Over 400,000 pledges to pedal to school are underway for Cycle to School Week (13–17 October). Pupils and VIPs are joining the UK’s largest children’s cycling event, which supports children and families using pedal power on the school run.

Hundreds of thousands of children across England are cycling to school from 13–17 October, with Bikeability hosting special guests including 17 MPs and:

National Active Travel Commissioner Chris Boardman CBE in Worcester
Regional Active Travel Commissioners Ed Clancy OBE in Sheffield, Beccy Marston in Birmingham and Dame Sarah Storey in Stockport
Headline supporter NatWest Rooster Money CEOWill Carmichael in London
The Bikeability Trust Chief Executive Emily Cherry …across the nation!

The Southeast is leading the pledges for Cycle to School Week 2025, with more than 50 Sussex schools signing up to the event, representing more than 19,000 children. Brighton & Hove City Council and West Sussex County Council were among the Top 10 Local Authorities backing the scheme.

placeholder image — Cycle to School Week 2025

Lilian Greenwood MP, Minister for Local Transport, said: “Cycling to school is a fantastic way for children to stay active, enjoy the outdoors, and build healthy habits that last a lifetime. It not only supports physical and mental wellbeing, but also helps to reduce traffic, cut carbon emissions, and ease pressure on the NHS – a key part of our Plan for Change. During Cycle to School Week, I encourage families to take part and experience the many benefits of travelling by bike, helping to create a cleaner, healthier future for us all.”

The Bikeability Trust Chief Executive Emily Cherry said: “Cycle to School Week celebrates cycling as the fun and planet-friendly alternative to school-run traffic jams. We know that embedding positivity towards cycling in the primary school years sets children up for lifelong participation. With more than 393,000 pledges, this is our most successful event yet, proving the perfect opportunity for children to discover the benefits of cycling to school with their friends, helping them towards happier and healthier lifestyles,”

Activating FOUR Active Travel Commissioners

National Active Travel Commissioner Chris Boardman CBE opened Cycle to School Week in Worcester, leading a ‘bike bus’ of pupils heading to school drop-off at Oldbury Park Primary School. Together with Trust CEO Emily Cherry and the Bike Worcester team, Chris also helped to launch Bikeability’s new Bike Bus guidance in partnership with Beeline.

A bike bus is just like a school bus, but instead of a vehicle picking up children on the way to school, the children join a supervised group on their cycles. At bikeability.org.uk/bike-bus, you’ll find free resources for all new and existing bike bus leaders. It’s everything you need to help children get to school under their own steam.

National Active Travel Commissioner Chris Boardman said: “I’ve spoken to thousands of pupils across the country over the years, and every time I’ve asked who would like to cycle to school more, I’ve seen a sea of hands go up in the air. Cycle to School Week is a brilliant opportunity for kids to start the day active, energised and ready to learn, and we hope to see as many families as possible taking part this year.

“It’s also fantastic to see the release of the new Bike Bus guidance, which will help more pupils and their parents enjoy a safe, sociable and fun way to get to classes together. It’s what the kids want, and what we want for them.”

NatWest Rooster Money joins the school run fun

Headline Cycle to School Week supporter NatWest Rooster Money celebrated Cycle to School Week’s growing success at St John’s Upper Holloway in London, where children took part in Bikeability Level 1 on the playground and Level 2 out on the road.

In attendance were The Bikeability Trust Chief Executive Emily Cherry and Partnerships Manager Aaron Tillyer; NatWest Rooster Money CEO Will Carmichael and Partnerships Manager Adelle Rainbow; and Islington Council Bikeability instructors Mark Surrey and Rachel Bevis.

Will Carmichael, CEO, NatWest Rooster Money, said:“It was fantastic to see the brilliant Bikeability cycle training programme in action – it really reinforced how life skill-focused missions think about the outcomes and deliver opportunities to make an impact – which Bikeability clearly is doing. Watching the children move from Level 1 cycle training on the playground out onto the open road for Level 2 was a real showcase in the similarities between The Bikeability Trust and NatWest Rooster Money: both build confidence in children and give them skills that will travel through life with them.”