Adventure CCF: Army
The Autumn Term started almost normally, with basic and advanced drill being taught to the Third and Fourth Years respectively, ahead of a socially distant, year group-bubbled Remembrance Parade. The new Third Years were then introduced to fieldcraft on Exercise Chameleon at Bramley Common, where cadets practised not being seen, using camouflage and concealment, tactical movement and the two-man field shelter. Exercise Sharpshooter allowed the Fifth Year cadets to hone and test their weapons handling skills, live firing the L98A2 cadet rifle on the Moody Down range in Winchester. During the Spring lockdown, Tuesday evening training continued remotely, delivered by officers and our Sixth Form NCOs through Teams. Despite Covid, the 11 Brigade Cadet Training Team has managed to run courses over the Autumn and Spring Terms. 14 Fifth Year and Lower Sixth cadets completed the SCIC (Senior Cadet Instructor Cadre), gaining promotion to sergeant and three Upper Sixth cadets passed the prestigious Master Cadet assessment. The return to face-to-face training in the Summer Term saw the Third Years practising navigation and patrolling using the school site and farmland to east of Penn’s Place, the Fourth Years completing the Skill at Arms syllabus and the Fifth Years experiencing TIBUA (Training in Built Up Areas) in the corridors around the gym. Lt Gibbins introduced clay pigeon shooting to the programme and the Parents Association kindly funded the acquisition of a second clay launcher. June’s Exercise Night Owl allowed the Third Year cadets to practise and demonstrate their field admin and patrolling skills - living, eating and operating out of a patrol harbour. In the final week of term, the Fourth Years participated in Exercise Striking Tiger, a two-stand blank firing exercise using the L98A2 rifle at Longmoor. Cadets cleared a Close
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Quarter Battle (CQB) lane practising their pairs/fire/manoeuvre drills and set and executed a planned ambush. Lower Sixth NCOs provided the enemy force. Capt David Nighy
Army Summer Camp Covid restrictions regrettably made the camp non-residential this year, but the training team excelled themselves with the delivery of a very full, highquality programme at Longmoor. Day 1 was a fieldcraft day, starting with a paintball section attack and defence, with NCOs leading and directing their sections using quick battle orders. Then on to TIBUA, executing a room-by-room house clearance. The afternoon started with an escape room challenge, set in 1917, with constituent PWRR regiment teams competing to solve a succession of problems to find and deliver orders to Piccadilly Circus. The day finished with a STEM challenge, with the four teams competing to build and fire catapults. Day 2 focused on Survival Skills: tracking - reading the signs and building the narrative, fire lighting without matches, obtaining water and making it drinkable, trapping prey (mangle, tangle, strangle or dangle!) and building shelters using naturally available materials. Day 3 was our AT (Adventurous Training) day, where the cadets took part in a variety of wet and dry activities, raft building and racing, kayaking and paddle-boarding, archery, climbing and mountain biking. Day 4 found our cadets on the ranges – firing the L98A2 cadet rifle on the ETR (electronic target range) and clay pigeon shooting.
CCF: Navy
As the world ground to a halt with the outbreak of the pandemic, so too did the opportunities for us to get together as a proud Naval section. However, we did not lie dormant, and our Senior cadet team of Josiah Wilson, Mathew Wagstaff, Mark
The Churcherian 2021
Childs, Jared Lucraft and Henry Tasker were hugely instrumental in supporting and driving our section with their online Tuesday evening Teams sessions. While not compulsory, the majority of cadets signed in, recognising the value of the weekly sessions. Towards the back end of the year, as Covid restrictions eased, we did manage to get together in our bubbles and although it did not feel ‘normal’ we were, at least, together again. Being able to parade, albeit in separate bubbles, and to implement some of the Naval programme for the cadets were of huge benefit and value to all that attended. One of our major highlights was a day at Queen Elizabeth Country Park, orienteering and mountain biking. This was a wonderful day for the cadets to enjoy some freedom and fun and made up for the disappointment of not having any of the usual assets available to us from Naval command. Lt Rob Maier
CCF: RAF
This year has been a tough one for the RAF section, as it has been for many. The lack of flying has been a big blow to the section as it is a major part of what attracts cadets to the RAF section, so not being able to provide that has been a challenge. However, we have been able to do a great deal of virtual flying on the brand new simulators, with the cadets learning how to do basic circuits around an airfield. The simulators have also given the cadets the opportunity to get to grips with the flight controls of an aircraft, which will be helpful when they finally do go flying. The CCF as a whole did very well with the annual Remembrance Service. While cadets were not able to parade in Petersfield, the CCF performed exceptionally at the school’s own service, even with the restrictions. It has been a privilege to be the Leading Cadet for the last year, and I hope that this year the cadets are able to get back to some more hands-on experiences. Jasper Browne, Senior Contingent Cadet
