Cycling to School

Written by Cllr Chris Wise on Wed 20th Feb 2008

Did you know around ten per cent of pupils in Oxfordshire currently cycle to school? Recent figures suggest this is around five times greater than the national average. Helping to achieve this performance are the cycle training volunteers who teach road safety skills to year five and year six pupils across Oxfordshire.

All sorts of people volunteer to be cycle training instructors. They include parents, grandparents, school caretakers, school crossing patrols, retired people, self-employed people and those who work shifts or part-time. Becoming an instructor involves being trained by qualified staff. The training usually takes between six and eight hours, normally once or twice a week in one and a half hour sessions. Once trained it takes a further six to eight hours to train a group of up to twelve children to be safe on the roads. All volunteers must be cleared by the Criminal Records Bureau. If you are interested in becoming a cycle training volunteer or would like further information, contact Wendy Jennings, Road Safety Officer at wendy.jennings@oxfordshire.gov.uk or Oxfordshire County Council, County Hall, New Road, Oxford, OX1 1ND Tel: 01865 792422