Confidence, courage and faith in your own ability

How Ellesmere College utilises the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) and the benefits for students...

One of the key aspects to a full and enriched educational programme is the diversity of the co-curricular programme. Leading Independent schools, such as Ellesmere College have recognised for years that the breadth of opportunity to engage and build a platform for individual growth bears fruit both in and out of the classroom. One area where this is particularly relevant is that of the Combined Cadet Force (CCF).

There are CCF contingents in a large number of Independent schools across over the UK, and offer pupils a broad range of challenging, exciting, adventurous and educational activities.

“Our aim is to enable the development of personal responsibility, leadership and self-discipline. Each CCF is an educational partnership between the school and the Ministry of Defence, and a CCF may include Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army or Royal Air Force sections.” – Combined Cadet Force.

The importance and recognition of the programme and its merits to pupils is evident by the curriculum time devoted to this programme. Thursday afternoons are ring-fenced for this activity and all pupils from Year 9 to Year 13 have the opportunity to select an area (Army/Navy/RAF) and then follow the varied route each one has.

Camps and courses throughout the year enable cadets to build upon this weekly training, enabling the consolidation of the many skills learnt in different Ministry of Defence establishments and training facilities across the UK.

Cadets also have the opportunity to pursue the Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE) schemes (Bronze, Silver and Gold), with dedicated adventurous training camps at Easter and in the summer – offering incredible challenges and tasks that are both physically and mentally tough, but the rewards are incredible!

These activities enable them to acquire essential life skills, develop their leadership and management capabilities and use their initiative in unfamiliar and challenging environments. For many, the biggest barrier for educational achievement is often self-confidence and self-belief. Living in a world where league tables rule the educational fields and pupils are examined at most stages of their school life, the “real” skills of education are about building character, developing confidence and belief in their own abilities and the belief and trust in others; an area where the CCF comes into its own.

From day one, the programme structure gives the pupils the confidence in the journey they will follow. Many activities and training programmes are delivered by senior cadets and this peer to peer learning is an essential part of the respect and recognition which goes with the ranks. Pupils wear the uniform with pride and feel part of something “special” – a group that every member feels honoured to be part of.

The Year 9 programme is designed to allow all students the opportunity to engage in a wide variety of new skills and experiences as part of the wider CCF programme including climbing, kayaking, shooting, Theory of Flight and team building.

This approach allows the pupils to decide based on real experience and personal commitment the area they want to focus on post-Year 9. One of the many strong aspects of the course is its inclusiveness that welcomes everyone and values the contribution that each student can bring to the team.

Stephen Mullock, Deputy Head External Relations says of the CCF, “It is without doubt a most worthy activity that all pupils should have the chance to experience in their formative years. I have witnessed incredible changes in pupil’s attention to detail, focus and time management but mainly of self-belief, the willingness to try something difficult and the perseverance to keep going. The results speak for themselves and the skills learnt in the CCF have certainly contributed to examination success and indeed University destinations”.

The latter is also an important feature of the importance of choosing a school with a varied and detailed co-curricular programme. With Universities applications comes the opportunity to separate your own application from many other pupils applying for the same place. Those pupils who have led a varied and exciting extra-curricular experience are not only better suited for such courses but have the skills to cope with the process of studying away from home with a new group of people in unfamiliar surroundings; to the CCF cadets this is nothing they have not been through before!

As part of the broader picture, the co-curricular opportunities a school offers are just as important, if not more so, than the academic qualifications – the school has to value the individual, offer opportunity for all, meet success and failure head on, encourage pupils to learn, fail and to try again. This is the essential part of developing pupils and the building of skills which will not only help them be Life Ready, but will stay with them throughout their life; this is what a good education is about.

This article first appeared in the 2020 edition of Which School. You can read the e-guide here: