The tracks were designed and built by the experienced track builder Jason Carpenter (www.bmxtrackconstructruction.co.uk), it didn’t escape him as to how great this situation was. First brought onboard by Pete Rollings, whose enthusiasm Jason found impossible to ignore, he acknowledges, “It’s nice to build tracks at a school ‘cause it’s the right place for them. It’s good for BMX to be on the curriculum, other cycling is but unless the track’s there it’s hard for the schools to deliver anything other than road riding.”

To check it out we visited with four riders that have taken riding a long way from the school gates, all racing world–level events and one with a World Championship title to his name; Scott and Davi Roberts, Nate Parsons and Thomas Slavik. To give us a full gate pupils Lewis Pile, Adam Rogers, Jason Bargota and Niall McCreesh were given time out of their other classes to come and show us round, I’m sure skipping a maths class to ride ya bike is enough to cultivate enthusiasm but you could tell these boys really do love the facilities they’re blessed with and a passion for riding is growing fast in them. This is a great opportunity and one that Deputy Head Andy is aware of, “Having the lads come round today, show’s the pupils what they can aim for. They have come such a long way in a few weeks but this shows them where they’re going in the future.”

For a sport like riding bikes on dirt to be embraced so wholeheartedly by a school and to be seen as a viable thing to work at and have goals in for the future is so encouraging. And the work does not stop there, the Wolverhampton BMX Club has been formed to be based at the track and provide the infrastructure needed to run events and coaching. Sessions are already held on Mondays and Fridays to coach the kids with more teachers being given the required training. The school are also looking at ways incorporate it into the curriculum so that the use of the track will no longer be restricted to after–class hours. For a long time, schools near ski resorts (in Europe) have taken advantage of the local facilities and it is great to see a similar attitude being incorporated here.

From the initial passion of one man, Pete Rollings, this idea to provide kids with greater experiences and an opportunity to ride bikes on the school grounds has come a long way. Unfortunately Pete was not able to see the fruition of his idea, sadly passing away just one month before the track was opened. But what a great honour it is that his name will live on as testament to his efforts and vision, the completed track was named after him, ‘Rollings Raceway’.

To some stuffy old sods having BMX in a school may appear as daft as a Feng Shui tutorials, but the positive feedback here surely shows that this kind of forward thinking results in kids that are happier, communities that are stronger and education that is not only more rounded but also more effective. Kids storming around BMX tracks after school is definitely better than leaving them plugged into the TV, draining their brains and dreams away to the soundtrack of Simon Cowell’s cusses and a world of mirage possibilities.

If you’re feeling jealous of this facility, don’t worry, the school are far from protective, “The track is here for the community, the school have a certain amount of time and then we say right, we’ll staff it and the community can come in.”

These pupils are living the dreams many of us had as children and it’s great that nowadays people understand that times can change and the look into forever can be positive and filled with fun times. I remembered the chime of the school bells ringing as an opportunity to break free; this here really is not that gloom of school, instead it is a positive place brimming with good feelings and happiness. Kids that get to enjoy their school life whilst making sure it’s productive. Learning that gets the essential core of education across with a wider view of what these future–adults might need in their lives. The enjoyment the kids get from riding here is obvious, but it is the reverberations of these tracks and the attitude of this school that is far more vast. It introduces an array of what’s possible and that what is possible in this complex and elaborate world can be enjoyed.

The track is open to the public Monday – Friday, 5–8pm, and 10am–1pm on Saturdays, 1–4pm on Sundays.

Check: facebook.com/RollingsRaceway for directions, more info on the track including photos and events along with the latest opening times as these may change, especially during winter, and www.wolverhamptonbmxclub.co.uk.