A south London school has ordered pupils who cycle to class to put number plates on their bikes so that members of the public can report instances of antisocial cycling.
The move was communicated to parents of the 1,200 children at Stanley Park High School in Carshalton – named Secondary School of the Year for 2016 by the Times Education Supplement – in a bulletin from the school’s head teacher, Amit Amin.
He wrote: “Last week we asked parents to encourage their child to cycle. However, we are aware that across the borough, there are some children who are cycling in a way that endangers themselves and others.
“We have decided to introduce a cycle registration scheme, and students who cycle to school will soon be issued with a bicycle number plate which must be displayed when riding to and from school,” he continued.
“This will help us to identify students who are putting themselves at risk. Students without a number plate will not be permitted to cycle to school, or lock their bicycles on school grounds.”
“A letter will be issued to parents and carers with further details this week, which must be signed and returned to school before the plates are issued,” he added.
“This is seen as a measure to ensure the safety of our students who cycle, and a way of tackling the concerns drawn to our attention by recent reports.”
Over the past year, we have reported on a number of schools around the country that have sought to impose rules on students wanting to get there by bike.
Those include making cycle helmets mandatory and requiring pupils to pass a safety test before they are allowed to ride a bike to school, and one school in Derby even threatened to ban children from getting there by bike following complaints of antisocial cycling.
Earlier this year, Cycling UK urged schools to stop imposing rules that it says make it more difficult for children to cycle there.
> https://road.cc/content/news/233754-cycling-uk-urges-“stop-making-cycling-school-difficult”
The charity has also published a guide highlighting how they can encourage more children to ride bikes, with Duncan Dollimore, its head of campaigns and advocacy, saying: “Active pupils are frequently healthier and more attentive students.”
66 thoughts on “London school makes pupils who cycle put number plates on bikes”
Not that the school has any
Not that the school has any powers to do this.
Will they issue plates for kids who walk but don’t cross the road properly or show no consideration for other pavement users?
Let’s hope no teacher decides to drive a few hundred yards along the road with a person on their bonnet.
“Let’s hope no teacher
“Let’s hope no teacher decides to drive a few hundred yards along the road with a person on their bonnet.”
Nice!
Let me guess – the school has
Let me guess – the school has a similarly aggressive policy towards the school-run drivers who abuse parking regulations around the school. Or perhaps, towards the same school-run drivers who treat school-kids on bikes with utter, and dangerous, disdain?
Really? You say the school doesn’t?
Now you really surprise me … NOT.
Unfair treatment of
Unfair treatment of responsible pupils in the name of catching a few idiots? In a school? Say it ain’t so!
Seriously, this is what schools are for: teaching kids that life is unfair, that we can’t have nice things, and most people in positions of authority are arseholes. On that score, job done Mr. Amit Amin.
By the same logic, tattoo all
By the same logic, tattoo all the students.
What law gives schools that
What law gives schools that right to impose number plates outside of school hours and grounds?
When did head masters and teachers become police officers enforcing “the law”?
Yorkshie Whippet wrote:
Exactly. Outside school premises and school hours, students are just folk, nothing to do with the school. They could insist on number plates on school premises to get you a parking space, possibly, but I don’t see how they could insist on it for “travelling to and from school”.
Yorkshie Whippet wrote:
Sorry: duplicate post
brooksby wrote:
Not true actually, schools have a duty of care to students (just as employers do to their employees) – that duty of care, for a schoolchild, is in place from as soon as the child leaves their house (or parents care i.e. car).
This is why schools don’t care about how parents park/drive. The school’s duty of care to a child end as soon as they are picked up by their parents
Despite this, as far as I am aware, the school has no power to enforce number plates on bikes.
Schools spend all their time covering their asses to try and get good Ofsted ratings, which leads to lunacy, like number plates on bikes.
Canyon48 wrote:
— Canyon48No, that’s incorrect.
The school has no responsibility for your child outside school premises except on school-organised excursions.
The school staff may think it’s important – for the image of the school* – to control errant behaviour by children wearing their uniform outside the school grounds but that’s a wish and certainly not their job.
NOBODY has the right to enforce number plates on bicycles.
* this kind of thing is almost always done because it is in the best interest of the school. Sadly, we’ve been here before e.g.
Nov 2017 https://road.cc/content/news/232269-surrey-school-says-students-can-only-cycle-school-if-they-fit-number-plate-their
Dec 2017 https://road.cc/content/news/233703-school-brings-detentions-children-who-dont-wear-cycle-helmet
Mar 2018 https://road.cc/content/news/238318-derby-school-threatens-ban-pupils-cycling
Simon E wrote:
Schools definitely have a duty of care and level of responsibility with regards to travel between home and school – Ofsted judges them (in part) on this. They don’t have any way of enforcing these policies off the school site (they can on-site however) – the school I was at tried to do something stupidly similar.
See section 47 “The EIA 2006 empowers headteachers to take action to address unacceptable behaviour even when this takes place outside the school premises and when pupils are not under the legal control of the school, but when it is reasonable to do so.”
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/575323/Home_to_school_travel_and_transport_guidance.pdf
They have no legal control over the students, but, as I said, the school will be judged based in part on this.
I only came out of school a few years ago, the school I went to was deemed as “needs improving” by Ofsted with regards to child safety to and from school.
So schools come up with these stupid ideas to try and please Ofsted.
Canyon48 wrote:
I’m not following how that link is relevant. It states it is for local authorities but a school is not a local authority.
Canyon48 wrote:
That isn’t correct.
“
The School acts in loco parentis during the time that pupils are on school premises. It is the responsibility of the parents to ensure that pupils arrive at school safely and in the case of older children, make their own way home safely.”
http://www.stmaryscambridge.co.uk/ugc-1/1/12/0/pupil_supervision_and_duty_of_care_p.pdf
What do they do with the
What do they do with the number plates of all the cars that drive in an antisocial manner in the borough?
Kids behaving like kids.
Kids behaving like kids. Should be fake news.
How big are they proposing
How big are they proposing this ‘number plate’ should be so that it is more effective than identifying the rider by sight?
Surely the ‘number plate’ should be on the child not the bike.
jova54 wrote:
Safest option is to brand them. Or maybe barcodes on the forearm to gain access to the bike sheds
I hope they’ll start
I hope they’ll start enforcing road tax next…
Seems a good idea. Glad to
Seems a good idea. Glad to see a school being pro active for once.
I commute to work on a bike and make sure I avoid schools at peak times as don’t want to have an accident with a kid doing a wheelie along the road.
if they ride sensibly the kids will have nothing to worry about – plus they won’t get mashed up by a car.
jimmyd wrote:
You’re missing the point that the school has no authority whatsoever to do this…
Besides, the scrotes causing trouble can just pop their number plate at the last corner before they get to school.
Nope not missing the point at
Nope not missing the point at all. I just live in the real world where everyday I have to abide by rules that I may not necessarily agree with but I still abide by them and sometimes it’s so petty it’s just not worth the hassle so you let it go. This is a prime example. If the parents and pupils have a problem they can walk to school, or even walk to another less strict school.
jimmyd wrote:
You’d have a point if they weren’t exceeding their powers.
Anyone exceeeding their powers should be challenged otherwise we wouldn’t have ombudsmen, judicial reviews and internal work grievance processes.
jimmyd wrote:
You avoid schools to mitigate the risks of being hit by kids pulling wheelies? As opposed to being squashed by school-run drivers who aren’t paying proper attention?
That’s not just missing the point: that’s living in a parallel universe.
jimmyd wrote:
I’m making a rule that you aren’t allowed on the internet any more.
You may not necessarily agree with my rule, but as you have already explained that as a denizen of ‘the real world’ you feel you have to abide by all rules, no matter how arbitrary and entirely lacking in legal legitimacy they might be, I trust you will do the same with this one.
If you have a problem you can communicate your views to the world by means of shouting in the street or distributing hand-written leaflets to passers-by.
jimmyd wrote:
Meanwhile in the real world, there are countless examples of unfair and discriminatory rules and many brave and honourable people have stood up against those rules, sometimes paying with their freedom or lives.
Civil disobedience is our duty when we encounter such unfair rules, especially when they are being brought in by someone who has ABSOLUTELY ZERO authority to enforce them.
Your attitude is quite simply disgusting and an insult to everyone who values freedom.
jimmyd wrote:
Clearly JimmyD you ride to and from work with a large badge attached, readily readable from a car that has your name, address, phone number and insurance details in case someone takes exception to your riding. If not why should the children?
jimmyd wrote:
Apologies, mate … but that is just off-the-wall.
I’m a supply teacher, and work in schools all around W Yorkshire – commuting by bike. Same time as the kids cycling into school.
Trust me – your fear of the odd kid pulling a wheelie is misplaced.
The really terrifying thing is the way “adults” in four wheels treat “kids” on bikes with utter and complete disdain.
It’d be a fair guess that most of the contributors on this thread are adults, and most of us have issues with the way we get treated by motorists. Please trust me – our issues as adults are NOTHING compared to the intimidation and aggression experienced by “kids”.
Your “If they ride sensibly …” is (sadly) … “Get on to the pavement, lads and lasses.”
I’d be curious what sort of
I’d be curious what sort of restraints the head teach places on parents who drive their kids to school. On my commute I pass a rather well known school, one of the top performing state schools in the country and which was attended by a rather famous rock star who has his name on a facility in the place. Anyway, the parents regularly park their 4x4s on the pavement to disgorge their offspring, despite the presence of double yellow lines. They also make dangerous u-turns outside the school premises, despite the presence of other vehicles and kids crossing the road.
Once I get a new helemt mount for my Contour, I’ll send the head teacher some footage. I’m getting rather annoyed by the poor driving of parents on the school run. And to be honest, it does put some kids at risk.
Obvious solution, kids.
Obvious solution, kids. Follow the example of motorists!
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/feb/27/number-plate-cloning-drivers-fraud
Put number plate in school
Put number plate in school bag. Attach when you get to school. Photocopy at will, nick them off the other kids bikes. So many opportunities to learn about disobeying petty officialdom that should steer these kids to becoming strong, independent adults with powers of critical thinking.
Mungecrundle wrote:
Or just cover it up with a plastic bag.
“It must have been my long coat that obscured the plate”.
I wonder what the before and
I wonder what the before and after numbers are for cycling when the new unlawful regime changes are brought in. I was lucky in that my sons school never had any of this guff though he did leave in 2008, it was a top performing state school. Sadly the school removed the 100 or so spots that were fully covered AND locked by the site manager and unlocked at lunch/leaving time or upon request during the day, they now have 30 partially covered places and the rest are locked to the railings of the school totally exposed to the elements, it’s a total fuck up, yet there’s loads of space for the bus/taxis/parents cars to drop off kids which makes it absolutely chaotic at both ends of the day.
The whole attitude to cycling to school is massively wrong in this country and they wonder why kids are not really encouraged to take up cycling with either rules beyond the remit/not lawful and/or ignorance of the real issues at hand.
Fucking shameful.
I hope these number plates
I hope these number plates are safe and don’t give rise in any injury in the event of any accident. To the child or to any pedestrian, or hEaven forbid anyone’s precIous car !
No, you are missing the point
No, you are missing the point. The school has no authority. They can make all the rules they want about pupil behaviour outside school premises and school hours, but they have no authority to enforce such rules.
Please can someone help me to
Please can someone help me to understand? I am getting on in years now and I am either losing touch with modern language or getting confused as I get older.
Quote “Last week we asked parents to encourage their child to cycle. However, we are aware that across the borough, there are some children who are cycling in a way that endangers themselves and others. Unquote
Point 1 – The school are asking the parents to encourage their child to cycle however are now doing their best to discourage the pupil?
Point 2 – aware that children across the borough are cycling in a way that endangers themselves and others. Do all the children in that borough go to that school? Are they not recognisable by their uniform?
Point 3 – What business is it of the school to enforce a registration system off of the school premises? It is after all the public highway and cyclists do not require registration.
Point 4 – jimmyd; vonhemlet is right, you really are missing the point in your real world.
Quote:
Aside from the ‘no legal right’ point …. I wonder who is footing the bill for this?
Is the school paying for the number plates, or are they expecting the parents to pay for this lunacy?
I also wonder what these plates look like and how they attach to the bike. As far as I’m aware, you cannot simply nip down to the local bike shop to buy a number plate – so they will need to be manufactured espically?
Registration and regulation
Registration and regulation are sometimes necessary evils. I doubt that they are necessary in this case.
they need to electronically
they need to electronically tag/number plate their teachers … Just in case they become anti social outside of school https://www.standard.co.uk/news/education/london-teachers-in-drunken-brawl-during-school-trip-to-barcelona-9522401.html
There is also no 20mph zone near the school courtesy of Get Sutton Cycling https://getsuttoncycling.org.uk/2018/02/21/sutton-cycle-forum-january-2018/
‘There are no cycle-specific proposals for this local committee area at the moment. The forum reported, again, on a proposal to introduce a 20mph speed limit around Stanley Park High School (Carshalton South and Clockhouse) [Open Street Map and Google Streetview]. Traffic speed may be an issue, but clearly speed of delivery of the 20mph zone is not.
Our Space for Cycling ‘ward ask’ for Carshalton South and Clockhouse in 2014 noted that “There is a lot of potential for access improvements to Stanley Park High School by bicycle, and this requires a review and audit for suitability of many local streets”. This included the idea that Fountain Drive being redesigned as a linear park. Two of the three ward councillors supported the ask, but, hey, we still wait.’
The unlawful action of the head flies in the face of the LA’s thinking on cycling https://sutton.citizenspace.com/chief-executives-group/cycling-delivery-strategy/supporting_documents/Cycling%20Strategy_consultation%20draft.pdf
There is also the
There is also the questionability of some assumptions* made by the Head Teacher:
1. Is there an actual problem with antisocial behaviour that is specifically related to students and the way they use their bicycles?
2. Has he followed up with complainants to gather any actual evidence in support of their allegations? Indeed have there actually been any specific complaints given the statement in the report “…However, we are aware that across the borough, there are some children who are cycling in a way that endangers themselves and others.”
3. Are the authorities, the ones who actually have authority over roads policing, currently following up complaints, and would the school not be better advised to aid those outstanding investigations before jumping in?
I know from local news stories over the years that several children have been struck and injured by motorists whilst walking to / from schools that are within 2 miles of my own front door. I have yet to read a story in the local press about any incident involving a cyclist of any description being the cause of injury to another road user or pedestrian.
*Assumptions of my own, are of course beyond reproach.
Well it’s nice to see a
Well it’s nice to see a school actually preparing its pupils for the real world they’ll encounter when they leave. A world full of self-important dullards in minor positions of authority, imposing petty and pointless rules on people they dislike because of their mode of transport.
Get used to it, kids.
Is anyone else getting an
Is anyone else getting an advert for number/registration plate makers on this page?
brooksby wrote:
No. We all have ad blockers.
Why don’t they make the
Why don’t they make the little wankers who are getting the bus have a little number plate on as well? So they can be identified for “anti social behaviour” otherwise known as being as being a kid. And then where does it end, who else has to wear number plates in case they do something antisocial out of school, teachers, parents etc? I don’t believe the school can enforce something stronger than the actual law which doesn’t require number plates for cyclists, only cars as they are tonnes of metal driven at speed, meaning a very real danger. Which presents the most danger a schoolkid on bike vs yummy mummy in 4×4? They should be focusing on and addressing real dangers rather than focusing on (and persecuting) cyclists.
I’m quite jealous of the kids
I’m quite jealous of the kids that can do long balance point wheelies – saw a couple on Friday when I was picking my daughter up from school.
I’d rather they weren’t doing them in the middle of the road, but that’s just kids being kids.
There are 2 schools on opposite sides of the road and a pre-school just along the road and all the roads are otherwise quiet residential streets – anyone driving around there should be well aware of the schools and drive accordingly.
LastBoyScout wrote:
I’m glad its not just me…
brooksby wrote:
I’ve never been able to do good wheelies, and humiliated myself in front of a really hot girl when I was about 15 by taking it too far back, crashing to the ground and knocking the wind out of myself with the bike crashing down on top of me.
I’ve looked at a couple of youtube videos and decided it’s never too late to learn. Then I just need to track down hot girl and ride up and down her street pulling wheelies until she notices.
Re the article, I also hope the headmaster issues stickers for the back of all the blazers to capture those kids who are being anti-social on the bus on the way to school. I’d report lots of them. 🙂
Riding a bike is one of the
Riding a bike is one of the few freedoms left for anyone.
Nazi schools fuck off (as sung by Jello Biafra).
Still is just more rules for people who already obey rules, meanwhile the rule breaking just have more rules they’ll still break.
As is so often the case
As is so often the case RoadCC are making clickbait out of this and many posters are falling for it. The school cannot impose this. However then can prohibit any non registered bikes within school grounds. The article doesn’t say this although it could well have been researched or made clear.
Nothing to stop the kids riding to school but they cannot take their bikes in. Should they chose to lock them to a lamp post off school proprty then they cannot be stopped.
Lousy idea probably brought about by some kids being irresponsible little gits and some complaints. As some kids are.
Why do people jump on their high horse without thinking. To talk about crappy parking is another issue. We can’t justify one set of stupidity by mentioning another.
mattsccm wrote:
Your points here contradict each other. It’s a lousy idea, that sends the wrong message and discourages active travel. Hence a high horse seems quite appropriate. (Just hope none of these kids close passes that horse and causes it to bolt)
mattsccm wrote:
I read what the situation is, what are the school going to do if a child turns up on bike with no tag, what if ALL the parents refuse and their kids turn up at school to park up as before. Are the school going to force the children to park their bikes outside the school gates, it’s not private property so the school cannot enforce this. Are the school going to cut the locks off all the bikes and remove them or confiscate them, What if all the parents remove the plates and keep giving them back to the school.
It’s utter bullshit by some zealot with no idea as to balance/discrimination nor the real issues at hand that actually matter. He needs to keep his own house in order with tags etc with all due respect given the propensity of his staff to go on the piss and start fighting whilst supervising school children on a school trip. A somewhat bigger issue than non existent anti social behaviour that has no basis in fact or is a problem over and above that other kids on foot/car/bus.
it’s utter bullshit, I hope the parents push back and tell him to fuck off.
mattsccm wrote:
But it does put it into perspective.
Many (most?) schools have trouble with parking. Antisocial driving causes deaths.
Whereas – what exactly is the problem with kids puling wheelies?
There are small groups of
There are small groups of these kids on my commute – the worst thing about them is they challenge me to pop a wheelie which I am completely unable to do. When you meet them you slow down, cheerly say Hi and most move out the way, the worst I’ve ever had is some mild joshing about the lack of air under my front wheel.
When you see them them out driving and despite the lack of lights in most urban environments with street lights and headlights they aren’t difficult to spot if you are concentrating it’s not exactly difficult to slow down keep a wide berth and remember the stupid things you did as kid and remember the forebarence you were shown by your elders and betters.
If it is a problem and I can see some pedestrians finding them intimidating in certain environments surely focusing on the actual children causing the problem is the fairest way to deal with it and in my experience any teacher worth their pay check will know who they are.
This rather surprised me, but
This rather surprised me, but I checked up my local secondary school’s policies and found the following:
6. Pupils’ Conduct Outside the School Gates
Schools have a clear legal power to regulate pupils’ behaviour outside of school premises, “to such extent as is reasonable”.
This will include any misbehaviour when the child is:
Taking part in any school-organised or school-related activity
Travelling to or from school
Wearing school uniform
In addition, misbehaviour at any time that:
Could have repercussions for the orderly running of the school
Poses a threat to another pupil, member of staff or member of the public
Could adversely affect the reputation of the school.
So it could actually be within the school’s power to enforce this. However, I certainly can’t see that anyone could possibly think it is reasonable to insist on number plates on bikes. It’s no more unreasonable for the school to insist that pupils all wear ID plates outside school, and that would clearly be exceeding the school’s authority.
Rod Marton wrote:
I assume it dates back to this:
[trigger warning: article begins with a photograph that many, particularly those working in education, might find highly disturbing]
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/teachers-given-power-to-punish-outside-school-2098917.html
(but it seems an obvious abuse of this power to start demanding the wearing of registration numbers)
FluffyKittenofTindalos wrote:
Aaaargh! My eyes!
You may need to expand your trigger warning as I don’t work in education.
FluffyKittenofTindalos wrote:
Just remember that “people in this country have had enough of experts”
This man is a secretary of state with proper powers and everything. I have as much respect for him as Grayling.
ktache wrote:
By the age of 16 most of us have had enough of teachers who think they’re more important than they really are.
Simon E wrote:
There We Are Then.
Rod Marton wrote:
You can put whatever you want into a policy, but it doesn’t affect what enforcement powers you may or may not have.
“I am not a number!! I am a
“I am not a number!! I am a Free Man!!”
Unless you want teachers at the school to have the extra workload / time wasted chasing up and enforcing this completely impractical idea instead of …oh I don’t know…preparing innovative and interesting lessons to engage the kids and make them want to get to school in one piece, then this is a stupid idea IMHO and you would have hoped it’s Board of Governors twould have spotted this is a waste of precious money – by letting the school waste it’s precious funding by policing and enforcing a rather impractical and largely unenforcable rule, the Governors are not doing their job properly.
Public Money for schools – as crappy a pittance as the schools get – should (IMHO) be spent on educating the kids by:
1: paying to train, recruit and retain decent staff,
2: Maintain Decent resources and equipment (NOT rooms full of iPads or flash laboratories etc that are all style over substance)
3: paying to train, recruit and retain staff who can offer decent pastoral care to sort those huge numbers of poor kids whose parents can’t be bothered to parent properly
…then you can look at the extras like…
3: posh grounds, Norman Foster buildings etc etc etc,
..and finally, number 1000,001 on the list of “1000,000 things to spend school money on” should be “Bike Number Plates”. If at all.
This is not a story about bikes or biking to school really – it’s a story about the sad reflection of a society where many people don’t take any responsiblity for parenting their own kids ( i.e teaching them about safe riding) or monitoing their own behaviour towards others (i.e negligent school run drivers) and therefore using a hammer to crack a walnut (i.e a stupid overblown scheme to reduce silly cycling dangers).
maybe if the number plates
maybe if the number plates are 1.5 metres wide with jagged looking ends then drivers might give the kids enough space when passing
The BBC have picked up on
The BBC have picked up on this: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-45636870
How about a flexible
How about a flexible numberplate that extends 0.75m to the kerb and 1.5m into the road? I suggest “flexible” because there is always the possibilty of a close pass!
Fair discussion on Radio 4’s
Fair discussion on Radio 4’s PM programme today with contributions from CUK and IAM Roadsmart. Starts at 18:29
https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/play/b0bkpjgt
This is hilarious……what
This is hilarious……what happens if the child doesn’t display one? He can’t be identified!!!
Handy for school bullies to
Handy for school bullies to anonymously pick on other kids.