Stanley Park High in Carshalton: From October 1, students wishing to cycle to school will be handed a number plate which “must be displayed when riding to and from school.”
In a statement, the school said: “Our absolute priority is the safety of our students, and the aim of this initiative is simply to ensure their safety as they travel to and from school.”
Headteacher Amit Amin wrote: “Students without a number plate will not be permitted to cycle to school, or lock their bicycles on school grounds.”
If I was one of the school governors, I’d be stepping in about now… https://t.co/YTLJzXMJfL
— Chris Boardman (@Chris_Boardman) September 24, 2018
Olympic gold medal-winning cyclist Chris Boardman, who is also Greater Manchester’s cycling and walking commissioner, wrote on Twitter: “If I was one of the school governors, I’d be stepping in about now.”
But a cycling charity has questioned why the school “want to make cycling to school more difficult” and warned it “could have a negative effect” on the number of children who travel to school by bike.
Duncan Dollimore of charity Cycling UK questioned why Stanley Park High “want to make cycling to school more difficult”.
“They should be looking to make active journeys easier and more attractive. “Worryingly, this behavior seems to be part of a trend of headteachers trespassing on parental responsibilities.”
“This will make cycling safer for their pupils, not number plates on bikes,” he added.
