Cycling Proficiency Lessons Risk Assessment Template

Typical hazards & measures

• Supervision ratios and roadside instruction — Set ratios by age and road complexity, position instructors fore and aft, deliver instructions at pre-briefed pull-ins, avoid mid-carriageway coaching, and halt the group whenever sightlines or noise prevent clear, safe communication.
• Rider competence and control — Begin off-road with start/stop, balance, signalling and shoulder checks, progress to quiet roads only when standards are met, and pause or step back any rider who cannot maintain a straight line while looking behind or signaling safely.
• Shared-use paths and pedestrians — Moderate speed, use bells or voice early, pass wide and slow, yield at blind corners, avoid weaving among walkers, and demonstrate courtesy stops so pupils learn to negotiate parks, towpaths and school approaches without conflict.
• Traffic signals and crossings — Coach stop lines, advanced stop boxes and filtered turns, require dismount at pedestrian-only phases, keep riders behind the instructor at complex sequences, and restart only on a clear green with space to clear the junction safely.
• Narrow lanes and pinch points — Ride in primary position to deter unsafe passing, single-out well in advance, wait through constrictions, regroup beyond the hazard, and relocate if repeated driver pressure prevents holding a safe line through the narrow section.