child would react then you should seriously consider whether you should allow them to walk on their own.
If you decide that your child is ready for this responsibility then you must inform the school by letter or by completing the slip below. Your child will be prevented from walking home unless this permission has been given in writing.
Please access the guidance in the policy below
Walking to and from School Alone Policy
Walking to and from School Alone Permissions Form