Get pupils moving with confidence – Get Cycling in Schools

A fully funded programme that brings the benefits of cycling to your school

Develop physical literacy, balance and fitness

Teach vital life skills and road safety in EYFS and KS1

Build healthy habits and overall physical and mental wellbeing

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What is Get Cycling in Schools?

Get Cycling in Schools is a fully funded programme created by The Bikeability Trust, the experts responsible for the Department for Transport’s Bikeability cycle training. This new, innovative programme equips primary-school teaching staff across England to deliver cycle skills to their pupils in PE lessons or during extra-curricular provision.

Staff training is free, takes just half a day, and is available for up to two staff per school. Your school will also receive a fleet of six balance bikes and helmets to enable all pupils, regardless of whether they own a bike, to take part.

After completing the training staff will be able to teach pupils to balance, glide and pedal using a combination of online e-learning, curriculum-aligned resources and practical lessons. The training empowers all participants to effectively teach basic cycling skills regardless of their level of experience and ability.

Join over 700 teaching staff from over 400 schools who are already taking part.

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What schools are saying

Thongsley Fields Primary and Nursery School, Huntingdon 
family cycling, family cycle

“The staff who attended the training came back so enthused, stating honestly that it was some of the best training that they have attended in years!”

Thongsley Fields Primary and Nursery School, Huntingdon 

Mill Hill Primary Academy, Stoke on Trent
family cycling, family cycle

“It has been fantastic to see the impact the scheme has had and continues to have on our children, regarding their ability and confidence to ride a two-wheeled bike. We have many of our youngest children in school now able to ride a two-wheeled bike unaided. This is a phenomenal achievement.”

Mill Hill Primary Academy, Stoke on Trent

Stramongate Primary School, Cumbria
family cycling, family cycle

“The course today was really brilliant and we’re so excited to get started! I think it’ll work brilliantly in our school and we’re already juggling slots round to maximise our biking sessions.”

Stramongate Primary School, Cumbria

Benefits your whole school

Contributes to your School Sport and Activity Action Plan

Teaches your staff new, essential skills

Provides six free balance bikes and helmets

Encourages cycling to school, reducing traffic congestion

Benefits your individual pupils

Fosters a sense of achievement as pupils complete each module

Builds physical literacy, balance and overall health

Develops confidence and independence

Improves listening, attention and understanding

What schools often ask us

Training for teaching staff

Any teaching staff can take part in the training, including teachers, teaching assistants and other support staff.

Training for teaching staff includes half a day of practical training, supplemented by a 1-hour e-learning module. Teaching staff will receive printed activity booklets and session plans, as well as permanent access to e-learning and additional digital resources after the training is completed.

Training is due to take place in the Spring and Summer Terms, 2025. Once you have registered your interest, we will be in touch to arrange an exact date in your local area.

The half day of practical training will be in a suitable venue (tbc) within each county area. The training is free but any travel costs must be funded by the school.  We always try to ensure travel distances are kept at a minimum.sp

What schools often ask us

Delivering Get Cycling in Schools

There are three modules that make up Get Cycling in Schools: Balance, Learn to Ride, and Ride. All modules take place off-road, normally on a school playground.

Balance is suitable for nursery school age upwards, using games to help pupils develop cycle handling and awareness skills on balance bikes.

Learn to Ride is for pupils unable to ride a two-wheeled pedal cycle without support. Pupils unable to balance should start with Balance before moving on to this module.

Ride develops pupils’ cycle handling and control skills on pedal cycles through games. This prepares them to make journeys using infrastructure like segregated cycle lanes.

You have complete flexibility to decide the best way to fit Get Cycling in Schools into your school timetable. Schools often choose to copy the way they deliver swimming or PE. This could be once a week, every day during an activities week, or as a breakfast or lunchtime activity. We recommended 45 minutes per session and between 4 and 6 sessions should cover all the goals of each module.c

This is completely normal, and the short answer is, it is your choice. Teaching staff will have learnt some tips to manage this during their practical training. Many teachers prefer to include all pupils in each module regardless of ability and children who can pedal still enjoy and benefit from the Balance module.e

You may use PE and sport premium to purchase extra balance bikes or pedal cycles, if sufficient funding is available for your school.

Discount fleets of cycles are available to schools from our industry partners. Please email getcycling@bikeabilitytrust.org to find out more.r

We do not provide adapted cycles as part of this project, but we work closely with Wheels for All. Their website lists centres across England which provide specially adapted cycles: https://wheelsforall.org.uk/locations.

What schools often ask us

Continuing Get Cycling in Schools

You are responsible for the maintenance and storage of your bikes and helmets. We have worked closely with top quality cycle brands to ensure that your bikes and helmets are designed to last at least 5 years.

No, there will be no further training required once staff complete their practical and e-learning. We will ask teachers to confirm they are still delivering Get Cycling in Schools on an annual basis.

Get Cycling in Schools teaching staff will also be asked to complete a short survey once a year, at the end of the Summer term. The survey is optional, but this feedback will help us review and improve the programme.

Monitoring and evaluation is quick and simple. You simply need to tell us which modules you have delivered and how many children attended them.
We recommend that you complete a brief hands-up survey with your pupils after they complete a module to understand the impact it has had on them. We also provide you with a survey to send back to their parents/carers to complete, if you wish to distribute this.

If your Get Cycling in Schools lead leaves your school, or you are a Get Cycling in Schools lead who wants to deliver the course at your new school, please get in touch. Email getcycling@bikeabilitytrust.org.

Chris Boardman MBE, National Active Travel Commissioner for Active Travel England.
family cycling, family cycle

“Active Travel England has been investing tens of millions of pounds to transform the school run and put joy back into journeys for kids up and down the country. Bikeability is a huge part of this project, and through its programmes like Get Cycling in Schools, we can help deliver the next generation of keen, competent cyclists.”

Chris Boardman MBE, National Active Travel Commissioner for Active Travel England.