On Wednesday 3rd October 2018 a team of instructors from CTL arrived at Cledford Primary School to pre-ride and risk assess routes from the primary school to Middlewich High school with our goal to empower Year 6 Pupils to ride their bikes to their new High School independently next September.
Having looked at the map and discussed route planning with our groups, the children were given high vis jackets and were reminded of some of the things they had learnt in Level 2 Bikeability which they were likely to encounter on their journey which also included making sure their bikes were road-worthy.
The first part of the journey to Middlewich High School involved reinforcing knowledge they had picked up during Level 2 Bikeability, including hazard perception, turns and road position.
On the route the children were met with challenges including uneven surfaces, crossroads, narrow bridges and pinch points which were discussed and tackled with their knowledge of road position and understanding of the Highway Code.
On arrival at the High School, it was noticed that there was a much higher volume of traffic compared to their Primary School but we looked at strategies to deal with this.
After a discussion about securing bikes at the High School we then set off on an alternative route over a canal bridge and on a bridal path, giving the children multiple options for the future on how to get to their High School.
On return to their Primary School, having enjoyed the exercise and fresh air, the majority of the children said that they felt much safer and much more confident riding on the roads and were more likely to ride their bikes in the future and were determined to ride their bikes to their school more often.
