Customised Award in Mountain Biking SCQF Level 5

Course units:

• Mountain Biking Riding Fundamentals (Essential)

• Mountain Bike Maintenance

• Mountain Biking Athletic Performance

• Introduction to Trail Inspection and Maintenance

• Riding Skills Progression

To achieve the award learners need to Pass 4 of the 5 available units, one of which must be Mountain Biking Riding Fundamentals.

This qualification has been developed for a range of learners from young learners through to adults. It is aimed at those who wish to consider entering a career in the cycling sector, or extend their knowledge and skills in mountain biking.

The award provides learners with opportunities to attain a structured award that develops both practical and theoretical skills in preparation for additional educational opportunities, including further education and governing body courses, and employment in the cycling sector.

The main aims of the award are to:

• Provide learners with opportunities to develop ability in mountain biking.

• Increase learners’ awareness of employment and educational opportunities within the mountain bike sector.

• Provide a pathway to higher level study and/or employment in mountain biking, sport and fitness.

• Introducing a practical and vocational qualification in a new subject area at SCQF level 5.

• Provide opportunities to develop Core Skills including Communication, Numeracy, Working with Others, Problem Solving.

• Provide learners with a range of learning, teaching, and assessment styles, which motivates them to achieve their full potential.

• Encourage learners to develop a positive attitude to their own learning.

• Provide opportunities for learners to develop organisational skills.

• Encourage flexibility and working cooperatively with others.

• Provide opportunities for progression within the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF).

The specific aims of the biking award are to provide learners with the knowledge, skills and understanding to:

• Demonstrate the importance of core riding skills for a mountain bike

• Support other riders to achieve a smooth and flowing ride with a focus on the 4 core riding skills.

• Apply the principles of Leadership in the Outdoors when leading a group of mountain bikers on a mountain bike trail.

• Demonstrate a basic understanding of self-reflection techniques applied by mountain bike group leaders.

• Demonstrate a basic understanding of balance of control and non-controlling behaviours.

• Demonstrate an understanding of the essential equipment, supplies and clothing to carry whilst mountain biking.

• Demonstrate a basic understanding of Incident Management, including Mountain Rescue and awaiting help.

• Demonstrate an understanding of nutrition and energy systems for optimum athletic performance in mountain biking.

• Create a program of work to improve an aspect of bike related fitness.

• Describe the physiological effects of cycling and fitness training on the cardiovascular and muscular system.

• Carry out a safety cycle check and identify faults on a mountain bike.

• Describe the regular maintenance schedule for MTB’s.

• Demonstrate how to repair a puncture in both tubed and tubeless tyres.

• Demonstrate correct bike setup.

• Describe the principles of the Occupier Liability Act and the Land Reform Act in relation to mountain biking.

• Apply the principles of trail inspection.

• Demonstrate the safe use of hand tools.

• Demonstrate a basic understanding of trail building techniques.

• Demonstrate safe group leadership.

Assessment of the Units in the award includes both written and practical evidence.

Entry is at the discretion of the delivery centre.

There are no formal entry requirements to the award. However, learners should be comfortable cycling in an off-road environment including single track mountain biking, the rider should be comfortable on blue trails at a trail centre as a benchmark.

Access can be determined in relation to the individual learners level of cycling/mountain biking ability, their level of interest and ability to succeed at SCQF level 5, as appropriate.

This qualification has been structured in such a way to introduce different career paths within the mountain bike industry.

Potential employment opportunities are listed in the following section.

Many differing employment opportunities exist within the biking industry. They include:

Retail industry: bike shop employee, bike mechanic, bike service technician, manager and sales, marketing.

Racing and Training: Bike racing, performance coaching, event management, event marketing, team manager, physiotherapy, sport science.

Recreational biking: Bike tour company manager, ride leader, coach, guide.

Trail development: Trail builder, trail designer.

Mandatory assessment requirements are detailed in the individual unit specifications and provide delivery centres with valuable information to help with standardisation of the awards.

The award has been written to allow tailoring of delivery to best suit teaching ability and facilities available at the delivery centre.

Teachers and lecturers must exercise their professional responsibility in ensuring that evidence submitted by a learner is the learner’s own work. Written and/or oral recorded evidence, produced under open-book or closed-book conditions is required.

Assessment is mostly carried out through ‘hands-on’ practical tasks which will generate physical or recorded evidence. Each task is underpinned by appropriate knowledge and understanding, which learners may demonstrate through written or oral evidence. Due to the practical nature of the award. It is recommended that delivery centres provide health and safety advice to learners undertaking this award. It is essential that learners understand the subject-specific health and safety guidance.

Delivery centres can choose the sequence and scheduling of the units. Care should be taken to ensure that learners have necessary underpinning skills before undertaking assessment. Delivery centres may wish to use the checklists available in the unit specifications to ensure learners are ‘on track’ to completion and this can help to assist learners to map progress. Feedback may be given at formative assessment and throughout delivery.

The award has been designed to cater not only for a wide range of learners, but also a wide range of teachers and teaching environments. The guidance below indicates suggested teaching requirements to deliver each unit. Learners are only required to complete 4 of the 5 units, this enables schools to tailor the course to available teaching skillset and resources.

MANDATORY: Mountain Biking Riding Fundamentals: To deliver this unit, the teacher must have a basic off-road riding leadership qualification to enable delivery. Minimum requirement is British Cycling Off-Road Leader (AKA Fundamentals of MTB Leadership) or above (or equivalent qualification). The teacher should also have a current qualification in Outdoor First Aid.

OPTIONAL: Mountain Bike Maintenance: a competent home mechanic or Cytec Level 1 qualified mechanic can deliver this unit. Most teaching staff that have a basic off-road leadership qualification will also have these skills. If additional support is required to enable delivery of this unit please contact DMBinS.

OPTIONAL: Athletic Performance: a PE teacher, or PT, will be suitably qualified to deliver this unit.

OPTIONAL: Introduction to Trail Inspection and Maintenance: To adequately deliver teaching of this unit the teacher should have trail maintenance experience and/or should have attended the DIRTT Trail Dig Leader training course. If additional support is required to enable delivery of this unit, please contact DMBinS. The teacher should also have a current qualification in outdoor first aid.

OPTIONAL: Riding Skills Progression: It is recommended that the teacher will have a minimum of Activity Coach (Off-Road) or British Cycling Level 2 Coach (or equivalent) to enable delivery of this unit. The teacher should also have a current qualification in outdoor first aid.

Initial enquiries should be directed to info@dmbins.com

During initial discussions DMBinS will cover the key requirements to ensure that you’re able to deliver the award. Considerations include:

• Minimum teaching qualifications (as per above).

• Any potential new delivery centre will need to ensure they have access to suitable locations to deliver the various units. This will include a riding location, indoor classroom space, and, potentially, local trails, with permission to do trail work on, for the trail inspection and maintenance unit.

• Equipment: there is a requirement for tools to enable delivery of the Mountain Bike Maintenance unit and/or the Trail Inspection and Maintenance unit.

• Costs:

• £50 per pupil fee payable to Qualifications Scotland for registration and certification.

• £10 per pupil fee payable to Scottish Cycling to support the administration of the award (to be discussed with delivery centre)

Following initial discussion with DMBinS, a potential delivery centre will need to apply for ‘centre approval’ with Qualifications Scotland. DMBinS will issue a letter of support which will detail why we are supporting the delivery centres approval.

For a new delivery centre that is not already a Qualifications Scotland approved centre, the training provider could consider working in partnership with an approved delivery centre (e.g. a training provider that is not already delivering Qualification Scotland approved qualifications, could work in partnership with a High School to deliver the award).

Documents supporting the delivery and assessment of the award, including teaching notes and assessment templates, can be made available on request.

Please contact info@DMBinS.com for more information.