CCF partnership

GSAL has a long standing CCF partnership with Bishop Young Academy (BYA), a local C of E academy. The partnership began in 2009, and is one of the longest standing CCF partnerships in the country. Students from BYA are able to access the varied training offered by the Army and Royal Air Force sections of Leeds CCF, and are fully integrated with students from GSAL. In recent years, they have had the opportunity to conduct target shooting with rifles, participate in adventurous training such as mountain biking, rock climbing, canoeing and abseiling, complete army obstacle courses, compete in orienteering competitions, participate in section level and platoon level manoeuvres, including the firing of blank ammunition, and many other activities designed to develop their leadership and self-reliance.

Aims

Leeds CCF aims to provide excellent opportunities to acquire transferable social and technical skills and gain new interests that could last a lifetime. Our aim is to enable the development of personal responsibility, leadership and confidence, self-discipline, self-reliance, resourcefulness and service to the community.

Background

Leeds CCF traces its origins back to 1860, when a cadet battalion of the volunteer force was formed at Leeds Grammar School. It is believed to be the fifth cadet unit to be formed in a British school. The first Contingent Commander, William Gustavus Nicholson, subsequently joined the Army as an officer, eventually reaching the rank of Field Marshal, and holding the post of Chief of the Imperial General Staff.

In 1909, the cadet unit at LGS was designated as part of the Junior Division of the Officers’ Training Corps; eventually, the corps was re-designated as a unit of the Combined Cadet Force in 1948, when an Air Cadet unit was established as part of its strength. In 2009, a partnership was formed with David Young Community Academy (now known as BYA), which has been a great success.

Resources

GSAL provides use of the school grounds, classrooms, minibuses and photocopying. The School employs an SSI as well as supporting three members of the teaching staff in giving their time to manage the CCF. Three further staff from BYA attend training, and three volunteers with long standing connections with cadet units contribute significant amounts of time and experience to the unit.

All Monday training nights are free of charge, and weekend training and camps are heavily subsidised.

Pupil Involvement

The CCF currently has a strength of approximately 100 cadets, with around 20 of those from Bishop Young Academy.

Frequency

The CCF meets every Monday from 3.55pm until 5.30pm during termtime. There are a number of weekend camps open to cadets as well as single day events such as range days and the inter-section competition. In the school holidays, cadets will have the opportunity to attend week long adventure training camps, leadership courses and Army and RAF central camps.