You've had me wondering the same. I was escorted to infant school on the other side of town, but walked to junior school by myself. That whole 'parents at the school gate' thing is not part of my experience.

And now I'm wondering even about infant school, because I remember going to the sweet shop by myself (back when pennies were enormous and bought soooooo many fruit salad chews, coconut mushrooms, fake tobacco, sweet cigarettes) and that shop was on the way to infant school.