Image Credits: The Bikeability Trust

By KLTV Newsdesk – 

Council reaches 84% of eligible pupils through Bikeability programme, significantly above the national average

Kirklees Council has been named one of the leading local highways authorities in England for children’s cycle training, after new Bikeability figures revealed that 84% of eligible schoolchildren received training during 2025–26.

The figure places Kirklees joint third nationally, alongside Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council, and well above the national average of 54% of Year 6 pupils receiving Level 2 Bikeability training – the stage which teaches children to cycle safely on the road.

The latest figures have been published by The Bikeability Trust in its new impact report, Generation Cycle.

More than half a million children trained

Bikeability is the national cycle training programme for schoolchildren in England, funded by Active Travel England and managed, developed and promoted by The Bikeability Trust on behalf of the Department for Transport.

During 2025–26, 460,465 Bikeability places were delivered across England, excluding London. A further 64,080 places were provided through the Trust’s Get Cycling in Schools programme, which supports schools by training teaching staff to deliver cycle training.

In total, 524,545 children received cycle training through the two programmes.

The report highlights the scale of the programme’s impact, including 595 tonnes of CO₂e saved on Bikeability days and access to 6,086 cycles created through programmes and partnerships – an increase of 27% compared with the previous year.

The Trust also found that 93% of children who completed Bikeability Level 2 felt more confident cycling on roads.

Supporting safer and more active travel

The latest figures come as the Government seeks to increase the number of people walking and cycling for shorter journeys.

The third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy sets targets for 55% of short journeys in towns and cities to be made by walking or cycling by 2035, alongside an ambition for 60% of children aged five to 16 to usually walk or cycle to school.

National Active Travel Commissioner Chris Boardman CBE said: “Active Travel England’s goal is to create places that ensure everyone, especially children, has safe, accessible choices to walk, wheel and cycle.

“But building safer streets is only part of the answer – children need the skills and confidence to use them. Learning to cycle can shape how they travel, how active they are, and how connected they feel to their communities for years to come.”

The Bikeability Trust says its work during the past year has included the Bike Bus Leader Guide, which provides communities with resources and training to establish their own bike buses, as well as its annual Cycle to School Week campaign.

The campaign attracted 427,596 pledges from children, schools and families across the country.

Focus on health and wellbeing

The Trust has also expanded its research into the health benefits of cycling and walking, linking Bikeability with wider Government ambitions to prevent one million GP appointments a year by 2030 through increased physical activity.

Research published in the Trust’s January 2026 Health Policy Report found that before Bikeability training, 4% of children cycled to school between one and three times a week.

Following Level 2 training, 23% of children said they intended to cycle to school one to three times a week.

Emily Cherry MBE, Chief Executive of The Bikeability Trust, said: “Generation Cycle shows what happens when children are given the chance to learn, ride and thrive. In 2025–26, the Bikeability programme gave hundreds of thousands of children the skills and confidence to cycle, while the Trust’s wider work helped more schools, families and communities make active travel part of everyday life. We’re proud to be turning ambition into action.”

Kirklees among England’s leading authorities

With 84% of eligible pupils receiving Bikeability training during 2025–26, Kirklees Council’s performance places it joint third among local highways authorities in England.

The result highlights the scale of cycle training being delivered to children across Kirklees and its contribution towards wider efforts to encourage active travel from a young age.

The Bikeability Trust says more than six million children have received cycle training since the programme was established in 2007, with the long-term aim of ensuring people have the confidence to cycle and enjoy the skill throughout their lives.