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Bikeability
Published on 11 August 2021
United Kingdom
This is the good practice's implementation level. It can be national, regional or local.
About this good practice
Bikeability is a cycling training programme aimed at school children but which delivers wide-ranging and long-lasting benefits to young people, families and communities. Bikeability supports the culture, ethos and environment of a healthy school whilst also giving pupils practical skills and an understanding of how to cycle on today’s roads safely.
Bikeability is delivered by the Bikeability trust on behalf of the Department for Transport and has three levels:
• Level 1- Controlling the bike in a traffic free area.
• Level 2- Making a journey on quieter roads with simple junctions. (10 – 11-year olds at Junior schools)
• Level 3- Making a journey on busier roads, more complex junction roundabouts, traffic lights and using multi lanes. (12+Year olds at secondary/high schools)
• Additional modules have also been developed such as a mechanics model which teaches children how to fix a puncture.
Children who successfully complete Bikeability are awarded a certificate, badge & handbook.
There are 117 local authorities that receive funding to deliver Bikeability training. When they deliver they must deliver through a registered Bikeability provider (A company that has all the policies, procedures and checks in place with professional instructors who deliver the training including having all the appropriate first aid and safeguarding training and insurance in place)
The training is delivered using the 80/20 rule: -
80% active learning
20% talking to the children
Bikeability is delivered by the Bikeability trust on behalf of the Department for Transport and has three levels:
• Level 1- Controlling the bike in a traffic free area.
• Level 2- Making a journey on quieter roads with simple junctions. (10 – 11-year olds at Junior schools)
• Level 3- Making a journey on busier roads, more complex junction roundabouts, traffic lights and using multi lanes. (12+Year olds at secondary/high schools)
• Additional modules have also been developed such as a mechanics model which teaches children how to fix a puncture.
Children who successfully complete Bikeability are awarded a certificate, badge & handbook.
There are 117 local authorities that receive funding to deliver Bikeability training. When they deliver they must deliver through a registered Bikeability provider (A company that has all the policies, procedures and checks in place with professional instructors who deliver the training including having all the appropriate first aid and safeguarding training and insurance in place)
The training is delivered using the 80/20 rule: -
80% active learning
20% talking to the children
Expert opinion
Reaching our carbon reduction targets will require significant changes to our transport system, including the uptake of active modes. As well as emissions reductions, active transport has many other benefits, including health and fitness, therefore contributing to multiple policy goals. To boost active transport, authorities need to both develop the right infrastructure and also change behaviour to make people comfortable and ensure safety. This is an excellent example of a nation-wide cycle training scheme. Targeting young people helps to set life-long behaviour, and the use of stages/levels in this scheme, suitable for different age groups, helps to build up confidence and independence relevant to maturity. The evidence provided, as well as the oversubscription of the scheme, demonstrate its success and high transferability.
Works at
Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform
Resources needed
Funding from government.
A cost schedule guide- https://bikeabilitytrust.org/uci-toolkit-childrens-cycling-education/
course:-
2 Instructors
24 trainees 2 hours of instructor time for prep
2 hours of instructor time
1 central admin cost
£134.00 per 24 trainee course
£5,58 per attendee
A cost schedule guide- https://bikeabilitytrust.org/uci-toolkit-childrens-cycling-education/
course:-
2 Instructors
24 trainees 2 hours of instructor time for prep
2 hours of instructor time
1 central admin cost
£134.00 per 24 trainee course
£5,58 per attendee
Evidence of success
Bikeability :-
-Trained over 3.5 million children
-2100+ active registered standard instructors
-340 active registered Bikebaility providers
- Increased funding directly increased the amount of children cycling to secondary school.
-Increases the propensity for parents/guardians to allow their children to ride on roads
-Parents report that their children are more confident in their cycling abilities and cycle more often.
-Trained over 3.5 million children
-2100+ active registered standard instructors
-340 active registered Bikebaility providers
- Increased funding directly increased the amount of children cycling to secondary school.
-Increases the propensity for parents/guardians to allow their children to ride on roads
-Parents report that their children are more confident in their cycling abilities and cycle more often.
Potential for learning or transfer
As this scheme has now been roll out in to all regions of the UK it has proven that transferability is relatively easy as long as you have the support from government and cycling organisations and the correct trainers in place to help deliver the programme of activity.
The trust has a toolkit available to help other organisations/countries which are wanting to set up similar training.
Specifically, there is a guide which contains:
• Template project plan
• Supporting documents
• Evidence
• Template presentation to help gain political support
• https://bikeabilitytrust.org/uci-toolkit-childrens-cycling-education/
The trust has a toolkit available to help other organisations/countries which are wanting to set up similar training.
Specifically, there is a guide which contains:
• Template project plan
• Supporting documents
• Evidence
• Template presentation to help gain political support
• https://bikeabilitytrust.org/uci-toolkit-childrens-cycling-education/
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
Bikeability
United Kingdom
West Midlands
Contact
Project Support officer