Primary school cycle parking

[NobbyButtons]

My children's primary school has a cycle rack on its grounds, and before the first lockdown children were allowed to leave their bicycles there. However, in September 2020 they asked children not to bring bikes into school "due to congestion" (i.e. children getting close to each other when parking their bikes).

Since then, various reasons have been given why they do not allow children to park their bikes at school, including accidentally bumping into people's legs when walking their bikes up the path into school, and complaints from parents and neighbours about the way in which children arrive on bikes. (In all my years of walking to school, I don't remember seeing any cycling behaviour from primary school children that would cause me complaint. Driving and parking is another story!) The most recent reason is that bringing bikes into school interferes with social distancing.

There is one dad who cycles back from school holding his son's bike, but for the majority of people not being able to leave bikes at school means that cycling is not practical. There is nowhere in the street outside the school to leave bikes.

Is this common in other schools? I have politely asked the HT to reconsider, to no avail!

No! Our school has bike racks and they have never been closed. Lots of kids cycle or scoot to school and need somewhere to leave their bikes (especially as parents are generally cycling on to work so can't take bikes home). Why on earth would a HT want to discourage children cycling to school. It makes no sense....

The children have never been allowed to leave bikes in the racks at our school, apparently they're only for public use I find it most odd.

DDs primary don't have bike racks. Some parents leave bikes on the little bit of grass between the gate and the road, but it's strongly discouraged and there's a big sign that says bikes and scooters maybe removed by the school and disposed of.