Stranraer Academy

Cycling Friendly funding

Stranraer Academy applied to the Cycling Friendly Secondary School development fund in November 2016 and was one of 23 schools successfully funded by Cycling Scotland. The school received a grant for £3,000 to increase the number of pupils and staff cycling to school and embed cycling in the daily life of the school.

Engagement with pupils showed that not all pupils have access to bikes or the skills to maintain them. The school used the funding to purchase bikes that can be used during school activities and loaned to pupils and staff, and part of the grant was used to purchase maintenance equipment and training of staff and pupils.

Cycling every day 

The bikes are now used daily and the number of young people cycling to school has risen. Each class uses the bikes so there can be up to 30 pupils using them each period, up to eight periods a day. The bikes are also used by teachers for an after-school cycle club and maintenance classes are now offered with teachers and pupils involved. Teaching staff are working towards becoming cycle ride leaders to take pupils out on group rides during PE - and the photo below shows cycling as part of the school's mini triathlon event.

Award-winning

In recognition of their efforts, the school was awarded as a Cycling Friendly Secondary School in June 2017.

Looking forward to the future, Stranraer Academy is looking to increase their fleet of bikes so that whole classes will be able to cycle together and, with cycle leaders, use the bikes more widely. There are also plans to engage with local primary schools and housing associations.

You can find out more about our Cycling Friendly Secondary School programme here.