A LOCAL primary school is leading the way in encouraging pupils to cycle to school.

Earlier this year, Langlee Primary School received Cycle Friendly School status from Cycling Scotland.

The award is given out to schools who are working to encourage more pupils to cycle to and from school safely. Essential criteria to gain the award includes teaching and promoting cycling within school, having secure parking places for pupils to store their bikes and taking part in initiatives to encourage cycling and sustainable forms of transport.

Pupils at Langlee are now taking part in Bike ability Level 2 training. P5-7 pupils have already taken part in level 1 which teaches pupils safe cycling skills in the playground setting. Level 2 builds on this with pupils developing their skills out of the roads. P6 got off to a super start with the majority if pupils taking part in the level 2 training. Each Tuesday and Thursday afternoon groups are out in the community learning safety skills in real life situations. Sessions are taking place in the lower Langlee area and while it is recognised and appreciated that drivers are cautious around the pupils, the purpose of sessions are to be as real as possible. P6 have now finished their level 2 training successfully, and P7 pupils are about to start theirs.

P1 pupils have also been successfully learning to ride bikes this year as part of the Play on Pedals Scheme. The scheme primarily uses balance bikes as a way to improve pupils balance, coordination and awareness of direction. The school now has a fleet of 11 balance bikes and one pedal bike for nursery and P1 pupils.

Pupils from Langlee recently took part in The Big Pedal. At the end of last month, pupils were challenged to cycle or scoot to school as part of the National initiative. This year the Big pedal had 1680 schools registered to take part with 537,136 pupils taking part across Britain. The Big Pedal is powered by Sustrans, funded by the Bike Hub and supported by a range of sponsors who donate prizes.

Teacher Kirsty Moffat said: “The purpose of the project is to encourage more pupils to use sustainable transport to get to school.  As well as being in with a chance of win chances through the national competitions, pupils could also win random prizes in school daily.

“The Golden Bike Lock was put on one bike each day at random, with pupils winning prizes such as high visibility vests, bike lights, flashing key rings and bike bells. On the final day of the challenge pupils scooting to school were entered into raffles to win prizes too.

“Every day more and more pupils cycled or scooted to school to make the total number of pupils taking part at over 30 per cent. Well done to everyone who took part.”