Claires Court has been selected by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) as the first school in Maidenhead to start a new Combined Cadet Force (CCF) Army Contingent from February 28, with cadets ready to parade from September 2021.
The CCF programme will give students the chance to learn a broad range of skills and senior cadets will be able to work towards BTEC Certificates and Diplomas as well as leadership and management qualifications from the Institute of Leadership and Management, giving them valuable qualifications and experience.
Sasha O’Clee, teacher at Claires Court, who has led the partnership, said: “The CCF is a fantastic organisation which will offer our students a range of challenging, exciting, adventurous and educational activities, and develop personal responsibilities, leadership and self-discipline, complementing our own academic opportunities.
“There will be weekends away doing adventure training. Our annual summer camp will be the culmination of a year of hard work and a chance for cadets to put all their skills to use, and of course, have tremendous fun. There will also be opportunities to take part in extra camps in Wales, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Spain, or even Canada.
“I was a cadet myself, and some of my best school memories come from the CCF so this is definitely a passion of mine. We are extremely grateful to the School's Cadet Expansion Officer for the South East Lt Col Rod Gray for his help establishing the new unit.”
In the coming months, training of our staff who have volunteered their time to the new initiative will take place, and cadet recruitment will begin in the summer term. The CCF will initially be aimed at Year 10 and Year 12 students, with other years able to take part depending on places available.
Lt Col Rod Gray, added: “It is fantastic to welcome Claires Court School to the Cadet Community. Being a cadet offers opportunities to take part in a huge range of challenging, rewarding and fun adventurous training, there is something for everyone. CCF helps young people gain skills, tackle challenges and discover hidden talents and strengths while having fun.”
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