Cycling on the National Schools Curriculum

The Department for Education are reforming the National Curriculum. This is an opportunity to lobby for cycling and cycle training to be included in the curriculum and is something TABS will be looking contributing to.

Looking at the draft curriculum Cycle Training best slots in worded similarly to 'swimming' as part of the draft primary sports curriculum. Here is the wording of 'swimming':

*Swimming and water safety

All schools must provide swimming instruction either in Key Stage 1 or Key Stage 2.
In particular, pupils should be taught to:
 swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres
 use a range of strokes effectively such as front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke
 perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations. *

The course of least resistance would be to recommend cycling is added to the sports curriculum and is of equal status as swimming, however the continued linking of cycling to sport rather than considering riding a bike as as a basic way of moving around may be off-putting to many non-sporty people.

Perhaps it needs to be part of Citizenship where the 'purpose of study' is:

• to provide pupils with knowledge, skills and understanding to prepare them to play a full and active part in society.*
  
  

The problem here is that Citizenship is taught from Key Stage 3 and is mainly about understanding law and society and responsibility with money. An option would be to propose a small KS2 Citizenship module about responsible active travel and sustainability which could include road safety, transport law and the highway code, rights of walkers and cyclists etc...

So what do people think:

1. Cycling like swimming slots into the sports curriculum for an easier win perhaps
   
2. We lobby for a whole new KS2 Introduction to Citizenship module which may be more ideologically sound
   
3. Other ideas?
   

Think the former.
Because there will be graduations throughout the age progression that can link cycling activity to different points of curriculum.
I.e year 1 /reception links to physical ability.
And upwards.
I've already written an aspirational school year that shows evidence of how innovative schools include cross-year activity schedules as precurser to doing on road bikeability.

The trouble with the sports route is it has to be shoe horned in with so many other sports, within the 1hr per week, 36 weeks per year. The wording for swimming is it must be taught within, not throughout, ks1 & 2. So a 6 week block in yr 3 = box ticked for most schools.

Some (many? most?) staff aren't confident/knowledgeable enough to teach cycling as sport, so either require support, or external coaching.

Not sure where this going, just throwing it out there for thought.

this would be a start
http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/coaching/article/coast_acat_award-Activity-Coach-Award-For-Teachers--ACAT---0
1 day training course for qualified teachers or volunteers who work with schools allowing you to deliver cycling in PE. it's only £95 for the course and they are being run in various loactions around the UK.

Yeah, I'm trying to get some teachers / assistants through one at the moment. It's ok to quote that £95 figure, but then add on cost of supply cover for the class for the day, bumps it up a fair whack making some schools reluctant. It maybe that's just an excuse.

Then there's the staff who say they'd like to do something like that, but don't return call offering them the chance.

Those who go will get lots from it, but without further support mightn't deliver that all important first session.

If it's going on the curriculum at all schools - as per topic - it needs to be covered as mandatory cpd for a couple of staff, so at no additional cost to school budget. That or money to bring in external providers ringfenced in the school budgets.

But seriously, whatever happened to kids routinely playing on bikes and learning that way? I had a total of 0 hours cycle training / coaching in school between 1982 & 1995. Minimal swim "coaching" from school also, my folks paid for my swimming lessons.

It could be argued it's not the schools job to teach things like this. Not sure how that argument stands up though...?

if the cash flow announcement to schools goes the right way,
SSPs could start again, they will still need to have an interest from individuals in schools, and be bothered themselves to initiate.

But seriously, whatever happened to kids routinely playing on bikes and learning that way?
It could be argued it's not the schools job to teach things like this. Not sure how that argument stands up though...?

well you could argue that the present generation of kids simply arent allowed outside, so thats how projects like ours get such results- its within school time.

anyway
diversion,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH6-pWoaY4g

well you could argue that the present generation of kids simply arent allowed outside, so thats how projects like ours get such results- its within school time.

Wouldn't it make more sense to address that, rather than heap more teaching requirements on schools? Best (only) access I can get these days is mostly afterschool = feels like "pastoral care for folks collecting kids hour later" some days, rather than working with enthusiastic "cyclists".

Tuning out tonight shortly, will check back as thread develops.

anyway
diversion,
15 Lap Points Race, Hellyer Velodrome - YouTube

gah, not available on mobile you tease.

Wouldn't it make more sense to address that, rather than heap more teaching requirements on schools? Best (only) access I can get these days is mostly afterschool = feels like "pastoral care for folks collecting kids hour later" some days, rather than working with enthusiastic "cyclists".

and even then sometimes its hard to fill sessions because the leisure choice overstimulation people have these days, life eh. sorry bout vid just wish I was in Cali riding around sometimes you dig

Thanks for comments.
I have also had suggestions that cycling fits with PHSE
Many people thing we should aim for Citizenship and have sport as a fallback position in our submission. I'm inclined to agree with that.

I'll put together a template response early next week and send to other organisations and schemes who may wish to also submit to the review. Will post here if anyone wishes to use TABS suggestions too

^ backed well by this from another contact:-
I am working with Liverpool secondary schools and am finding that PSHE is still the best way into schools other than PE. Ticks the boxes as it can link cycling to the Social element, Community cycle rides, fundraisning, Food & Nutrition (PSHE Smoothie Making), Health Ed (Fitness, not sport, body composition, weight management, calorie intake) and elements of Citizenship as you already mentioned Many secondary schools did not ditch PSHE but include it alongside Citizenship.

Here is the document we intend to send to the National Curriculum review to get Bikeability cycle training on the curriculum. Let me know what you think.

works for me,
could add some extra words to this section, spot my additions:-
"There is no obligation by school or Local Authorities to
take up this funding and to offer training to pupils. This means that between a half to a third of
pupils do not have access to training for a variety of reasons. Some Local Authorities do not take
part in the scheme, many schools do not engage with the scheme even where the LA offers
training. Parents may not allow or encourage their children to take part. There may be cultural
and economic factors that also influence whether a pupil is allowed to take part in Bikeability.
Having Bikeability on the Schools Curriculum would ensure a much higher uptake of training and
help schools and parents and old white men who never cycle anywhere and run most of the road safety departments in the U.K understand how important it is for young people to develop the skills
and confidence to cycle for the reasons outlined above."

OWM?
WAC
LOLz

PSHE is a generally a joke subject in most schools, often not taught by qualified teachers.

Whilst Gove has been making a lot of noise about his national curriculum reforms, the fact that most schools will be academies renders them largely pointless as academies don't have to follow the national curriculum.

Most will follow the changes I'm core subjects (unfortunately as they're mainly bad ideas) extra stuff, like cycle training will be decided on a school by school basis. Or not- as more schools are being taken over by chain academies, it will be these private enterprise groups that set the curriculum.

Having said that, the £95 course is something I'd really like to do.

Here is the document TABS is sending to the Department for Education about Bikeability on the school Curriculum. If you wish to receive a Template document to submit email me (david@tabs-uk.org.uk) and I'll send you a copy.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/22291917
bbc newsround report about cycle training on the curriculum

I think that's a good idea because I cycle to school and it gets you more fresh air than a car.

Olivia, London, England

Cycling on the school curriculum... in Portugal!

https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2019/05/01/portugal-plans-to-include-bicycling-in-national-school-curriculum/#3d6e93657050