Our friends over at Commando Joe’s have recently launched a whole new package for primary schools, centred around our character and life skills curriculum – the exciting top-secret ‘COJO Box’.

Their instructor-led programme is completely unique – and it works. With proven results in increasing levels of attainment, attendance and behaviour, we’re extremely proud of our impact so far.

But in order to reach as many young people as possible, and support schools when they are not there, they wanted to provide another option.

So what’s in the box and what does it do?

When schools enrol with their new school-led programme, they receive an innovative cross-curricular programme which will not only excite and engage pupils, but inspire teachers.

Resources include:

• training for the whole school
• lesson plans
• schemes of work
• biographies of heroes, heroines, adventurers and explorers
• the top-secret COJO kit, full of equipment for the school to keep (and it can even be used for break and lunchtimes)

Focusing on the journeys of explorers like Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Ed Stafford, Nancy Wake and Amelia Earhart, each mission has been designed with input from education experts, combining the CJ’s touch with teachers’ experience.

The COJO Box is filled with equipment that will engage the reluctant learner, build a growth mindset, support boys’ and girls’ reading and even develop vocabulary – but above all make lessons exciting and relevant.

Teachers can use different pieces of equipment to transform the playground into a snowy mountain or dangerous ravine, requiring pupils to work as a team and strive to succeed.

Unique and challenging, pupils love the COJO Box – and that enthusiasm can be harnessed in the classroom too. Some schools take their topic for the term (such as the achievements of Ed Stafford, who walked the length of the Amazon River) and feed it into all areas of the curriculum.

Pupils are calculating Ed’s journey times in maths lessons, writing imaginary letters home in literacy and studying the Amazonian habitat in science. This cross-curricular approach helps to reinforce the message behind each mission – ultimately, that pupils can do anything they put their minds to.

As part of the programme, Commando Joe’s will deliver a training day prior to schools beginning, as well as introducing teachers to all the online resources they’ll have access to, including progress reports, pupil certificates, a judgement tracker and HQ support.

Building character and life skills is a huge part of a young person’s development. Get that right and everything else will follow.

Sign up for the COJO Box package online – click here for more details.