Frequently Asked Questions

  Encouraging Cycling

Q: How can young people be encouraged to cycle?
A: Many children already want to cycle to school but face a number of barriers which prevent them from cycling.  It often needs a change of culture and attitude towards cycling to get enough pupils started to encourage more.

Action:
• Make cycling high profile in the school and surrounding community and ensure that there is a positive attitude towards it.
• Remind parents of the benefits of cycling and highlight the need to encourage it.
• Provide adult role models such as teachers who cycle to school and help ensure that the needs of cyclists are listened to.
• Organise bike to school days and bike breakfasts.  If children are given the incentive to cycle to school on the same day it can help to overcome a number of perceived barriers such as image issues.
• Some schools implement a cycling permit scheme to ensure pupils and parents are aware of and agree to the schools rules on issues such as cycle parking helmet wear policy etc.  The permit can be adapted to meet the needs of the individual school.  Sustrans have a template permit which can be downloaded from their website.

Q: Some schools ban cycling, are they legally allowed to do this?
A: Schools cannot legally prohibit cycling for the school journey. A more positive approach to dealing with any concerns would be along the following lines:

Action:
• Decide on a strategy to tackle the main concerns, and consider encouraging cycling within limits to begin with.  For example, consider whether older children, pupils that have completed cycle training or pupils living within a set distance of school should be encouraged to cycle.
• Parents, are responsible for their child’s safety on the journey to school unless the journey has been organised by the school e.g. for a class trip

Q: How can children cycle with everything they have to carry to school?
A: Schools can carry out certain measures to reduce the amount pupils carry, this also requires pupils to be organised each day.

Action:
• Pupils can carry items in rucksacks and panniers
• Provide lockers for books and safety equipment for pupils.

Q: How can I persuade pupils and parents that they don’t live too far away to consider cycling?
A: Work with pupils to find out how far they live from school and use this as a basis for changing attitudes.  Also remind them of the health benefits of cycling.

Action:
• The average primary school pupil lives 1.5 miles from school – a 12-15 minute bike ride.  Often the route that children travel in by car is longer than that which they could cycle on.
• Children could be encouraged to measure the distance that they live from school and plan their route.  The school travel co-ordinator can help with this exercise as part of creating a travel plan. 

 Security

Q: Can schools be held liable for theft of bikes?
A: Schools are not liable for property brought onto their premises, and are therefore not liable for pupils’ bicycles being stolen or damaged by a third party.

Action:
• Take reasonable action to minimise the risk of theft
• Inform parents that the school cannot be held liable and encourage them to check the conditions of their own insurance policy.  Bikes will usually be covered under house contents insurance.
• Organise bicycle security marking – the police should be able to help.

Q: How can schools reduce cycle theft?
A: Concern about the theft of bikes discourages many young people from cycling to school.  Many schools provide secure cycle parking which is a strong deterrent to potential thieves.

Action:
• It is important that schools encourage cycling through the provision of safe, secure areas for storing bikes during the day.  The CFS guidance notes outline the considerations to be made for cycle parking and Sustrans provide a specific Cycle Parking for schools factsheet, available from their website