Furze Platt School

Maidenhead Cycle Hub and Furze Platt Senior School are working together on a number of projects which are in addition to the usual academic and extra curricular programmes. Working alongside the school’s Alternative Curriculum Support Adviser, the projects will be targeting young people with a range of needs.

Roger, the Hub’s bike mechanic, goes in to the school once a fortnight to work with a group of four students. Two of these students are at risk of exclusion, one has a poor attendance record, and the other is disengaged with school. During these sessions, the students will support the charity with a variety of tasks. This is beneficial to the students, because they will be taking part in practical activities which they will enjoy, they will see the end result, they are giving something back to the community, and they will have the chance to develop a relationship with a positive male role model

We have developed a specialised timetable for a year 11 student who is at risk of exclusion, one of the students from the above programme has shown a very keen interest in this. The Cycle Hub are supporting this by offering this young person a work placement, which takes place for a few hours once a fortnight. This student will undertake a range of tasks within the workshop to support the charity.

This young person has recently started the placement, and he has already given positive feedback. He has a keen interest in bikes; not only is this placement giving him something that engages him, he is learning valuable skills.

The Dr Bike sessions will increase bike safety around the school. It will help the students by ensuring the bikes they use to ride to school on or socially are in good working order and most of all safe. The four students who are already working with the Hub, will be involved in helping with the maintenance of these bikes in some way.

Maidenhead Cycle Hub will support with some organised bike rides in 2017. This will support some of the students, who are working towards their Duke of Edinburgh Award, to complete the physical section of their award. It will give staff and students, who have an interest in cycling, the opportunity to take part in an extra- curricular activity and develop relationships through their shared common interest.

It will also encourage young people to take up cycling, and make them aware of local cycling routes.

Maidenhead Cycle Hub will support any students that wishes to learn to ride a bike. This has already started with a year 11 student, one of the Hub’s volunteers will be attending the school during a PE lesson and will return if further lessons are required. The Hub is also providing a bike for the student to learn on.