Cycle Training in Primary Schools Research

Appendix 2a

Local authority cycling training contacts: Discussion guide

Context

Explanation of the research and purpose of this interview

1. Can you tell me about your involvement in introducing, planning, delivering and maintaining cycle training for primary school pupils in your area?

2. What is the local authority’s general position on the level or type of cycle training to be offered in schools across its area?

Schools

3. Would you be able to tell me/ send me information on:

  • Which schools are offering on-road training?
  • Which schools are offering a mix of on and off-road training?
  • Which schools are offering only off-road training?
  • Which schools are not offering any training?

4. Are any schools taking a particularly innovative or different approach to cycling training?

5. Are there any schools which you think would be particularly interested in being a case study? This would involve talking to teachers, parents and volunteer trainers.

6. Are there any schools that you think we should definitely not involve as case studies? For example because of other commitments.

General Views on Barriers

(Detailed views will be picked up once the schools have been selected)

7. What do you think are the main barriers to successful on-road cycling training in your area?

8. What makes on-road cycling training work? What are the success factors?

9. Do you have any views on the difference that on-road cycling training in primary school make to young people’s lives?

10. Any other comments?

Appendix 2b

Head teacher/classroom teacher: Discussion guide

Links and History

1. Can you tell me about the history of cycling promotion and training at your school?

2. How much of a priority would you say cycling training has within your curriculum?

3. Please talk me through your role in:

  • introducing;
  • planning;
  • managing; and
  • sustaining cycle training in this school.

4. Can you describe your school’s relationship with the Road Safety Officer/ Active Schools Co-ordinator?

Detail of Cycling Training

5. Can you confirm the level and type of cycling training that takes place currently at your school?

6. Can you tell me a bit about how cycling training is delivered at your school?

7. What has influenced the level, type and delivery of cycling training at your school?

8. Does your school undertake wider cycling promotion activities at all?

Success of Cycling Training – Generally

9. What do you think about the effectiveness of the cycling training offered at your school?

10. What has worked particularly well, and why?

11. Have there been barriers to effective cycling training? What are these?

12. What level of influence do the parents have over the delivery of cycle training?

On-Road Cycling Training
(Adapted depending on the type of cycling training currently offered by the school)

13. What, in your view, are the (potential) benefits of on-road cycling training?

  • for children,
  • schools and
  • other stakeholders?

14a. What, in your view, are the (potential) barriers to on-road cycling training at your school?

14b. In what sense are these barriers at your school?

15. What, if anything, has been done to (try to) discuss, explore and overcome these at your school?

16. What would make it easier for you to deliver on-road cycling training at your school?

17. Do you (or did you) know where to go for support and help to make on-road cycling training effective?

18. What lessons have you learned, if any, about making on-road cycling training effective?

19. Any other comments?

Thank and Close

Appendix 2c

Volunteer trainer: Discussion guide

Your Role

1. How long have you been a volunteer? How did this come about? What made you want to volunteer?

2. Talk me through your role in planning and delivering the cycle training....What do you do?

3. What do you think about the effectiveness of the cycling training offered at this school?

4. What has worked particularly well, and why? (probe anything that has gone particularly well? Or that you have been surprised about?)

5. Have there been barriers to effective cycling training? What are these?

Support

6. Did you get any training when you started? Can you tell me about this?

7. What other support is available to you as a volunteer? (Would you like more/less/different types?)

On-Road Training

8. Are you involved in providing any on-road cycling training?

9. How do/ would you feel about this, as compared to delivering off-road training?

10. Do you feel that you have the skills and knowledge to provide both on-road and off-road training?

11. What, in your view, are the (potential) benefits of on-road cycling training:

  • for children,
  • schools and
  • other stakeholders?

12. What, in your view, are the (potential) barriers to on-road cycling training?

13. Has anything been done to (try to) discuss, explore and overcome these within this school?

14. What do you think would make it easier for the school to consider off-road cycling training?

Improving the Experience and Encouraging Others

15. What do you personally get out of volunteering? And do you think children benefit from the volunteer approach?

16. Is there anything else that could enhance your experience, or encourage other volunteers to get involved?

17. What advice would you give to others thinking about getting involved as volunteers?

Thank and Close

Appendix 2d

Parent council: Discussion guide

Awareness of Cycling Training

1. When did you first hear that your child would be taking part in cycling training?

What was your initial reaction? – Why?

2. Please talk me through your understanding of the cycle training at the school

3. What are your views on the way cycle training is delivered at school? Are you happy with the type of training (on-road or off-road) – why?

4. Do you have any views on how well the cycling training is planned and delivered?

5. How much of a priority would you say cycling training has within the curriculum? And how satisfied are you with this level? Should your child be getting more/better/ training? Why?

Parent’s Views on On-Road Training

6. What are your views on on-road cycling training being offered to children through the cycling training scheme?

7. What are the (potential) benefits of on-road cycling training?

8. Do you think that there are barriers to on-road cycling training?

9. Has anything been done to (try to) discuss, explore and overcome these within this school?

10. Are there certain things that would need to be in place to make you feel confident about your child participating in off-road cycling training?

11. Do any of you volunteer as a cycling trainer? Did you know about this option? Would participating as a volunteer change your views on on-road cycle training?

Children’s Views on Cycling Training

12. Does your child enjoy their cycling training?

13. What do you think they are getting out of the cycle training?

14. Any other comments?

Thank and Close

Appendix 2e

Road Safety Officer/Active Schools Coordinator: Discussion guide

Introduction

Interviewer to give a brief introduction to the research. Remind RSOs/Active Schools Coordinators that the case studies will be produced on an anonymous basis.

Links and History

1. Can you describe your relationship in general with the staff at the primary school? (probe how receptive they are in relation to cycling training and other types of road safety education? How much of a priority is given to cycle training/road safety education in general?)

2. Can you tell me about the history of cycling training at this school? (probe how long has it been ongoing, has it changed in any way, and what influenced this?)

3. Please talk me through your role in:

  • introducing;
  • planning;
  • managing; and
  • sustaining cycle training in this school.

Detail of Cycling Training

4. Can you confirm the level and type of cycling training that takes place currently at this school? (probe on-road, off-road)

5. Can you tell me a bit about how cycling training is delivered at this school? (probe when, duration of training, how frequently, how it is delivered, by whom?)

6. Does the school undertake wider cycling promotion activities at all?

Success of Cycling Training – Generally

7. What do you think about the effectiveness of the cycling training offered at this school?

8. In this school, what has worked particularly well, and why? (probe anything that has gone particularly well? Or that you have been surprised about?)

9. In this school, what have been the barriers to effective cycling training?

On-Road Cycling Training

(Adapted depending on the type of cycling training currently offered by the school)

10. What, in your view, are the (potential) benefits of on-road cycling training?

  • for children,
  • schools and
  • other stakeholders?

11a. What, in your view, are the (potential) barriers to on-road cycling training at this school? (interviewer do not ask initially, but probe if necessary on...)

  • resources
  • time pressures
  • volunteer training
  • safety fears
  • personality clashes between RSO/school/local authority?

11b. In what sense are these barriers at this school? (probe to explain the barriers)

12. What, if anything, has been done to (try to) discuss, explore and overcome these within this school? (probe did the school seek any support from the RSO or elsewhere)

13. What lessons have you learned, if any, about making on-road training effective?

14. Any other comments?

Thank and Close