Balance Bike Training Program

"Balance is the key to happiness when learning to ride a bike."

As of September 2017, Primary PE and Sport Premium funding has doubled

This funding can be used for Balance Bike Training for Teachers and is designed to increase their PE teaching skills, support KS1 physical development, and kick start healthy lifestyles.

This is a great opportunity for primary schools to further improve the quality and breadth of the PE and sport they offer.

Bring Balance Bike Training to Your School

Your school can now participate in a programme that will teach young children the skills they need to ride a bike.

What is Balance Bike Training?

The Balance Bike Training course for teachers aims to equip them with the skills to deliver Balance Bike training to children at their school.

Balance Bike Training is a series of school-based sessions that aims to teach children the skills they will need to learn to ride a bike. These fun, interactive sessions can be incorporated into PE or after-school programs and will be provide the building blocks to young children for a lifetime of safe, healthy cycling.

Balance Bike Training supports the Physical Literacy Framework by helping to create a movement foundation to underpin lifelong participation, enabling pupils to access a range of learning experiences, which supports the development  of competent and confident movers.

Balance Bike Training also supports Coaching for FUNdamentals by concentrating on Balance and Coordination to improve agility. Coaching for FUNdamentals of Movement focuses on the introduction and development of Agility, Balance and Coordination as the building blocks for future complex skills.

What are the Benefits to Children?

Riding a bike at an early age builds a child’s confidence, character and coordination. Balance Bike Training provides children with positive early experience of using bikes and improves their riding skills and awareness of their surroundings. Children will develop balance and control skills in preparation for learning to cycle. They will also learn to identify different parts of a bike.

“The programme maintained my attention … allowing me to absorb all the information without being overloaded at any point. The perfect amount of time was spent on each section keeping the course fresh. Overall brilliant structure.” - Stanford Primary School, Lambeth, London

The Aim of the Balance Bike Training Course

Provide children with positive early experience of using bikes
Improve children’s riding skills and awareness of their surroundings
Develop children’s balance and control skills in preparation for learning to cycle
Teach children to identify different parts of bike & how each works

Balance Bike Training also supports the Physical Literacy Framework by helping to create a movement foundation to underpin lifelong participation, enabling pupils to access a range of learning experiences, which supports the development  of competent and confident movers.

Course Structure

A half-day training session for teachers to introduce them to the skills for trainees to learn and to familiarise themselves with the balance bikes and a range of games. Plus an optional half-day refresher course is available. There will be a mix of theory and practical with the emphasis being on teachers delivering aspects of the Balance Bike Training module.

Course Content

Unit 1: Introduction to the course
Unit 2: Risk Management
Unit 3: Checking bikes and safety equipment
Unit 4: Theory - session planning and delivery
Unit 5: Balance Bike demonstration
Unit 6: Delivering Balance Bike session
Unit 7: Reviewing sessions and keeping records

Course Outcomes

Unit 1: Introduction to the course

Aim: The aim is to outline the course and the timetable for the day. Teachers are introduced to the thinking behind why it is better for children to learn to ride a Balance Bike before progressing to a Pedal Bike without the use of training wheels - stabilisers.

Teachers are introduced to the skills children will learn during the course * Identify parts of a balance bike * Getting on and off a balance bike comfortably * Setting off with control * Push and glide * Stop with control a) with feet, b) with brake * Make the bike go where you want * Be aware of your surroundings (look around) and share space with others * Adjust bike - optional * Adjust helmet - optional * Use of pedals is not an outcome, deliberately to keep focus on steering

Unit 2: Risk Management

Aim: The aim is to give teachers an understanding of the importance of risk management in cycle training. They should understand written risk assessments and be introduced to dynamic risk assessment.

Unit 3: Checking bikes and safety equipment

Aim: Teachers should learn how to make sure a Balance Bike is safe to ride and how to make basic adjustments, so that the bike fits the child. * Wheels secure; tyres pumped up; seat and seat-post tight; headset tight. * How to fit a helmet

Unit 4: Theory - session planning and delivery

Aim: The aim is for teachers to learn how to plan and deliver Balance Bike sessions.

Unit 5: Balance Bike session demonstration

Aim: The aim is for teachers to observe a demonstration of how a Balance Bike session should be delivered.

Unit 6: Balance Bike session delivered

Aim: The aim is for teachers to deliver Balance Bike session outcomes.

Unit 7: Reviewing sessions and keeping records

Aim

Teachers should learn how to review a session with the participants. This will include learning about the review process with and how it reaffirms the learning process. Teachers should learn how to keep basic notes as evidence and what appropriate forms can be used. Examples of training logs or records will support the teacher’s understanding of the format and process.