Bicycle Network: Teachers

Setting goals for winter and summer

Use your HandsUp! results to set realistic goals to work towards over the summer and winter. We have created a proforma for you to use. Setting goals and strategies helps to keep schools on track with increasing the number of students walking and riding to school. Set  winter and summer goals to keep the momentum going.

Setting summer goals

It is a good idea to set your date to achieve the goal during the summer months when students are more inclined to walk and ride to school and your results are less likely to be skewed by poor weather. Choose a month to collect the HandsUp! survey results which does not coincide with Ride2School Day as your results will be a lot higher than they would normally be.

Setting winter goals

In addition to setting summer goals, set lower winter goals so that the program does not lose its momentum and you do not lose all the great work that you have already put in. How often do you hear people say that it is too cold and wet to ride over the winter? Our experience shows that it is often the parents and teachers who think this and the students actually love riding in the wet and the cold. A bit of preparation before getting on the bike goes a long way!

Some points to follow for setting and achieving goals

1. Download the goal setting proforma.

2. Refer to your HandsUp! results to see what your active travel percentage is.

3. Set your summer and winter goals.

4. Follow the SMART principle when setting your goals:

            Specific
            Measurable
            Achievable
            Realistic
            Time-bound.

5. Write down strategies to achieve your goals. 

6. Display your goals where you, staff and students can see them regularly. Out of sight out of mind!

7. Collect the HandsUp! surveys and display them in the school newsletter reporting on progress made with achieving these goals.