There are no specific rules or legislations that prevent a lone instructor from taking a group of children off school grounds with no other adult supervision. It is not an ideal scenario, and not generally recommended where an alternative scenario can be undertaken (see Supervising children’s sporting activities (thecpsu.org.uk).

It is best practice to have at least two adults present when working with children and young people, although sometimes it may be appropriate or necessary for an adult to have one-to-one contact with a child or supervise a small group of children on their own. In regards to Safeguarding it is best practice to follow the ‘Rule of Two’, which is stated to be the preferred standard for abuse prevention. In general, the two-adult rule simply states that no fewer than two adults and two children must be present at all times in professional settings. 

When a lone adult does take out a group of children for a Bikeability session the risks need to be stated in the risk benefit assessment and risks mitigated against.  

You should always gain parental consent for children aged under 16. For young people aged 16 and 17, you should decide whether parental consent is necessary depending on the activity and the young person’s circumstances.

If you decide parental consent isn’t necessary, you should still consider whether parents or carers need to be informed that their child is taking part. In most circumstances, parents have a legal parental responsibility for their children up to the age of 18.

Please visit our complaints page, which has information on the procedure for dealing with complaints, as well as thorough guidance, a model complaints policy you can use, and links to webinars with more information.

You must annually inform your grant recipient and the Bikeability Trust of any complaints. We will record the complaint, but you must act on and resolve it. You may escalate a complaint, according to your complaints policy.