The last two years have seen a certain amount of consolidation and re-adjustment for the CCF as personnel changes and an ever-tighter timetable for both school and Army has meant that a significant amount of reassessment of the training programme has taken place. We continue to parade on a Wednesday afternoon and we have a gratifying 2 full hours in the school timetable available, which does mean that some effective training can be carried out. The training programme has evolved to a position now where the basic training package lasts for 2 years (or 6 terms) as follows:

 Term 1 Basic training - Basic level drill, map reading, military knowledge, confidence course, first aid and particularly weapon training (with testing done at the end of term 1).
Term 2 Basic Field craft Package - Section Battle Drills, Harbour Drills, Recce Patrols, .22 Shooting.
Term 3 Field craft continuation and testing - Cadets are instructed in the activities likely to be encountered at camp and a certain amount of testing on the basic syllabus is done.
Term 4 Advanced Infantry skills - Ambush patrols, signals, CTR, commanding a section.
Term 5 (GCSE Mock Term) JNCO Cadre
Term 6 (GCSE Term) LSW Training as available

In addition to our conventional military training, we also operate a Fire Brigade section. This section consists of cadets who have completed a year's basic training and elect to work in the Fire Section for a term or more. The section has its own Fire appliance (a late 1970's Dennis) and we get invaluable support from the local retained fire crew in Cranleigh. As well as being informative and fun, the section has an operational role; in the event of a real fire at school, the cadets are on stand-by to pump water to the professionals if needed.

We often receive support from the regular Army with the following relatively recent visits:

PWRR - Presentation and weapons display
7 RHA - Presentation
RAF Odiham – Helicopter visit
RA Presentation Team - Presentation

We work hard to promote courses and visits and have had cadets on a few courses in the last couple of years including the leadership course at Frimley, the Parachute course at Netheravon and the RBL expedition to Finland where 2 cadets had a superb 2 weeks. We continue to have a number of cadets keen on an Army career with the PWRR being the Regiment of choice although Green Jackets and LI are also popular.

Out of school training has become less possible with the constraints placed upon us by the school academic curriculum and the regular long weekend trips to Harlech have all but stopped now, as we are unable to get cadets released from lessons. However we continue to conduct Easter and Summer Camps, the last two having been at Fremington and Harlech (Easter for adventure training) and Warcop and Thetford (Summer central camps). In addition to these we continue to run a weekend training exercise in the Lent term on local training areas.
The CCF exists as a fun (most of the time!) service activity that is a wonderful opportunity to experience many different activities unlikely to be encountered elsewhere.

Tim McConnell-Wood