On your bike for a GCSE!

SADDLE up . . . Hannah Smedley with (from left) instructor Jenna Woodruff, Qasim Iqbal, Abid Ahmed, Luke Jones, Saleem Ullah, Muhaiminul Islam, Saydal Hoque and instructor Kevin Crawshaw

MOUNTAIN biking is now on the timetable for 70 pupils at Radclyffe School.

For the first year the Olympic sport is part of the GCSE physical education syllabus.

The group is being trained by the Whitefield-based Nationwide Cycling Academy (NCA). Instructors include Rebecca Baroana and Jenna Woodruff - the North-West and England ladies downhill champions respectively.

The pupils have been assessed during trips to Dovestone Reservoir and Crompton Moor, with marks counting towards GCSE grades.

NCA director Jools Woodruff said the organisation had worked on a pilot mountain biking project with several Oldham schools, but Radclyffe is currently the only one to add it to the exam curriculum.

Radclyffe pupil Hannah Smedley (15), from Chadderton, said: “We all have a great time, the bikes are brilliant. It’s hard work at times, but the leaders really help and guide us.”

Cycling isn’t the only off-mainstream sport pupils can try. Head of PE Simon Mellor said: “We have been doing as many different sports as possible, including archery, judo, climbing and fencing.”