"Your daughter can't cycle to school because it's not school policy"...!

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"Your daughter can't cycle to school because it's not school policy"...!

47 posts & 40 voices | Started 1 year ago by neilsonwheels | Latest reply from burmaboy

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neilsonwheels - Member

Seriously...!

Dropped the nipper off at school this morning and asked if there was anywhere to chain my daughters bike to. "don't know" was the reply but "speak to the head when she is free".

Just phone the head up and was told that it is not school policy to allow pupils to cycle to school.!!! I explained that she will be with me at both ends of the school day.

A couple of lame excuses were offered up.

She hasn't got here "certificate"...?

It has been agreed by the governors not to allow bikes on the premises due to "health and safety" reasons.

What a load of tosh.

I thought kids were supposed to be encouraged to be active and all that stuff. I wonder if she walked to school with a mars bar stuffed in her chops weather they would pay the same level of attention.?

Absolutely miffed...

Posted 1 year ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

Challenge them

If its health and safety then there should be a risk assessment and so on.

find out the local authority position on it.

Just ignore them and chain it up outside the school

Posted 1 year ago #
StirlingCrispin - Member

The CTC have some stuff that will help you:
http://www.ctc.org.uk/resources/Campaigns/1009_RTRTS_Kit_revised_.pdf

Posted 1 year ago #
wwaswas - Member

get a copy of your local authorities transport plan - there'll be something in there about encouraging people out of cars and onto bicycles.

print copy, send to school governors with a letter explaining the benefits of cycling to school over driving and ask when they'll be providing a secure storage area.

I'm surprised - most schools I've seen recently have been working hard to get bike usage up.

Posted 1 year ago #
the hustler - Member

ask them fora copy of the risk asessment used to deny cycles if this is being used as an excuse, if they cant provide one then either go ahead with the biking or insist that they undertake the above mentioned assessment, peps use this tool to do whatever they want but must (and this is what they dont know if they try to fob you off with it) be able to provide evidence that an assessment has been written

Posted 1 year ago #
the hustler - Member

damn and bugger i agreed with TJ on something .......

Posted 1 year ago #
kimbers - Member

id go to the local newspaper and get them to run a story
emphasise the benefits exercise and nation ofobese kids etc

Posted 1 year ago #
Edric 64 - Member

We have bike sheds at out kids primary school and actively encourage cycling and they can do the safe cycling course.

Posted 1 year ago #
chewkw - Member

Welcome to the world of bureaucracy where all computers will say Nooo ... to all queries.

Rules and regulations are there to make the pen pushers' life easier and yours a hell.

Bureaucrats! You are the pillars of the society!

Posted 1 year ago #
Drac - Moderator

Posted 1 year ago #
McHamish - Member

I was told I wasn't allowed to cycle to school when I was a nipper as I didn't live more than a mile away.

I was always late for school, and my Dad bought me a bike so that I could get to school quicker.

The school wouldn't let me leave on school property, and when they found out I was leaving it at a friends house who live opposite the school they told me not to.

But then all my teachers hated me...that's what I told my Mum when I get a bad report.

Posted 1 year ago #
anokdale - Member

Had the same issue was informed of policy etc etc and other lame excuses, i smiled and carried on riding in with the daughter every now and then and chained her bike to a fence around the back of the school and put a poly sheet over it, granted we live in the sticks so it is not always possible to do it without it getting lifted as it maybe in town. It was tolerated by the school just, but i never liked the headmistress there anyway, another issue.

Posted 1 year ago #
ron jeremy - Member

Whatever happened to schools doing 'Cycling Proficiency' for pupils? Is there any way you could get this done independently for your daughter?

(and i hang my head in shame as i too agree with TJ)

Posted 1 year ago #
anokdale - Member

That was the irony, my daughters school did the Cycling Proficiency course, just control as the headmistress was into that and protecting her space in our case i believe.

Bollox, i agree with TJ as well

Posted 1 year ago #
cranberry - Member

Cycle there, and then chain the bike to the poor excuse for a Headteacher. It'll only take a day or two for them to provide a better alternative.

Posted 1 year ago #
neilsonwheels - Member

Whatever happened to schools doing 'Cycling Proficiency' for pupils? Is there any way you could get this done independently for your daughter?

I remember them doing a coarse a few years ago but not seen one since. Cut backs.?

Why the hell does she need a coarse.? She has been dragged around Cannock chase for years now. I can understand some of the other kids doing one but the school is on a town estate and I would say 99% of the kids live within half a mile of the place. I live a good half an hour away on foot and taking the car out at that time of the day is a joke.

Posted 1 year ago #
Onzadog - Member

If you're riding with her eacvh way, start ridsing along with her bike over your shoulder (might need a webbing strap). Do this for a week or tweo and then inform the local paper of this mad man who carries his daughters bike to and from school every day. Might shame them into action.

(I nearly didn't comment on this thread due to ageeing with TJ as well. Still, if enough people agree with him, I'm sure he'll switch position).

Posted 1 year ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

Posted 1 year ago #
Mrs Toast - Member

I remember them doing a course a few years ago but not seen one since. Cut backs.?

Yeah, probably. My friend is supposed to be a cycling proficiency trainer, but the entire scheme is in chaos as her superior was made redundant in the cutbacks. No-one knows what's going on with the scheme, and she doesn't know if she'll be going around the schools this year.

Posted 1 year ago #
mountaincarrot - Member

It's quite extraordinary. My daughter's school has a similar policy saying they first need cycling proficiency - but not offering this till they are ten. Needless to say only one pupil seems to cycle! It also has the cheek to fly an "eco flag" for some dubious box-ticking green deeds - smoothing the route for the Chelsea Tractors.

We do use the Tandem as it turns out for now, so have not needed to meet the problem head on. But will need to review it if/when she wants to ride on her own.

I'd just go for it regardless in your position.

Posted 1 year ago #
brassneck - Member

I seriously doubt my 4 year old would pass a cycling proficiency test, but he rides in most days under supervision. We consider it healthy habit forming.
It certainly isn't a pre requisite anyway, never been asked for a certificate at our local school (who do provide storage) nor does the wife (KS1 coordinator, 15 years experience in a big town primary) know of any such requirement.

Posted 1 year ago #
Pembo - Member

Why should schools have to teach kids to ride a bike safely? It's the parents responsibility to do this not the state.

Posted 1 year ago #
soobalias - Member

would you all be so vocal if the school was being pushed to offer all-day parking for cars.

first you will demand cycle parking for your kids bikes, then some kids that cycle in further will want showers, changing room, lockers, drying rooms...

Posted 1 year ago #
binners - Member

Abslutely barmy. HAve you contacted the daily mai? I believe they have a phrase for this type of thing.

My kids go to a school where they regularly send letters requesting the parents encourage their offspring to walk or cycle to school. For reasons apparent to everyone with any Grey matter between their ears. I ride in with them regularly. The 4 year old scoots in on her Isla Rothan now

Cycling proficiency these days is this:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/bikeability/

My mates an instructor. She's barking! After some expert examination she's given me not only my green, amber and red Bikability badges but an almost mythical black badge. Apparently this makes me some kind of, like , cycling ninja of something. They're all proudly displayed on my courier bag

Posted 1 year ago #
psling - Member

Ironically, to complete a satisfactory Risk Assessment to allow the children to ride their bikes at school it is likely that providing training would form part of the assessment requirements

'Cycling Proficiency' is more recently known as Bikeability which was run by Cycling England, unfortunately one of the bodies deleted in the recent cutbacks

Posted 1 year ago #
Onzadog - Member

If I read the OP correclty, he wasn't actually asking for any facility, it was that the school are saying kids can not cycle to school.

If the riak assesment of cycling has resulted in cycling being banned or prohibited, just ask to see the RA for driving and walking. I'd bet a pound to a penny, they haven't done one.

Posted 1 year ago #
TheBrick - Member

soobalias - Member
would you all be so vocal if the school was being pushed to offer all-day parking for cars.

first you will demand cycle parking for your kids bikes, then some kids that cycle in further will want showers, changing room, lockers, drying rooms...

I presume this is a pisstake post?

Posted 1 year ago #
Surrounded By Zulus - Member

What age are we talking about here?

Posted 1 year ago #
poly - Member

Your daughter can travel to school however YOU so wish - she is not the schools responsibility until she arrives at school. The school may have a policy of not providing suitable storage space for bikes either because of a "genuine" H&S concern, ie. there isn't any space so they are worried they will get dumped in inappropriate places or because someone wrongly perceives that by providing a facility and encouraging cycling that they would be liable for accidents on the journey to / from school.

If it were me I would

(1) write to the school clearly stating that you have assessed the risks to your daughter together with the health benefits of cycling and based on your experience and assessment of your daughters competency (if she happened to have done a "bikeability" course it would be even more amusing!) that she will be cycling to and from school, and that in line with their eco agenda etc - that you assume they will support this and manage to identify a suitable storage area [again well meaning, but poorly informed, schools may be worried about their liability if a bike gets nicked or vandalised].

(2) if that didn't work - go and see you local councillors. They'll like this - its actually something they can change - which is unusual!

(3) if the councillors don't resolve it then the local paper surely will love a "H&S gone mad" story...

Posted 1 year ago #
thomthumb - Member

ask for their risk assesment. do your own. speak to governors.

ignore the head.

Posted 1 year ago #
Woody - Member

I'm appalled that they don't appear to be providing bike sheds in schools nowadays - where are they supposed go to go for a sneaky fag?

Posted 1 year ago #
No_discerning_taste - Member

My son likes going TO school on a bike, but it is the 110m of climbing to get back home that puts him off...

His school is starting the cycling proficiency tuition this week so it still exists.

Posted 1 year ago #
mmb - Member

just ignore the idiots, as there is no legal way they can enforce such a policy, if you lock it up off the premises there is nothing whatsoever they can do about it. end of. at my sons grammar school there are loads if kids who cycle in and home again, i was gobsmacked one day when i went to meet him after school and i counted the bike stands there were 7 rows and each row had space for a dozen bikes ! they were all taken!, when the bell went loads more came from the back of the school!. each year they do an activities week and one of the activies is mountain biking on the heath behind the school.

Posted 1 year ago #
Trekster - Member

safe routes to school

Scottish version

Posted 1 year ago #
MrSalmon - Member

ask for their risk assesment. do your own. speak to governors.

It's probably not about risk assessment at all- more likely they sense some avenue (albeit ill-defined) through which they might be held accountable to a parent or a Daily Mail reporter so invoking 'Health and Safety' is simpler for them than actually finding out what's involved. They might not even think it's particularly dangerous themselves, they might be more worried about what it means for them if other people/parents think it is.

Posted 1 year ago #

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