Wellingborough School CCF

Contingent
Wellingborough School’s Combined Cadet Force has a long and distinguished history. Established in November 1900, on the occasion of its centenary in 2000 the Annual Inspection was covered by BBC television. The CCF has facilities behind the Sports Hall as well as an indoor .22 shooting range. In over a century it has passed through numerous phases often reflecting changes in society. Today Wellingborough School CCF is a compulsory activity for all S9 pupils until the completion of the S10 year after which it continues to attract both boys and girls at instructor level. The annual Presentation Evening in January for the new S9 recruits is a memorable occasion in which serving members of sections provide a graphic picture of the experiences of life in the CCF.

Three major trips are undertaken one of which is compulsory; the others are during holiday time though we always take the majority of pupils : each year Exercise First Field takes place during the first weekend of the Easter holidays at the military training area in Thetford Forest in Norfolk and all of S9 and S10 travel to the Peak District during the last week of the Trinity Term for a 2 night Adventure Training trip.

Wellingborough School CCF compromises four sections in total - Army, RAF, Navy and Royal Marines. Facilities include a CCF operations area and an indoor .22 25-yard shooting range.

The contingent is staffed by officers from the school. The Contingent Commander, Major S. Garfirth, has been in post since 2000. He is supported by Regimental Sergeant Major Warrant Officer S. Moffatt.

Army
The Army section staff also consists of Captain G. Moss and Lieutenant L. Belford.

Royal Air Force
The RAF section staff includes Flight Lieutenant M. Walker and Flying Officer L. McAuley. The RAF section visits RAF Cranwell every year for the regional Ground Training Competition where they compete against 15 other schools in order to gain a place in the Finals. In November 2009, the Wellingborough School RAF GTC team were awarded 2nd place thus being promoted to the Finals, also held at RAF Cranwell. Wellingborough School RAF section is linked to No. 5 Air Experience Flight at RAF Wyton, where cadets are flown on Friday afternoons in the Grob Tutor training aircraft, and to 616 Volunteer Gliding Squadron, at RAF Henlow in Bedfordshire, where cadets go on Sundays to fly in the Grob Vigilant motor glider, and where Flt Lt Walker is a C Category instructor.

Royal Navy
The Royal Navy section staff includes Lieutenant Commander P. Waugh and Lieutenant Commander J. Gray.

Royal Marines
Entrance to the Royal Marines section is by virtue of stringent physical tests in the Lent term of S9. As a result the Royal Marines’ Section is one of the most successful in the country as the performances in the annual national “Pringle Trophy” illustrate.

Cadre
Cadre is a Junior NCO training course in which cadets from each section of the contingent (apart from the Royal navy who have their owen version of Cadre) take part in. The cadets involved are always those who wish to stay on in the CCF voluntarily, thus in S11, and learn primarily how to teach others as well as gaining further military experience including fieldcraft and working with weapons. After the Cadre course, which lasts for a school term, the cadets return to their own section and those who showed capability are promoted to the junior-most rank. Other cadets who are not promoted are then trained within their own section and promoted internally once ready. Two important exercises are held in conjunction with the assessment of the cadets; Teaching Practice - a weekend spent teaching other cadets within the Cadre section; Cadre night-exercise - a weekend spent orienteering and completing military-simulated missions at Yardley Chase.

Shooting Team
Members of the school's CCF are eligible to join the successful shooting team that operates in the indoor .22 shooting range. Many cadets shoot after school recreationally and those that are recognisably good and shoot regularly become part of the Wellingborough School Shooting Team. Usually on a termly basis, the shooting team will visit the National Shooting Centre at Bisley, for training on 7.62 rifles in anticipation for the annual Ashburton Trophy. The Ashburton Trophy lasts for four days, where shooting teams of CCF sections from all over Britain compete.

Old Wellingburian Rifle Club
Many Old Wellingburians, ex-members of Wellingborough School, were involved in shooting for the school years ago. Many members of the club shoot professional and veteran matches at Bisley but also return to compete with the present Wellingborough School Shooting Team occasionally throughout the year. Some Old Wellingburians participate in the National Rifle Association Imperial Meeting (held after the Ashburton Trophy), where senior members of the Wellingborough School Shooting Team are sometimes offered the chance to shoot and compete with them, during the Imperial, improving to a more professional level along the way.