Park View Comprehensive School and Chester-le-Street CE Junior School cycle ride

During one of the working group meetings at Park View Comprehensive school it was thought that primary pupils should try cycling to their new secondary school ahead of the September start date to encourage cycling in the longer-term. This cycle experience would teach pupils about the local routes and also ease some of the transition worries that Year Six pupils had previously voiced as part of a pupil forum.

The working group worked with Chester-le-Street Junior School, who supported the idea.

Cycle ride

Fifty seven Year Six pupils, accompanied by 15 adult cyclists and community police officers, cycled the route from their school to Park View Comprehensive School.

Part of the route involved using the nearby Sustrans National Cycle Network route that leads directly into Park View School.

After undergoing Bikeability cycle training, the junior school pupils felt more than equipped to tackle the journey enjoying spectacular views of the Angel of the North in the distance as they cycled the disused railway route leading to Park View.

When they arrived at the school, the community police officers security marked all bikes. The pupils taking part in the event also received a cycle accessory pack donated by Halfords in Durham. Accessories included a bike lock, a water bottle, puncture repair kit and tyre levers.

Another spin off from the scheme has been the setting up of a Bike Club at Park View School. Pupils now have the chance to learn about bike maintenance and safety as part of the after-school curriculum.

Val Scott, Travel Plan Co-ordinator at the school said: "The cycle event has been a tremendous success having originated from an idea by members of our Travel Plan working group. It has already improved relationships between our schools and the police. Cycling is an exhilarating way of travelling to school, getting the students out of cars and being more physically active. The event was a huge success in every way. It allowed children to become more familiar with environmentally-friendly modes of travel, achieving a main aim of our travel plan."