A secondary school in Wandsworth has bicycles on the same prohibited list as pornography, drugs and knives.

Ashcroft Technology Academy's behaviour policy document lists bicycles on the prohibited list, stating that they are banned in a student's possession while in the school's uniform or under the authority of the school.

The list also includes cigarettes, alcohol, pornography, weapons, drugs and mobile phones.

The academy, named after its sponsor, Lord Ashcroft, is based in Putney.

It is said that bicycles are not allowed as the school's board deem the roads too unsafe for school children.

The policy says: "Bicycles are not permitted because the executive board considers the traffic to be too heavy and the roads around the academy too difficult to negotiate for young people and therefore pose an increased risk to health and safety,"

The policy could be considered as contrasting to Wandsworth Council's School Streets scheme, which aims to encourage cycling and walking for schoolchildren by reducing congestion and pollution on roads surrounding schools in the borough.

Wandsworth Council has told Nub News that it has no power in the decision-making process after the school secured academy status. Furthermore, both of the main roads near the school - Upper Richmond Road and West Hill - are owned by Transport for London and any potential changes would be made by TfL.

Earlsfield councillor Jo Rigby has criticised the school's decision, saying that it is a shared goal of both the London Mayor and Wandsworth Council to have children walking and cycling to school safely.

What Jo Rigby has said

The labour councillor told Tooting Nub News on September 10 that she was attempting to call a meeting with a series of stakeholders to try and discuss this potential issue.

She said: "We cannot have bicycles on the same prohibited list as knives, porn and drugs.

"It is the goal of the London Mayor and Wandsworth Borough Council that our children should be able to walk and cycle to school safely, key to this is providing safe bike storage.

"Local education authorities have a duty to promote sustainable travel for all schools in the borough.

"I have requested a meeting between Mr Douglas Mitchell, Ashcroft's principal, Wandsworth Council transport officers, TfL and both London and Wandsworth Cycling Campaign representatives to work together to find solutions to enable safe cycling to the teachers, staff and pupils at Ashcroft Technology Academy."

As of yesterday (September 20), Rigby has not been able to meet with the school's principal.

What Wandsworth Council has said

A spokesman for the council said that despite not being part of the decision-making process, it would be willing to help the school if it wanted it.

He said: "Wandsworth Council declared a climate emergency in 2019 and since then has been working with residents, businesses and institutions such as schools in implementing measures that are beneficial to the environment across the borough.

"For example, we run cycle training sessions within schools to encourage active travel and our school streets scheme has been a very positive measure, where we have closed roads to traffic at the start and end of the school day to create pedestrian and cycle only zones. We have a large number of our schools now involved in this scheme – you can read more about it here: www.wandsworth.gov.uk/schoolstreets

"In terms of the decision taken by Ashcroft Technology Academy, it is worth pointing out that because of its academy status Ashcroft's decisions are made independently of Wandsworth Council. But more importantly, the two main roads used to get to the school – Upper Richmond Road and West Hill – are owned and run by Tfl and so any changes to the infrastructure of these roads are down to them.

"In the meantime Wandsworth Council will speak to the school to see if it can help at all on this matter and continue to implement our policies, where we have jurisdiction and control, to meet our climate change commitments."

Ashcroft Technology Academy was asked to comment on the ban on September 10, however, did not respond.

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