Parental Info & FAQs

What to expect from the Bikeability course at your school & getting you and your child ready for a fantastic day

What’s involved in the course?

Bikeability Level 1

Level 1 is all about building your cycling skills and preparation in an off-road setting, normally on the school playground.
Most children take part in Level 1 at school during Year 3 or 4.
It’s great fun and our instructors incorporate lots of games to build those key foundational skills.

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Bikeability Level 2

Level 2 is all about preparing your child for short journeys such as cycling to school. It is available for children in years 5 & 6.
Training takes place over a number of days, starting with building confidence in the playground on day 1 (Level 1 skills) followed by three sessions on local roads.

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Bikeability Balance

Our Balance module is designed for 4-7 year olds who are new to cycling. Using bikes without pedals, children focus on the key skill of balance, building coordination and confidence making the transition to pedalling super smooth.

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Bikeability Level 3

Aimed at children in Year 7 and above, Level 3 builds the skills needed for busier streets and more complex junctions. Working in small groups with our instructors, we’ll work with you on local routes to school or leisure. It’s a dynamic course and great fun!

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Learn to Ride

If you can’t ride a bike just yet, this is the course for you. We work with all ages to get you riding, so if you missed out learning to ride when you were younger or recently learned how to balance our instructors will get you riding in no time

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What do I need to prepare?

Cycle

Please check that your child’s bike is in good working order. Make sure there is plenty of air in the tyres, the brakes stop the bike effectively and the chain is oiled. For more details, do watch this video.

Helmet

The helmet should have a CE kitemark on the inside. Please also check that it fits well and hasn’t been damaged.

Clothing

Please make sure your child has suitable shoes and clothing that is appropriate for the weather including a coat and gloves for winter and suncream and water to drink in the summer.

Missed out on training at your school?

No worries! Have a look at our selection of holiday courses here

Holiday courses in my area

What our customers are saying

Your instructor was phenomenal. She was patient, paced everything well and differentiated amazingly. I can honestly say this is the best course I have had the privilege to observe.

School teacher – Bikeability course

I think it’s one of the most valuable things my children have learned in school, an incredibly valuable life lesson.

School Parent

Meet Nikki – one of our instructors

For 27 years, Nikki has worked to enthuse children and adults to cycle more. Starting as a volunteer Safer Cycling Instructor with Cambs County Council in 1999, Nikki now delivers Bikeability to 100s of children in schools and also works on a 1:1 basis with adults.

Nikki embodies everything you could wish for from an instructor. She is positive about life, gives back lots of time, effort and enthusiasm to her community and genuinely wants to make other peoples’ lives better through cycling.

Why take part in cycle training with us?

9.5/10

Our schools scored our service 9.5/10 in 2025 and children really enjoy the sessions

1000+

We’re working with over 1000 schools across the country. Sign up for this amazing experience for your child

Award winning team

Our instructors are fully qualified and have regular CPD on various topics including safeguarding and first aid

Did you know?

Cycling can really help boost attention in the classroom and help build exercise into daily routine for even the non-sporty children

Our partners

We work with some amazing partners. Click on the links below to see what’s available in your area.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I sign my child up for Bikeability?

Schools will let parents know when training is taking place, what year groups will be participating, and will give out consent forms. Parents need to fill this in and return it to the school within the timeframe given. Please check with your child’s school if you are not sure what you need to do.

What if we don’t have a bike?

It may be that your school can arrange for your child to borrow a bike for the training. Some of the schools we work in, have spare bikes to use. If this isn’t the case, often there are multiple groups each day, so your child could (with permission) borrow a friends bike. Please check this with your school.

What does the course cover?

We offer several different types of training and each level is different; we recommend looking at the Bikeability Trust’s Levels Explained page for an in-depth breakdown.

Will my child cycle on the road?

Only Level 2 and Level 3 training have sessions on the road, all other levels are playground-based. All training locations will be risk assessed by our National Standard Instructors and will be tailored to the learners taking part. Training is progressive and empowering.

My child has additional needs. Can they join in?

Of course! Our instructors are all trained to support children with SEND or medical needs, and we will always be ready to make any reasonable adjustments to ensure your child can participate. Adapted cycles are always welcome during playground-based training, our instructors will be able to advise if they are road legal. Please get in touch if you’d like to discuss further.

My child missed a day of training. Will they be able to take part again?

This depends on the structure of the course and how much content they have missed. It is usually possible to catch up when they have missed sessions. Please speak to the instructors (or ask your child’s teacher to do so) to discuss this.

Will my child pass or fail the course?

No. There is no pass or fail. All participants will receive a badge and a certificate at the end of training. The instructors will leave a note on their certificate to explain whether they think they have become an independent cyclist and some suggestions on what they need to practice. These are left with the school at the conclusion of the training, and will be handed out at a time of their choosing.

Feedback

We value all feedback (positive and constructive) as this allows us to continuously improve our training. Please follow the link below to let us know your experience

Parental Feedback Form