We had a great day training at London Road nursery yesterday with nursery staff from London Road, Bridgeton Family Learning Centre, Parkhead Nursery and Charlotte, Cycle Trainer from the Glasgow Bike Station.

Due to the very icey and freeeeeeezing cold conditions outside, we were re-housed into the adjoining primary school’s dining hall! Despite being a little squashed, we had a fun morning on adult bikes and looking at the children’s bikes, learning bike parts and how to carry out basic safety checks.

As is becoming apparent with Instructor training days, they best part is always when the children come and join us for afternoon sessions. The candidates come into their own as they engage with the children and put their morning’s learning into practice. Regardless of candidates’ confidence on the adult bikes, they all happily took a lead in instructing the children with breaking and gliding games and we saw some noticeable progress with all the children within an hour.

A real learning point from the session came at about 2.55pm when hoards of primary school children started streaming out of their classrooms, across the dining room and outside to meet their parents. Our poor nursery children were attempting to cross the sea of sharks, watching their toes weren’t bitten off while this mass exodus was taking place! Candidates who were observing the session created a form of human barrier to prevent the older children crossing the training space and the fantastic nursery children were a credit to London Road nursery and carried on regardless. Their attentions remained fully focused on their activity and the instructor – as sure sign they were enjoying being on the bikes!

Some ‘highs’ from the candidates at the end of the day include:

* Meeting with other staff and and cycling instructors in the same learning environment

* Using the adult bikes ourselves

*Picture cards and games cards are great and really easy to follow

* Having the opportunity to work with children using the training.

While ‘lows’ included:

* I shall need to practice using a spanner to undo seat post bolts!

* Not being able to use an outside area

* Busy hall with students leaving in the afternoon

* Should be longer