YEARLSEY Grove primary school has been nominated for a Community Pride award for the staff and pupils' committed work to promote cycling.

With cycling at the forefront of minds in York after the Tour de France, Yearsley Grove the school has made a concerted effort to inspire children to get on two wheels.

With help from the Sustrans Bike-It project, the school has seen the number of students biking to school rocket in recent months, and besides the children inspired the children to get on their bikes, the staff are taking a keen interest as well. So much so that the school have been forced to build a new bike shed for the staff bikes.

The school has been nominated for the Primary School Project of the Year award, which recognises schools which work hard to improve the environment, and its nomination said the classroom has also been taken by storm with the new biking craze.

Pete Lambert who nominated the school for their commemorative work said: “In the last year, the way that Yearsley Grove has embraced cycling has been inspirational.”

Mr Lambert added: “The legacy from the Tour de France Grande Depart starts in schools, where the next generation of cyclists and road users are formed. Yearsley is leading the way in creating a generation of fitter, healthier, safer and more environmentally conscious citizens.”

Teachers have managed to incorporate cycling in lessons about maths and art, keeping the children excited in the leading weeks to the Tour de France, he added.

The school have also triumphed in competitions on their two wheeled transport by coming second in York for the Big Pedal - a national competition run by Sustrans to promote cycling within all schools.

A massive 42 percent of the school's community managed to either cycle or scoot to school over the two weeks of the competition, clocking up 3,320 journeys to and from school.

A Sutrans Bike-It representative also made some frequent visits to the school to guide biking sessions and help the children perform repairs on their bikes when necessary.

The Community Pride Awards are run by The Press and City of York Council, and sponsored by Benenden Health. Nominations have now closed, and the winners will be announced at a special ceremony in October.