Twelve Shropshire primary schools chosen to take part in cycle training pilot
Twelve Shropshire primary schools have been chosen as the first to take part in a new cycle training pilot.
The scheme will give teachers and teaching assistants the skills to deliver basic off-road cycle training as part of PE lessons.
Shropshire Council has been chosen to take part in the third phase of the Bikeability Trust’s In-School Cycle Training Pilot, and in July invited schools to express an interest in the training.
In total 115 schools responded, and the first 12 have now been invited to take part in the first round of pilot.
As places on the training are limited, the remaining schools will be invited to take part over the next two academic years.
The first 12 schools invited to take part are:
Highley Primary
St Mary’s Bluecoat C of E, Bridgnorth
Stokesay Primary, Craven Arms
Lydbury North C of E Primary
Longlands Primary, Bayston Hill
Our Lady and St Oswalds Catholic Primary, Oswestry
Buntingsdale Primary
Holy Trinity C of E Primary, Oswestry
Harlescott Junior, Shrewsbury
Wilfred Owen School, Shrewsbury
The Grange Primary, Shrewsbury
Minsterley Primary
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.
“A big thank you to all the schools that expressed an interest in this training. We’ve had a phenomenal response and it’s brilliant that there is so much interest in delivering cycle training in our schools.
"We’re really looking forward to working with the first 12 schools later in the year, and others at a later date.”
All schools taking part will receive six balance bikes and helmets free of charge.
The pilot project will train staff – free of charge – to deliver balance bike training aimed at nursery, reception and Year 1 students, as well as Level 1 and Level 2 Bikeability training.
This pilot project is fully funded by the Department for Transport and supported by the Department for Education.
