17/10/2023 - Permalink

Staff from 17 primary schools receive free cycle training as part of new pilot

Related topics: Children's services / Highways, transport and environmental maintenance

Staff from 17 Shropshire primary schools have received free Bikeability training – to learn the skills needed to deliver basic off-road cycle training as part of PE lessons.

It’s part of a new cycle training pilot funded by the Department for Transport and supported by the Department for Education.

In July [2023] all primary schools in the Shropshire Council area were invited to take part in the pilot. In total 115 schools responded. The 17 below were invited to take part in the first round with teaching staff receiving their training last Friday (13 October 2023).

  • Highley Community Primary School
  • St Mary’s Bluecoat CofE,  Bridgnorth
  • Stokesay Primary School, Craven Arms
  • Lydbury North CE Primary School
  • Longlands Primary School, Market Drayton
  • Our Lady and St Oswald’s Catholic Primary School, Oswestry
  • Buntingsdale Nursery and Primary School
  • Holy Trinity CofE Primary and Nursery, Oswestry
  • Sundorne Infants and Harlescott Junior, Shrewsbury
  • Wilfred Owen Primary School, Shrewsbury
  • The Grange Primary School, Shrewsbury
  • Minsterley Primary School
  • Whittington CE Primary School
  • Cockshutt Primary School
  • Shrewsbury Cathedral Catholic Primary School and Nursery
  • Prees CE Primary School
  • Bishop’s Castle Primary School

All schools taking part in the pilot receive free training for staff – plus six balance bikes and helmets free of charge.

As places are limited, the remaining schools will be invited to take part over the next two academic years.

Kirstie Hurst-Knight, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for children and education, said:

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

“Thank you again to all the schools that expressed an interest in this training. It’s brilliant that there is so much interest in delivering cycle training in our schools.

“I’m delighted that staff from the first 17 schools have now had their training and we look forward to working with more schools in the near future.”

This project is separate to the current Bikeability programme that the council offers, where professional instructors visit a school to deliver Level 2 training to years 5 and 6. This programme will continue.

Further information

This is a pilot programme, and will be evaluated for its effectiveness, including: how well it fits into school curriculum; appetite amongst school staff; how straightforward it is to access and take part in training, and how prepared staff feel after training. The impact on pupils will also be measured.

Participating schools commit to:

  • Allowing at least two staff members to receive training; this may include teaching assistant staff. Each staff member will need to undertake training, which will include online learning as well as practical instruction. Training is free of charge.
  • Providing cycle training in a traffic free setting for their pupils in nursery, reception and year 1. Programmes will be bespoke to each school depending on time and staff available, and staff will be supported to create these programmes. Staff should expect to deliver at least one session per class per week.