Level 3 training. Our voice is heard.
We are delighted to learn that Level 3 funding for secondary schools has been announced. This is something we have been campaigning for - see our thoughts on the subject below.
As is well publicised, the main objective of Cycling England is to get all Year 6’s to be leaving primary school trained to Bikeability Level 2 of the National Standards. This is all well and good but two challenges come to mind.
It has to be more than just a numbers game.
Firstly it cannot just be a numbers game of the churning out of Year 6’s with Level 2 cycle training. We also need to see some real results with more children actually cycling to and from school. This is discussed in the separate article in this edition which talks about the need for an integrated and inclusive cycling programme to both educate and promote the virtues of cycling.
In addition we need the support of both parents and schools to allow their children to cycle to and from school where it is suitable to do so. Added to this we need the support of the Local Authority to provide the necessary infrastructure to include both cycle paths and cycle storage facilities as well as helping promote the health and environmental benefits to be gained from cycling. A structured programme of cycle training from Year 4 to Year 7 is required.
Secondly what happens to the rest of the school population? As is already the case with most Local Authorities some Level 1 playground based training is being provided in many cases for Year 4’s and 5’s in primary schools. This however is not funded by Cycling England unless the children are participating in a combined Level 1 and 2 cycle training course. One can argue that there is less of a need for funding in Level 1 training as much of it is performed by volunteers.
Of more concern and indeed critical to introducing a cycling culture within schools is the lack of funding for cycle training of Year 7’s in secondary schools. It is at this precise age that children are likely to embark on longer journeys from home to school and back requiring them to take either public transport or cycle rather than walk. In addition they are likely to encounter more complex road junctions and so the need for Level 3 cycle training becomes essential to equip them to cycle safely and with confidence on the roads they need to use.
Some Local Authorities have already taken the initiative themselves and delivered some Level 3 training. Cycle Experience have been working with a number of London Boroughs as well as several regional Local Authorites to deliver Level 3 training to children in secondary schools.
It is also important to recognise that if children are not given the opportunity to cycle in the early years of secondary school then the likelihood of them taking up cycling in their later school years is extremely low.
Our recommendation is that the government through Cycling England needs to square the circle and provide some ring fenced funding for the delivery of Bikeability Level 3 cycle training to Year 7 secondary school pupils.
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