The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has created a scooter training scheme for primary school children – which it claims is the first of its kind in the UK.
The council has seen a significant increase in the number of young children travelling to school on micro-scooters and has responded to the growing craze by launching a training scheme to encourage responsible use.
Following on from last year’s successful pilot, ‘ScootSurfers’ training is being offered to all primary schools in the borough. Nine have already signed up and the scheme started at St Thomas Church of England Primary School on 17 May.
ScootSurfers has been extremely successful in promoting sustainable travel to school. In pilot schools scooting increased by 90% compared to an increase of 33% in those not involved in the development of ScootSurfers
The schools will all receive a full day of training from a qualified team of instructors who also deliver the council’s cycling and pedestrian safety courses. The instructors will show teachers how to continue the training independently.
Training will take place in the playground and consist of one-hour sessions for groups of 15 pupils. Each session will cover scooter skills (i.e. starting, stopping and steering), pavement etiquette, road safety advice and tips on locking and looking after scooters.
On completing the course children will receive a ScootSurfers certificate and a bell to attach to their scooter to warn pedestrians that they are approaching.
Councillor Nicholas Paget-Brown said: “Scooting is clearly popular but we need to ensure that those using scooters respect other pedestrians and pavement users. That is what these courses are all about.”
Adrian Jones, assistant head teacher at St Thomas’ CE Primary School, said: “Scooting to school is a great way for the children to exercise and it also cuts down on congestion caused by parents driving their children to school.
“ScooterSurfers is an exciting opportunity for the children and staff to be trained and hopefully will encourage more people to jump on their scooters.”
Footnote: Other local authorities are welcome to join in the scheme and should contact Daniel Forsyth or Charmaine Woodison at Bite CP on 0844 9670091 to discuss running ScootSurfers in their area.
Pardon our over enthusiastic press release (aren’t they all?). By ‘first of it’s kind’ we meant that we are not aware of a branded campaign that is packaged and ready for other LA’s to take up should they so wish. Not that we are the first to do any work with scooters. Regards.
Neil Simpson – RBKC
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I’ve held ‘Bike, Trike and Scooter Days’in Warwickshire for several years, where the children are taught to give their bike, trike or scooter a safety check, before skills training is done. Great fun!!
Jane Lees – Warwickshire Road Safety
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Derby City Council have also been running “Scootability” in schools for a while now.
David Poxon – Leicester
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Hello all – we at Redcar Cleveland have been offering this training since 1998.
Good sound way to introduce rs training to young children.
Keep up the good work.
mike redcar
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It is great that this training is taking place. I do not wish to be seen to dampen their efforts but we here at Bracknell Forest Council offer scooter skills training as do our Thames Valley collegues in Buckinghamshire, who have been doing so for some time.
I have never been pedantic about who gets the credit for any work in Road Safety so long as the messages get through, but sorry RBKS you are not the first.
Tina Housego Bracknell Forest Road Safety
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