What is Get Cycling in Schools?
Get Cycling in Schools is a fully government funded cycling programme created by The Bikeability Trust, the experts responsible for the Department for Transport’s Bikeability cycle training. This innovative programme equips primary-school teaching staff across England to deliver cycle skills to their pupils in PE lessons or during extra-curricular provision.
What’s in it for you:
- Free training for up to two staff per school
- Training that takes just half a day
- 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 2100 teaching staff from over 1500 schools who are already taking part. After you register, we’ll contact you to book onto a face-to-face training session once enough local schools and a venue are confirmed.
Express your interest nowWhat we’ll need you to provide:
Up to two teaching staff to complete the face-to-face and online training
A traffic-free setting, such as a playground, where pupils can cycle safely
Ongoing maintenance and storage of balance bikes and helmets
Termly data logging of any modules you complete
Have questions? Simply fill out the form to register your interest, and you’ll receive our contact details so you can get in touch with the team.
Express your interest in Get Cycling in Schools – Get Cycling Register Form
What schools are saying
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 includes a half-day practical session and a 1-hour e-learning module. Practical training is held at a suitable venue within each local authority area, and while the training is free, schools cover any travel costs. Sessions run throughout the school year, and we’ll contact you with booking details once a venue and sufficient local interest are confirmed.
Once staff complete the practical and e-learning modules, no further training is required.
Schools who take part in the training receive 6 balance bikes and helmets, as well as a printed activity and session plan booklet.
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 full flexibility to schedule sessions in a way that suits your school—weekly, daily during an activities week, or as a breakfast or lunchtime activity. We recommend 45-minute sessions, with 4–6 sessions covering each module. Mixed abilities are normal, and staff will learn strategies during training. Many teachers keep classes together, and confident riders still enjoy and benefit from the Balance module.
Monitoring and evaluation is quick and simple, with three ways to log data: an online form, a spreadsheet, or the App. To show how the bikes are being used, we collect usage data and share it with Active Travel England to demonstrate the impact of Get Cycling in Schools and justify future funding.
We recommend a brief hands-up survey with pupils after each module to assess its impact. You also have the option to send a parent/carer survey that we provide.
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, to schools taking part in the programme.
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
Schools are responsible for maintenance and storage. We have partnered with high-quality brands to ensure bikes and helmets are designed to last at least five years. Schools involved in the programme will be provided with maintenance support.