Olive School pupils enjoy wheely wonderful week!
Our pupils and their parents had wheely wonderful week packed with cycling activities to mark Bike Week.
We used last week (12-16 June) to help our pupils gain confidence on their bikes and to foster a love for cycling.
The school’s staff includes cycling enthusiasts Junaid Ibrahim, a Year 4 teacher, and Jahir Hussain, who is an ICT Technician. Junaid is a founder member of cycling group Brothers On Bikes which aims to bring people together to share a love for cyling.
Junaid and Jahir led Bike Week activities at The Olive School, Hackney assisted by Brothers On Bikes volunteer Mebz Khankara. Pupils brough in their bikes for basic maintenance checks before taking to two wheels under the experienced tuition of Junaid, Jahir and Mebz.
Junaid Ibrahim said:
“Once we had made sure the children’s bikes were fit for purpose, we taught them basic cycling skills through a range of fun activities. Balance, of course, is key and once the children had got their balance, there was no stopping them!
“The school’s Bike Week activities culminated in a 10 mile guided bike ride for parents through Hackney and Lea Bridge and along the River Lea. If parents feel confident on their bikes, they’re much more likely to encourage their children to ride and to instill a love for cycling from an early age.”
Jahir Hussain added:
“It was such a fun week in which pupils from Year 1 to Year 4 mastered basic cyling skills. The time they spent on their bikes gave them a huge confidence boost. It was fantastic to see them so enthusiastic about their new cycling skills.”
Our Principal Caterina Park said:
“Our Bike Week activities aimed to encourage more of our families to consider leaving the cars at home and cycling to school instead. In addition to the obvious health benefits, travelling to school by bike is a great way to help ease traffic congestion around our school.
“The week’s activities were very successful in making our parents think again about cycling and equipping our children with the necessary skills to cycle to school safely.”
Pupils enjoyed the school’s Bike Week activities too.
Year 2 pupil Abdelkrim said: “It was really good! I enjoyed learning how to ride my bike properly.”
Marriyah from Year 3 added: “I liked the way we learnt how to check if our bikes were safe.”
Bike Week – which ran nationally between 10 and 18 June – aimed to highlight how easily cycling can be a part of everyday life by encouraging cycling for everyone. Demonstrating the social, health and environmental benefits of cyling, the initiative sought to inspire people all over the UK to give cycling a go.
Added By: Olive Hackney | Date Added: 19th Jun 2017 | Posted In: Latest News