THE exact age children are allowed to be left home alone in England has been revealed.
As the October half term enters its mid way point, it can be hard to reliably find someone to keep an eye on their .
Parents could be jailed or fined if leaving their kids at home alone puts them at riskCredit: Getty
Children under 16 should not be left on their own overnight
October half term for most UK schools is from Monday 27 October to Friday 31 October 2025.
For many time strapped parents and guardians, even running to the shops can be tough with kids around the house.
So the question is – at what age can you legally leave children at home on their own in ?
Currently, there is no law to say what age when you can leave a child on their own, but it is a criminal offence to leave a child alone if it places them at risk.
You can be .
This is because it is a to leave a child unsupervised “in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to “.
The government recommends parents use their own judgement on how mature their child is before leaving them alone, whether it’s at home or in a car.
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) gives a more comprehensive guide.
“Every child matures differently, so it would be almost impossible to have a ‘one size fits all’ law,” it says on its website.
The NSPCC recommends children under the age of 12 are rarely mature enough to be left alone for a long period of time.
Children under 16 years of age should not be left alone in a overnight.
In addition, babies, toddlers and very young children should never be left alone.
The NPCC’s Helen Westerman went into greater detail and said parents needed to take into consideration a couple of critical factors.
This includes how they feel about their children playing outside unsupervised, and also how their child feels about it themselves.
“Lots of parents will be thinking about whether it’s safe to leave their children at home safely, and if they’re old enough to leave the house unsupervised,” she told the Liverpool Echo.
“As well as determining if a child is ready to be left alone, many parents will also find balancing work with the school break quite challenging, especially considering the rising child costs and the crisis, which is placing additional strain on families.”
Helen added: “As children get older, it’s common for them to want more freedom and learn to be independent.
“This is an important part of growing up, but we know there can be a lot to think about for parents.
“As every child is different, we recommend building up their independence at their pace and checking in with them to make sure they feel safe.”
