At Godmanchester Community Academy, our Junior Travel Ambassador (JTA) scheme empowers pupils to champion safer, healthier, and more sustainable travel within our school community.

JTAs use peer-to-peer engagement to promote active travel, road safety, and independence (for example, walking, scooting or cycling) in a fun and meaningful way. Croydon Council+2Cambridgeshire County Council+2

What JTAs Do

• Plan and lead campaigns and activities around road safety, “Be Safe, Be Seen”, clean air, and sustainable travel. Cambridgeshire County Council+2Isle of Wight Council+2

• Run assemblies, workshops, and competitions to raise awareness in their classes and across the school.

• Encourage independence in travel, especially for older pupils preparing for secondary school, by promoting safe routes, planning journeys, and giving advice.

• Work with staff, and sometimes local road safety officers, making use of resources, guidance, and training.

• Help the school meet Modeshift STARS standards by contributing to documented travel initiatives. 

Why JTAs Matter

• They provide children with a real voice and leadership opportunity to make a positive change within their school.

• The work supports health, safety, and environmental goals — less traffic, safer routes, and reduced carbon footprints.

• Pupils develop important life skills such as communication, planning, teamworking, and responsibility.

• The scheme helps create a more active school culture, encouraging walking, scooting, and cycling as daily travel choices.

• It fosters a sense of shared care for the local environment and community by putting children at the heart of change.