TfL Travel for Life is an accreditation programme that supports the next generation of Londoners to travel towards a brighter, safer, and more sustainable future.
We are excited to announce that TVJS has joined over 1,500 schools in London in being part of the solution.
In the academic year 2023–24, we gained our Bronze certificate. Last year, 2024–25, we worked very hard, and as of September 2025, we have achieved Gold. This award is valid for three years.
This year, we would like to build on this success and continue making a positive difference to our school community. Our aim is to improve safety around the school, make journeys to and from school more sustainable, promote life skills, and encourage children to make responsible choices.
We would love for parents and carers to be involved in this programme. If you are interested, please contact Mrs Padayachee via Class Dojo.
TVJS has achieved GOLD
ACTIVE TRAVEL
Active Travel Week is Coming!
On Wednesday 24th June, our TfL Explorers Ambassadors led a whole-school assembly to launch Active Travel Week, which will take place from Monday 29th June to Friday 3rd July.
During the assembly, the ambassadors explained the benefits of travelling actively and encouraged everyone to walk, cycle or scoot to school whenever possible. Throughout the week, children will take part in exciting activities and challenges, helping them to learn how active travel benefits both their health and the environment.
We are looking forward to seeing as many children and families as possible choosing active travel during the week. Together, we can help reduce traffic, improve air quality and make a positive difference to our community.
Please take a look at the presentation below to find out more and get inspired to join in!
Every journey counts!
BIKEABILITY TRAINING
Our Year 5 and Year 6 children had the opportunity to take part in a two-day Bike ability course.
On the first day, they learnt about staying safe on their bikes, including how to wear a helmet correctly, what to check before every journey and how to make sure their bikes were roadworthy. They also spent time practising and developing their cycling skills around the school grounds.
On the second day, the children put everything they had learnt into practice. After carrying out their bike safety checks, they headed out onto the local roads with their Bike ability instructors, where they learnt how to ride safely and confidently in real traffic situations.
The children thoroughly enjoyed the course, showed great enthusiasm throughout and developed valuable skills that will help them become safer, more confident cyclists.
Well done to everyone who took part!
ROAD SAFETY WORKSHOP
From 2nd–6th March, every year group took part in an engaging 45-minute Road Safety Workshop.
Throughout the sessions, the children learnt how to stay safe when travelling in different ways. They explored the Green Cross Code, practised how to Stop, Look, Listen and Think before crossing the road, and discussed how to travel safely as pedestrians, cyclists, scooter riders and passengers in a car.
The workshops also included interactive activities and role play, giving the children the opportunity to practise making safe choices in different road safety situations.
A big thank you to the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Road Safety Team for delivering these engaging workshops and helping our children develop the knowledge and confidence to stay safe when travelling.
TfL CITIZEN TALK - Travelling Safely and Independently
On Friday 15th May, our Year 6 pupils took part in a TfL Citizen Talk, helping them develop the knowledge and confidence they need to travel safely and independently.
During the session, the children explored how to use public transport safely, including travelling on the London Underground and DLR. They discussed important travel skills such as using Help Points, staying safe on escalators, crossing safely near stations and being aware of their surroundings.
The children also reflected on responsible behaviour when travelling, including the safe use of mobile phones and being considerate of others by avoiding loud phone calls in shared spaces.
It was a valuable opportunity for our Year 6 pupils to prepare for their journeys beyond primary school and develop the confidence to become responsible, independent travellers.
A big thank you to the TfL team for supporting our pupils and helping them understand how to travel safely around London.
TfL INSPIRING SUCCESS EVENT
Celebrating Success at the TfL Inspiring Success Event
We were incredibly proud to represent Barking & Dagenham at the TfL Inspiring Success Celebration Event in London. With just one school from each London borough invited to attend, it was a real privilege for our school to be part of this special celebration.
Learning from Others
Our pupils spent the morning meeting children from schools across London, sharing ideas about active travel and learning how to inspire others to make healthier and more sustainable travel choices.
Building Skills for the Future
The event encouraged pupils to develop valuable leadership, communication, teamwork and critical thinking skills through a range of engaging activities. They worked alongside other schools, discussed ways to promote active travel within their own communities and gained confidence in sharing their ideas.
A Memorable Experience
Hosted at Transport for London's impressive headquarters, our pupils also enjoyed spectacular views across the London skyline from the 10th floor, making the day even more memorable.
Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, the event had to finish earlier than planned, so the afternoon activities did not take place. However, our pupils thoroughly enjoyed the experience and represented our school brilliantly throughout the morning.
We are incredibly proud of our pupils for being such fantastic ambassadors for our school. A huge thank you to Transport for London for inviting us to be part of such an inspiring event!
ACTIVE TRAVEL
On Wednesday 7th May 2026, our TfL Explorers Ambassadors proudly led a whole-school assembly all about the importance of active travel. They spoke confidently about different ways children can travel actively to school, such as walking, cycling, scooting, or park-and-stride.
Active travel has many benefits for both children and the planet. It helps children stay healthy and active, improves fitness and concentration, supports mental wellbeing, and encourages independence and road safety awareness. It also helps reduce traffic and air pollution around the school, making our environment cleaner and safer for everyone while helping to protect our planet.
With the warmer and brighter weather ahead, we would love to encourage as many children as possible to travel actively to school whenever they can.
Please see the PowerPoint below if you would like to take a closer look at what was shared during the assembly.
Citisense
School Streets Workshop – Helping Our Pupils Breathe Easier!
On Tuesday 30th September, we were delighted to welcome a representative from Be First, working on behalf of Barking & Dagenham Council, who led an engaging and interactive School Streets Workshop with a group of our pupils.
Learning About Air Quality
The workshop encouraged pupils to explore important topics including:
· Active travel
· Air quality
· Road safety around our school
· Sharing their own experiences, ideas and suggestions for making journeys to and from school safer and healthier
Our pupils took part in thoughtful discussions, asked insightful questions and confidently shared their own experiences. It was wonderful to see them thinking carefully about how small changes can make a big difference to the environment and the health of our community.
Creating Pollution Catchers
One of the highlights of the workshop was making Pollution Catchers using paper plates and a light layer of petroleum jelly. Pupils placed some indoors and others outside to collect tiny particles from the air and compare the results, helping them understand that air pollution is something real—even when we can't see it.
Unfortunately, a storm a few days later swept away the outdoor Pollution Catchers before we could compare the results! However, the activity still gave pupils a memorable and practical insight into how air pollution can affect our environment.
Working Together for a Cleaner Future
The workshop formed part of the School Streets initiative, encouraging children to think about safer, cleaner and healthier ways to travel to and from school. It was wonderful to see our pupils so engaged, enthusiastic and full of thoughtful ideas about protecting the world around them.
A huge thank you to Be First and Barking & Dagenham Council for providing such an informative, interactive and inspiring workshop. Our pupils thoroughly enjoyed the experience and learned so much about looking after the environment and making healthier travel choices.
Road Safety Week Competition – “Make Your Bike Safe!”
As part of our Road Safety Week celebrations, we are excited to announce that the TfL Explorers Ambassadors have officially launched a whole-school competition: Create a poster titled “Make Your Bike Safe!”
This is a wonderful opportunity for pupils to get creative while showing what they have learned about cycle safety. Children are encouraged to design a poster that highlights the key features of a safe bicycle — from helmets and lights to reflective gear and essential safety checks.
Whether they prefer bold drawings, clever slogans, or detailed diagrams, we can’t wait to see the imaginative and informative posters our pupils produce.
Deadline for submissions: Friday, 5th December Entries can be handed in to the class teacher.
We look forward to celebrating the children’s creativity and helping to spread the important message of staying safe on the roads!
Road Safety Week – 16–22 November 2025
This week, our school proudly took part in Road Safety Week, a national initiative aimed at raising awareness about staying safe on and around our roads.
A highlight of the week was a special whole-school assembly on Wednesday, delivered by the TfL Explorers Ambassadors. The ambassadors shared important information about road safety, including ways to stay alert and careful when moving around busy areas near the school. They highlighted practical steps children can take each day—such as using designated crossings, stopping to look and listen, and understanding the importance of being visible to drivers. Please click the link to view the PowerPoint the ambassadors used in their assembly:
The assembly also placed a strong emphasis on cycle safety, reminding pupils of the essential checks and protective equipment needed before setting off on a bike ride. Children learned about wearing helmets correctly, ensuring their bikes are in good working order, and recognising potential hazards on the road.
Our hope is that these learning experiences will help pupils build lifelong safe habits and feel confident making sensible decisions when travelling in their local community.
We are proud of how engaged and enthusiastic our pupils were and hoping that they will continue to actively travel to school safety.
TfL Explorers Ambassadors Projects
We wanted to inform you that the TFL ambassadors are dedicated to ensuring everyone’s safety during pick-up times.
They have noticed that the area near the Y4,5 and 6 exit gate tends to become overcrowded, which can create potential safety concerns. To address this, the ambassadors have designed and put up signs to guide both parents and children on the best routes to take when coming in and leaving the premises. These signs were installed (by the ambassadors themselves) on Wednesday to help reduce congestion and improve the flow of people.
We kindly ask for your cooperation in following the signs to keep the area safe and organised.
Thank you for your understanding and support!
On behalf of TfL ambassadors,
Mrs Padayachee
2024/25 Academic Year
TfL Seminar – Wednesday 5th March 2025
TfL ambassadors from our school had a privilege of attending a TfL Spring seminar in Stratford. Below is one of our ambassador’s experience:
On the TFL trip, where we had the privilege of meeting other TFL ambassadors, I enjoyed learning ways to engage our school in ‘active travel.’ I also enjoyed discussing with peers how to make it fun for people to travel without harming the environment. During one of the sessions, we made a plan to create a competition for our school. We shared with other schools how our shoes ‘feel’ when they are stationary. Overall, I liked the trip since it gave me the opportunity to make my school a better, safer place.
ROAD SAFETY WEEK – 17th-23rd November 2024
On Tuesday, 19th November, we held a special Road Safety Week assembly. This assembly highlighted the devastating impact of the incidents, not just on those directly involved, but on their families and loved ones. The theme is ‘Super-heroes’. Everyone, who helps make journeys safer and healthier or helps care for someone after a crash, is a road safety hero. In order to prevent the accidents, we have decided to launch a competition – ‘Brighten your bag’.
Competition time! 2024/25
Brighten your bag…
(…to make yourself more visible, and therefore safer, during the darker winter months)
By decorating your bag with reflective materials, the children can be seen more clearly by pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers on their journeys to and from school.
Use anything reflective and bright that will make your bag stand out.
Have you already got a bright bag? Why not to design another one on the template below. (Please, ask TFL ambassadors for a copy.)
You can bring your brightened bags to school by Wednesday 11th December when the TFL ambassadors will pick the best ones.
Good luck!
We are looking forward to seeing you all your brightastic bags!
