Wheels for All and The Bikeability Trust launch SEND inclusive cycling pilot

Wheels for All and The Bikeability Trust have today announced a new pilot project designed to improve access to Bikeability for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This work is supported by the Department for Transport (DfT) and The Bikeability Trust.

Running between January and March 2026, the pilot will establish a small number of SEND schools as inclusive cycling mini hubs, each equipped with adapted cycles, trained Bikeability instructors and confident school staff. The project aims to test, refine and strengthen how Bikeability can work for SEND pupils, with learning used to inform future national guidance and delivery.

Five SEND schools will be selected from a shortlist across different regions. Each school will receive a small fleet of adapted cycles, stored on site and will host a block of inclusive Bikeability sessions delivered by trained registered instructors. School staff will be trained alongside instructors to help embed inclusive cycling into everyday school activity.

Wheels for All will provide specialist inclusive cycling training, adapted equipment and mentoring, while local Bikeability Training Organisations will nominate instructors and coordinate delivery. The Bikeability Trust is supporting the pilot and will use the learning to shape how Bikeability continues to evolve for SEND pupils.

Ian Tierney, Chief Executive of Wheels for All, said:

“This pilot is about showing what Bikeability can look like when it is inclusive, and the right support is in place. By combining adapted cycles, skilled instructors and confident school staff, we can create positive cycling experiences for SEND pupils and build models that can be replicated more widely.”

Emily Cherry, Chief Executive of The Bikeability Trust, said:

“We want Bikeability to be accessible to every child. This pilot allows us to learn directly from SEND settings, understand what works best and use that insight to strengthen our existing training, guidance and delivery nationally.”

The pilot will focus not only on delivery, but also on learning. Wheels for All will work with instructors and schools to capture feedback on pupil engagement, confidence and skill development, as well as instructor confidence in delivering inclusive sessions. This learning will be shared with The Bikeability Trust to support future improvements to Bikeability provision for SEND pupils.

Further announcements will follow as participating schools are confirmed and delivery begins.

Notes to editors

• Wheels for All is the national inclusive cycling charity, supporting disabled people and people with long-term health conditions to experience the benefits of cycling.
• The Bikeability Trust is the charitable incorporated organisation that manages, develops and promotes the Bikeability cycle training programme in England.
• Bikeability is the Department for Transport’s national cycle training programme for children and young people in England.