Cycling

Only 1 per cent of pupils overall (and 2 per cent of secondary children) cycle to school.

One of the key reasons behind this is concern over road safety, but evidence shows that the health benefits of cycling far outweigh the risks.

For cycling to become more attractive, local transport and education authorities must work together with schools to develop strategies that combine 'hard' and 'soft' measures.

Hard measures include engineering works on and off the highway such as traffic calming and the creation of safer routes, as well as school infrastructure such as secure cycle parking, lockers, showers and changing facilities.

Soft measures include crossing patrols, cycle trains and on- and off-road training to improve road skills and confidence, and classroom activities/

Traffic Calming

Traffic calming measures can make cycling to school much safer.

Some local authorities have introduced 20 mph zones around schools, but it's important to remember that investment is needed in engineering measures to ensure that the zones are self-enforcing.

Safer Routes

Parents will, understandably, not allow their children to cycle on routes that they believe are unsafe. Local transport authorities should regularly review the cycle routes that children use to travel to school and improve them as needed.

School infrastrcutre and policies

Safer routes on their own are not alwyas enough to encourage significantly more children to cycle to school. Children who cycle need somewhere safe to leave their cycles and may need lockers, changing facilities and possibly showers. Schools can consider providing these facilities.

Schools should consider the practicality of any uniform policy on those children who may with to cycle. Schools should recognise that items such as backpacks, trainers or fashionable cycling wear can support a healthy lifestyle and are sound additions to a good uniform policy.

Cycle Trains

This involves a group of parents and pupils cycling to and from school together. Parents can search for other parents with whom to arrange a cycle train at www.school-run.org.

Training

Currently child cycle training levels are too low. One survey suggests that only 29% of children currently receive any form of cycle training before leaving primary school. But training is vital as infrastructure if children are to be enthusiastic about cycling, if they are to gain cycling skills and if parents are to have the confidence to let their children ride to school.

Ideally children should be routinely trained under the RoSPA guidelines for child cycle training and, for older children, the teenage cycle training guide developed by the CTC and others. Schools are also expected to consider appropriate cycle training as part of the implementation strategy for all captial schemes for suitable school travel infrastructure.

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