Thirty-four Year 6 pupils at Newbridge School in Bath have been developing their cycling skills and confidence after taking part in Bikeability training for the first time at the school since the Covid pandemic.
The two-day course, delivered by the Bath & North East Somerset Bikeability Team, gave pupils the opportunity to develop essential road safety skills while learning how to cycle confidently on local roads. The training forms an important part of the school’s Travel Plan, which aims to encourage more children to cycle to and from school and embrace active travel.
Pupils responded enthusiastically to the experience, with many reporting increased confidence in their ability to cycle safely and independently. Finn said, “Taking part in Bikeability has made me more aware and more cautious on the roads. It was fun being able to explore the local area on my bike.”
Sophie added, “I now feel much safer cycling on the roads. I learnt all about the different road signs and feel more confident knowing how to travel around on my bike.” Meanwhile, Ben was particularly pleased with his new skills, explaining, “I can now ride one handed as well as indicating at the same time! I enjoyed having the freedom of riding outside of school and learning new skills.”
Parents have also welcomed the return of the scheme, highlighting the positive impact it has had on their children. One parent commented, “Since Bikeability, Saskia prefers cycling to school to using the bus – I am delighted! Thank you!” Another said that their son George had become much more confident on his bike, from riding safely on the road to carrying out safety checks before setting off.
For one family, the course brought back memories of their own school days. “I was so happy to find out that Newbridge were running the Bikeability Scheme this year,” said a parent. “I remember completing it when I was at Newbridge Junior School (as it was called in 1991). My husband even managed to find his old Cycling Log Book which was given to him at the end of the course. I’m glad the tradition of teaching children how to cycle safely on the roads is continuing. And my daughter is now so much more confident about cycling to her secondary school next year.”
Richard Smith, B&NES Bikeability Project Manager, welcomed the return of the training to Newbridge School. “The B&NES Bikeability Team were delighted to be able to offer Bikeability Level 1 and 2 training again at Newbridge School,” he said. “The pupils were engaged in some really important on-road bike safety training that builds the skills and confidence towards independent riding and thus active travel on quieter roads.”
He added that Levels 1 and 2 provide the foundations for Level 3 training, which prepares young cyclists to ride on busier roads and use a wider range of cycling infrastructure.
The school hopes the success of the course will encourage more pupils to choose cycling as a safe, healthy and environmentally friendly way of travelling to school.
