Kids can come here, fly round the track on the bike and feel they’ve achieved something. There’s feedback in the classroom. You definitely get more motivated students.

Over the past five years or so I’ve brought 200 different students from Rydal Penrhos and my previous school and you definitely get a better relationship with them afterwards.

Cycling is something we all do but there are few opportunities to test yourself. Everybody here has a bike at home yet coming to the Velodrome is so completely different to anything else they do.

We’ll be bringing a team here for the next schools tournament. They’ll be set against students of their own ability. They ride a time trial and then they’re seeded according to times. All the riders must have attended a full track session before they can ride in the tournament. It’s a good competitive environment. They really love it. Numbers are limited to 15 so it has to be a first-come basis. We had to turn down six for today’s trip.

On the map The Velodrome Stuart Street Manchester M11 4DQ Tel: 0161 223 2244 www.manchestervelodrome.com