The Bourne Academy Becomes a ‘Bike It’ School

The Bourne Academy is pleased to become a ‘Bike It’ School, working with the BCP Council’s appointed Sustrans Bike It Plus Officer to promote active and sustainable travel. Through this partnership, BCP Council and Sustrans has created a customized schedule to meet the requirements of the Academy and achieve the best outcome for the students.

The Academy has only been working together with Sustrans ‘Bike It’ Officer, Amanda Shorey, for a short time, but they have already achieved so much. The Bourne Academy has taken part in the Sustrans ‘Big Pedal,’ monitoring the active journeys to and from the Academy. The school has promoted an active-travel virtual assembly which encouraged safe cycling, bike safety checks, how to correctly fit a cycle helmet and demonstrated the range of bike lanes in the vicinity of the Academy, showcasing cycle journeys as aspirational and achievable.

There has also been an incredibly successful Dr Bike session, where bikes belonging to students and staff were triaged, safety checked were possible fixed on-site by trained mechanics. The positive impact this has on our community is significant and much appreciated, the uptake of the session was so good that the Dr Bike team will be returning to the Academy later in the summer term. The Academy has also received a donation of cycle helmets which has benefited Pupil Premium students and the PE Department.

Anna Harpham-Gist, TED Teacher says ‘At The Bourne Academy we are keen to promote active travel within our community, and the opportunity to work with a BCP Sustrans Bike It Officer was one we could not turn down. Our relationship with Amanda is blossoming and we are grateful for the opportunities she has been able to offer us to date. We look forward to continuing to work with Sustrans and BCP.  

The Academy has been promoting sustainable travel, particularly cycling to school over recent years. The uptake of students cycling to school has increased so much that the Academy needed to invest in an additional bike shed in 2019 to house the students’ bikes while they are in school.