CYCLING AND SCHOOLS GROUP

Each has its own set of activities, specialised qualifications and programmes. The foundation levels of cycling cut across these themes and the qualifications, activities and programmes become more specialised as the cyclist develops.

These opportunities have been grouped into three main themes:

Cycling is a popular activity, ideally suited to the school or youth club setting, with opportunities to deliver a wide range of educational outcomes across the curriculum in class and after school.

A fundamental reason most of us cycle is as a form of active travel to take us places and explore our local area. These journeys could be from home to school, to visit friends, attending a club at the leisure centre or picking up something from the shops. They usually involve cycling on road or dedicated cycle paths, and more likely a mixture of both.

Cycle Trainers: Trainers are qualified staff or individuals who deliver a range of programmes and activities aimed at improving riders’ ability in using road and cycle path networks. Cycling Scotland provide training programmes for individuals wishing to become qualified Cycle Trainers.

Schools can access support locally for their staff and volunteers to deliver the schemes through their Active Schools Coordinators or Road Safety Officers.

Cycle Training: There is a national standard for the cyclist which outlines three levels of competence. In Scotland we have a resource for each of the levels:

Level 1 Ready, Steady, Bike Level 2 Scottish Cycle Training Scheme Level 3 Go ByCycle

The above could create a multistage programme for p5, p6, p7. Go ByCycle can also be used for transition years.

Active travel

The racing and competitive side of cycling has a wide range of disciplines reflecting the diversity of cycling itself, including road-racing, track, mountain-biking, BMX and Cyclocross. The events can be short distance “sprint” type events or longer distance “endurance” events. Much of cycle sport is organised and coordinated through local clubs, with an extensive calendar of events produced by the National Governing Body – Scottish Cycling.

Go Ride: Go-Ride is Scottish Cycling’s Club Development Programme aimed at improving both young riders and clubs. It focuses on staff, volunteers and young members - improving coaching standards and increasing the number of young riders with access to coaching activities. Go-Ride School Clubs are all about getting more young people into cycling. These clubs provide high quality coaching activities, delivered in a traffic-free environment which can be run as either an after-school club or during P.E. lessons as part of the curriculum.

Coaches: As with most sports, cycling has coaches who deliver a range of programmes and activities aimed at introducing young people into cycle sport and improving sporting performance. The activities will range from group programmes to individual and discipline-specific support as the sporting cyclist develops. Scottish Cycling coordinates the coach education programme in Scotland with a range of UK Coaching Certificate-aligned qualifications designed to meet the needs of schools, clubs and individuals.

Cycle sport

Active travel Cycle sport Recreational cycling

Image ©sportscotlandShot by David McIntyre

Image ©Scottish Cycling

For many cycling is simply a form of active recreation to explore Scotland and its beautiful landscapes. This might be through accessing the wonderful National Cycle Network, or riding off-road along natural trails or at a dedicated Mountain Bike trail centre. Scotland has been recognised for its World Class facilities with an extensive path and trail network benefiting from some of the most progressive access legislation in the world.

Leaders: Leader is the general term for an individual who delivers a range of experiential activities and programmes often in an off-road environment at a mountain bike centre or on trails. This could be as an adventurous activity, to access the outdoors, for field studies or to make a journey along one of our traditional routes or rights of way. Cycling Scotland can provide Cycle Ride Leader training and the MBLA (part of Scottish Cycling) can provide mountain bike leadership courses.

Go Mountain Bike: This is a 5 level mountain bike proficiency scheme, with 4 themes – Riding Skills, Sharing the Outdoors, First Aid, Being Independent and Self-Supporting. This

Recreational cycling

This information sheet has been developed by the Cycling and Schools Group which consists of the following organisations: Cycling Scotland, CTC, Eco Schools, Learning Teaching Scotland, Scottish Cycling, Scottish Government, sportscotland, Sustrans and Road Safety Scotland.

Contact CYCLING AND SCHOOLS GROUP

scheme has been designed by Cycling Scotland in consultation with Scottish Cycling, CTC, Sustrans and the MBLA. The programmes are delivered by qualified leaders to suit the needs of their group and to reflect the local setting.

Bike Club: Bike Club is a project bringing support and funding to schools, youth clubs and groups of young people seeking to encourage learning through cycling activities. Bike Club grants and expert assistance can enable groups to set up activities such as cycle maintenance, cycle training, off-road skills development or cycling-related arts projects. These cycling activities can be accredited through Youth Achievement Awards.

Bike Club www.bikeclub.org.ukCycling Scotland www.cyclingscotland.orgCTC Scotland www.ctcscotland.org.ukScottish Cycling www.scottishcycling.org.uk

Scottish Government www.scotland.gov.ukSustrans www.sustrans.org.ukSportscotland www.sportscotland.org.ukRoad Safety Scotland www.roadsafetyscotland.org.uk