Shropshire teachers to get chance to deliver cycle training

Shropshire teachers will soon be able to help their pupils learn to ride a bike, after Shropshire Council was chosen to take part in the third phase of the Bikeability Trust’s In-School Cycle Training Pilot.

The pilot will launch in September [2023] and will give teachers and teaching assistants the skills to deliver basic off-road cycle training, helping to prepare more children to be ready for Bikeability Level 2*.

Schools involved in the pilot will also receive a fleet of cycles. Cycle ownership is a huge barrier to participation in Bikeability and it’s hoped that the combination of available cycles and additional training from teachers will prepare children more effectively to cycle on the roads – and continue cycling for the rest of their lives. 

In September Shropshire Council will be contacting schools to invite them to participate in the pilot.

 Kirstie Hurst-Knight, Cabinet member for children and education, said:

“This is brilliant news for the council, for our schools and for our schoolchildren. It’s fantastic that Shropshire Council has been chosen as one of the areas to take part in this pilot.

“The pilot will give our teachers the skills to deliver cycle training and help our children to grow up with the ability and confidence to cycle on the road.

“By training teachers to teach Bikeability, we hope they will better understand the importance of cycle training and embed Bikeability more effectively in schools.

“We’re really looking forward to working with interested schools later in the year.”

The second phase of the pilot is currently underway, with teaching staff at over 100 schools across the country helping children to learn to ride.  

For more information about Bikeability, visit their website.

Further information

The in school cycle training pilot aims give teachers the skills to deliver cycle training which draws on the Bikeability syllabuses of Balance, Learn to Ride and Level One. The Bikeability Trust has developed bespoke instructor training for teachers and teaching assistants with their recognised delivery centres.

*Bikeability Level 2 teaches children how to grow more confident with each turn of the pedal. Expert instructors lead riders onto quiet roads, to experience “real” cycling. Most children take part in Level 2 at school during Year 5 or 6.