Commando Joe's
Building Character, Confidence and Resilience – One Mission at a Time!
At our school, Commando Joe's has been an important part of our curriculum for many years, helping our children develop confidence, resilience, teamwork and essential life skills through exciting, practical challenges.
We are delighted to be continuing our Commando Joe's journey with Unstoppable You, the new character development programme that builds upon the skills and experiences our children have already enjoyed.
Unstoppable You brings exciting new characters, engaging missions and real-world challenges that encourage children to develop positive attitudes, build self-belief and recognise their own potential.
At the heart of the programme are inspiring characters who help children explore important qualities such as resilience, empathy, self-awareness, passion, excellence and teamwork.
The character behaviour traits that we build our school around are divided into 7 categories linked to the COJO central ethos of RESPECT. They include:
As our children grow, so do the characters and their missions. From Key Stage 1 through to Year 6, children encounter age-appropriate challenges that build upon their previous learning, helping them develop greater confidence, independence and personal responsibility.
Our youngest children in EYFS will continue to enjoy Commando Joe's Nursery Rhymes, developing important early skills through imaginative adventures, familiar stories and playful challenges.
Through Commando Joe's, we aim to help every child develop the character, confidence and determination to overcome challenges, celebrate their achievements and become the very best version of themselves.
Every mission is an opportunity to grow, every challenge is a chance to learn, and every child has the potential to be unstoppable!
Meet Our Unstoppable You Characters!
At the heart of the programme are five inspiring characters, each representing an important character trait. These friendly faces help children understand, practise and develop positive behaviours and attitudes.
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Ravi – Resilience: Encourages children to keep going when things get tricky, overcome challenges and understand that mistakes are part of learning.
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Emma – Empathy: Helps children understand the feelings of others, show kindness, listen carefully and care for those around them.
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Sam – Self-Awareness: Encourages children to recognise their emotions, understand their strengths and identify areas where they can grow.
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Patti – Passion: Inspires children to approach new experiences with enthusiasm, discover what excites them and show determination in the things they enjoy.
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Elliot – Excellence: Encourages children to aim high, take pride in their work, strive to improve and always try their very best.
- Connie – Communication: Helps children develop the confidence to express their thoughts and ideas, listen carefully to others and communicate clearly and respectfully.
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Tobia – Teamwork: Shows children the importance of working together, communicating, listening, sharing ideas and supporting one another.
Woodlands x Commando Joe Project Launch
We are very proud to be a school chosen by Commando Joe to lead the way in innovation by designing our own Commando Joe missions based on the topics we teach as part of our school curriculum. Our Woodlands teachers worked together in their year group teams to design a mission for their children. Once the missions were delivered by teachers to their classes, our teachers met with Commando Joe staff to discuss feedback on the missions - what went well and how they could be made even better - as well as designs for how the missions are to look once finalised by Commando Joe! We are very excited to share our creative missions with our school community.
Junior Joe's
In 2024, we launched our Junior Joe’s initiative, which is linked to our Commando Joe’s programme. Selected pupils are trained to lead games and activities during lunchtimes, promoting teamwork, resilience, and a sense of challenge across both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. The children received training from Commando Stefan to prepare them for their leadership roles, equipping them with the skills and confidence needed to engage their peers effectively.
These pupil leaders are easily identifiable by their distinctive Junior Joe’s vests and play a valuable role in encouraging positive, active play during break times. Ongoing support is provided by the PE coordinator and lunchtime staff, ensuring that the Junior Joe’s continue to feel confident and well-prepared in their roles.
