Pupils at Pennar Community School in Pembroke Dock have been taking to two wheels for the journeys to school this year, thanks to the successful 'Bike It' project run by charity Sustrans Cymru.

Last Friday, pupils showed off their bike maintenance knowledge and cycle skills to Rebecca Evans Assembly Member for Mid & West Wales.

The Bike It project works with schools across Wales to give children the skills and information necessary to cycle to school on a regular basis – and the results from 2012/13 academic year show that programme is delivering success, trebling the number of children cycling to school more than three times a week.

At the beginning of the term - when Sustrans started working with the school -there were no children cycling to and from school regularly, despite the fact that over half the children wanted to. Now there is such demand the school is looking to install a new bike shed to cope.

Damon McGarvie, head teacher at Pennar Community School said: "It's been great to work with Sustrans. Before they got involved many of our pupils liked cycling - but not to and from school. The confidence from learning cycle skills and planning a safe route away from the traffic has made a dramatic transformation -now we are applying for a grant for our first ever bike shed!"

Rebecca Evans AM, said, "It has been great to see the pupils at Pennar Community School demonstrate their impressive skills and knowledge of bike maintenance.

"The Bike It Project is an important initiative that will instil in our youngsters knowledge of safe cycling to school, as well as an understanding of cycling's wider health benefits.

"Wales has taken a big step forward with the Active Travel Act. It creates new duties for highways authorities to consider the needs of walkers and cyclists and make better provision for them. It also requires both the Welsh Government and local authorities to promote walking and cycling as a mode of transport.

"I hope that these actions will help other children follow the excellent lead that is being set by pupils in Pennar Community School."

Jane Lorimer, national director of Sustrans Cymru, said: "The enthusiasm of pupils, staff and parents at Pennar Community School to getting on two wheels has been something to behold.

"We know that many kids would like to cycle to and from school - and that was true at Pennar. The Bike It project has proved really successful in helping both children and parents feel that cycling to school is an option.

"This means that cars are taken off the road at peak time, but also is a great way for our children to stay fit and healthy. Childhood obesity is a real issue in Wales and the Bike It project is a great way to save our NHS millions in the long run."