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Students try out the new bike sheds

Oxfordshire's most bicycle-friendly school took another leap towards getting 1,000 of its pupils on their bikes today.

The Cherwell School, in Marston Ferry Road, Oxford, already has 47 per cent of pupils cycling into school - 20 times the national average.

But teachers and Oxfordshire County Council want to boost that figure to 55 per cent by July 2009, which would mean 1,000 of the school's 1,790 pupils were saddling up every day.

Today, the school unveiled two new £57,000 bike sheds at its north site in Marston Ferry Road.

The sheds - financed by the county council's Better Ways to School project - makes an additional 380 spaces available and replaced old bike sheds which were unpopular. It is hoped the new sheds - the largest at schools in the county - will promote cycling as a healthy, cheap and green way to get to school.

Sixth former Henry Strivens, 18, from Yarnton, said: "I know of at least three people who didn't bring their bikes in because they were worried they would get stolen. The fact that now we have nice thick steel bike racks means I think more people will bring in their bikes and feel safer doing it."

There is now space for 750 bikes at the school's two sites, of which 610 are under cover. The council is getting quotes for another set of sheds, which would take capacity past the 1,000 mark.

Staff at the school are also promoting cycling by handing out Oxford cycle maps, discussing safe cycling techniques and providing on-site cycling training.

But parent governor Tim Morris also called for improvements to make roads around the school more cycle-friendly. He said: "More would cycle if they felt confident on the roads. There are issues about safety, especially at the main junction from Banbury Road to Marston Ferry Road. It's a nightmare for cyclists.

"It would be very nice if there was a cycle path there."

Deputy headteacher Julie Stuart-Thompson said she felt aiming to get 1,000 pupils on bikes was realistic.

She said: "I think it's traditional to bike in Oxford. It's the cool thing to do for young people and it's part of being someone who lives in Oxford."

School governor and county councillor Jean Fooks said: "We had asbestos roofing and the sheds were inadequate and nasty for bicycles.

"These are lovely, healthy, safe and dry."

7:46pm Friday 28th March 2008

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