Cycling Proficiency: an important life skill

Cycling Proficiency is just one of the many life skills we teach children during their time at Grass Royal School. It takes place under the guidance and supervision of Somerset County Council Road Safety Specialists. With the support of staff from school, the children partake in a range of activities concerning their safety, awareness of road signs and ability to cycle a bike responsibly on the road.

The course involves three main sections and takes place over two school days:

Theory: during this session the learners develop an awareness of road signs, positioning and perform bike safety checks.

Developing Skills: on the playground, the children develop good manoeuvrability skills and practise exercises which are required for cycling on roads.

Putting it into Practise: The majority of the two days involves the children cycling on the roads in the surrounding area. Suitable ‘roads’ and ‘junctions’ are planned and assessed before hand to ensure maximum safety. Staff and children wear high visibility jackets and the children perform all the required manoeuvres under direct supervision. When the assessors and staff feel confident, the children are observed from a safe distance to perform each action independently.

Finally, the children and staff go for a cycle ride giving the children a chance to rehearse each manoeuvre with confidence. We end the session with a well deserved Hot Chocolate and a celebration of all the children have achieved. 

 Details of up-coming courses will be sent out throughout the year, so keep an eye out for a letter