Cycling youngsters are sky high at Brackenhill Primary
A Bradford primary school is well on track to putting cycling at the top of its agenda.
Scott Parkin, Deputy Head at Brackenhill Primary School, Lidget Green, believes he may be the first in the Bradford district to incorporate cycling into the school's PE curriculum with the intention of getting 90% of Key Stage Two to proficiency level by the summer of 2012.
Mr Parkin, a keen cyclist himself having been a personal trainer and an avid mountain biker in his native New Zealand, was delighted to join a school that had a cycle track in its grounds. It is an all-weather track with three different levels that offer varying degrees of challenge, including obstacles and ramps.
Mr Parkin said: "I really wanted to make the best use of this fantastic facility so I have given our learning mentor, Peter Judson, the resources he needed to build up the cycling club from just three children to twenty four and we are still attracting new members so hope to reach thirty very soon. Also, all the teachers in the school are now trained up to being level one cycling coaches and we have had a guide coach from British Cycling to help those children learning from scratch.
Scott believes cycling is a great activity for keeping fit and great for children getting about as long as they are in a safe environment. "Our cycle track is surrounded by greenery. It is such a great resource for the children to enjoy when most of them live in a built-up urban environment."
"We also run holiday activities as part of the extended services the school offers and we do keep the site secure during this time."
Coun Ghazanfer Khaliq, portfolio holder with responsibility for sport, said: "We hope these children can persuade their parents to take them along to our free Sky Ride event on July 31 so they can show off their newly found confidence and skills. The event will give them the opportunity to cycle round a traffic-free route from Peel Park through Little Germany and back, with a stopover to enjoy some entertainment in the Urban Garden."
Anyone who wants to register for the Sky Ride event needs to log on to www.goskyride.com and they will also see information there about forthcoming Sky Ride Local Rides that are organised each weekend all around the district. These Local Rides cater for all abilities from beginners to experienced and are led by trained leaders from British Cycling.
