Passport To Safer Cycling - Trainers

'Passport to Safer Cycling' relies on volunteers to deliver the scheme on behalf of the school. Volunteers may be teachers or other members of staff, parents or friends of the school.

All Approved Trainers and Assistant Trainers should be processed through the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) before being allowed to conduct any training. However, this is at the discretion of the Headteacher. For information about the process please contact the Road Safety Group on 01772 534661.

To receive approval to undertake the practical training one or more persons on each course must have successfully completed an appropriate training course. Schools and other interested organisations are asked to nominate volunteers who will be trained to deliver the scheme by the Road Safety Group.

A form to be completed by Headteachers only is available to download here.

Each school that has an Approved Trainer will be issued, free of charge, with appropriate resources that will enable them to conduct the training.

The reasons for using volunteers as trainers are:

• It allows more young cyclists to receive training
• It allows flexibility within the school or organiasation to provide training
• It enables indirect education of adult road users
• There is also evidence to suggest that where training has been conducted by those who have a special interest in the welfare of the trainees those volunteers have produced levels of success that are equal to and in some cases surpass those achieved by experts (Dr James Thompson, Strathclyde University).

Module 2 Approved Trainers

Before they can be approved, trainers must complete an induction course. This will take about 5 hours and would be conducted at the school or another school in the area. This will ensure that nominated trainers are familiar with the administration and training procedures needed to carry out training. The course also ensures Approved Trainers are capable of training any Assistant Trainers required to deliver the course. Each Approved Trainer is issued with a certificate to confirm they have successfully completed the Module 2 induction course.

Provided that an Approved Trainer is in attendance, Assistant Trainers may assist with tuition provided they have been fully briefed before the course commences.

Approved Trainers are fully supported by the Road Safety Group and Area Co-ordinators working on behalf of the Group.

Module 3 Approved Trainers

Volunteers nominated to deliver Module 3 must be Module 2 Approved Trainers and have delivered at least one Module 2 course. They are required to attend an additional induction course at a mutually convenient time and location. The course will be of 2 - 3 hours duration and will ensure that nominees are familiar with the administration, safety and training procedures required to enable them to deliver the scheme to young cyclists. It will also ensure each nominee is capable of training any other Assistant Trainers.

The Road Safety Group will arrange site risk assessments to be conducted in the presence of the Approved Trainer. Following a successful site assessment the necessary equipment to conduct the training safely will be issued to the school.

Each Approved Trainer is issued with a certificate to confirm they have successfully completed the Module 3 induction course.

Provided that an Approved Trainer is in attendance, Assistant Trainers may assist with tuition provided they have been fully briefed before the course commences. The minimum requirement is for one Approved Trainer and one Assistant Trainer to be in attendance at all training sessions.

Approved Trainers are fully supported by the Road Safety Group and Area Co-ordinators working on behalf of the Group.