From caving to flight training

Field Day, 7 October 2011

Originally an occasion when the three CCF contingents would devote a whole day to special activities, the termly Field Day is nowadays the opportunity for all year groups to undertake an educational activity off-site.

All of Year 7 visited Beer Quarry Caves, followed up by a cliff walk. The day forms part of the teaching of rocks and will be followed up in the classroom. All 89 Year 8s went to Aquae Sulis to visit the remains of the Roman baths, to handle artefacts and to learn about everyday life in the ancient world. Almost the whole of Year 9 joined the well-established three-day trip to the WW1 Battlefields of Northern France and Belgium.   The Duke of Edinburgh groups had 28 Year 10 pupils out, in four teams, completing their Bronze Qualifying expeditions in the Woodbury Common area, while the remainder of the group went paintballing, with year groups given a selection of different missions to complete over the day, an excellent way of combining fun into a vehicle that encourages leadership and team work.

The CCF had a wide range of exciting activities on offer: The new entry Army Section Year 10s, in a change from the usual pattern, went climbing and caving at Chudleigh with a selection of cadets from the other sections. In a joint qualifying exercise several Year 11 teams from the RN and RAF undertook their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh assessment over two days.  The remaining RAF cadets either went climbing with Year 10 or went flying at 3AEF Colerne, where they all increased their logged training time. The rest of the RN Section was at Haven Banks, where a mixture of Years 11 and 13 had a full day’s sailing on Toppers. Year 12 and some Year 13s from the RN Section did team-building exercises and Canadian canoeing; probably the highlight was the raft building, which had to be seen to be believed. The Army section sent Year 11 on the very popular survival training package, including an overnight exercise where they learned to make improvised shelter and basic survival skills. The remainder of the Army section were either with Year 10 or visited the Army’s school of artillery at Larkhill on Salisbury Plain.

The Community Service group undertook a range of activities, helping out in care homes, charity shops and nursery day centres, and visiting local elderly residents. A mixed group of Years 10 and 12 did some trail renovation and upkeep for cyclists and walkers in Haldon Forest. The Jazz Octet Swunk visited Lady Seaward’s C of E Primary School in Clyst St George to play to the pupils and get them involved in jazz music. The band gave workshops to three very appreciative pupil audiences.