Bikeability 2026
YEAR 5 Bikeability – Level 1 & 2
Dear Parents & Carers
Please read this information carefully and complete the consent form link. The school will inform you about dates when the course for your child is due. This course is for children who can ride their bike confidently.
What is Bikeability?
Bikeability is the national cycle training programme, supported and funded by Active Travel England on behalf of the UK Government.
All Bikeability training is delivered by professional, nationally qualified and DBS-checked instructors who have all completed a First Aid Course and the training takes place at risk-assessed locations. The Bikeability Trust have lots of information that we recommend you look at and go through with your child before their course visit www.bikeability.org.uk for more information. All registered Bikeability providers must follow national guidance when delivering Bikeability training. Devon County Council has all necessary Bikeability policies, risk assessments and procedures in place (copies available on request).
With Bikeability Level 1, riders will learn to control and master their cycle in a safe space away from traffic such as a playground or closed car park. Bikeability Level 2 takes place on local streets, giving riders a real cycling experience. They’ll learn how to deal with traffic on short journeys such as cycling to school or the local shops.
Regular cycling, whether for transport, sport or just for fun can improve physical and mental health and give young people skills for life. Cycling offers low-cost and independent travel for young people and their families and helps to reduce traffic congestion which means greater road safety, air-quality and community benefits.
The Bikeability Level 1 course helps children become more skilled and confident in riding their bikes in the playground and gets them ready for cycling on the road. Your child will learn how to:
- Maintain their cycle: make sure their ride is in good condition and make simple repairs.
- Glide: smooth, calm and collected.
- Control their bike: including setting off, cruising, slowing down, braking and stopping.
- Pedal: without feeling wobbly or out of control, even if riding one-handed.
- Be aware of their surroundings: looking behind and turning around obstacles.
Riders must be able to ride a bike already (pedal and glide) to take part in this training. There may be courses to support those who can’t ride. Please contact your school to see if they are working with the Instructor to provide courses for non-riders. We also provide holiday courses which can be found on our website www.cyclepssp.co.uk
The Bikeability Level 2 course aims to improve riders’ skills and confidence for cycling on local roads and simple junctions without too much traffic. Content includes how to:
- Start and stop with more confidence.
- Pass stationary vehicles parked on a road.
- Understand the road: signals, signs and road markings.
- Negotiate the road: including quiet junctions, crossroads and roundabouts.
- Share the road with other vehicles.
All the riders will have to show they can do everything at Bikeability Level 1 before they can go on the roads.
We encourage riders to go on to Bikeability Level 3 training to learn about more challenging road situations, such as busier roads or more complex junctions. Courses may take place at secondary schools or during school holidays.
Bikeability teaches riders to make independent decisions and practise safe and responsible cycling, by:
- Making good and frequent observations
- Choosing and maintaining the most suitable riding positions
- Communicating intentions clearly to others
- Understanding priorities on the road, particularly at junctions.
HOW TO BOOK:
The school will inform you about dates when the course for your child is due. If you would like your child to take part in Bikeability, please follow this link to book a place:
https://consent.bikeability.org.uk/above-dab-frame
If you do not have internet access, please ask for a paper form from your school.
- Please tell us about any additional needs for your child (physical, medical, learning or other) that we need to be aware of before training starts.
- If you think your child may benefit from extra support before or during training, please ask their school to speak to the instructor (or contact us direct) well in advance so we can make appropriate arrangements.
- We may be able to provide a loan cycle for training if you do not have one available. Please tell us on the form so we can try and arrange this in good time.
- We will ask you for information about your child’s gender, ethnicity and if they are eligible for Pupil Premium. This information is used by Active Travel England who fund Bikeability and by Devon County Council to monitor delivery of the programme and ensure that everyone has fair access to training. The data is collected and analysed across the whole training programme and does not identify individuals. There is an option on the form if you would prefer not to say.
- All other personal information about your child that you provide is only used to provide appropriate training for your child and is deleted once training is complete. You may choose to opt in to future communications from the Bikeability Trust who govern the national programme.
For your child to take part in this course you will need to provide and check the following:
Riding skill – your child must be able to ride unassisted, without stabilisers to take part in Bikeability. It really helps if they can already ride one-handed and keep a straight line, but they will practice this on the playground during Level 1 training. If they need extra help, please let us know on the form and we will do everything we can to support them to take part.
Clothing – they should wear comfortable clothing that allows them to ride easily, including shoes that fit securely, such as trainers. Be prepared for the weather to change! On cold or wet days, make sure that they have a warm and waterproof coat, gloves, and an extra layer or two. On warm, sunny days they should use sun cream and bring a bottle of water.
We request that you discuss the Bikeability course with your child and encourage them to practice what they have learnt each session – maybe by accompanying them on a cycle ride and discussing the Highway Code. Your child must attend every session – if they miss any sessions, they may not be able to complete the course.
Helmet & Cycle Checklist
Use the diagram below to check your child’s helmet fits and that their cycle is in a safe, roadworthy condition.
If your child uses an adapted cycle or tricycle because of disability or medical needs, that’s fine – just let us know on the consent form.
Important cycle, helmet and clothing guidance is available at Bikeability.org.uk ¦ Cycle training FAQs
Whilst every care will be taken to ensure your child’s safety, your instructor provides public liability insurance only and not personal accident insurance for anyone taking part in this course, nor do they accept responsibility for the actions or personal behaviour of participants. Devon County Council, the Plymouth School Sports Partnership, your training provider and instructor are not responsible for any injury to persons, or loss or damage to property, which is not the result of the negligence of an instructor. Parents/carers of pupils participating in cycle training are advised to make their own arrangements to insure their children against personal accident, loss or damage to their cycles or other personal effects.