Combined Cadet Force
The Combined Cadet Force is an organisation dedicated to the development of young people in terms of self-discipline, self-reliance, teamwork and the taking of responsibility. Based on a military framework, supported by the Ministry of Defence, its activities extend well beyond the traditional narrow view of drill, drill and more drill. It also plays an important role in personal and social education as it concerns an important aspect of citizenship: "It should be the responsibility of every citizen of a democracy to find out how his/her freedoms are defended".
The CCF at LRGS consists of:
The Royal Air Force Section
The Army Section
The Royal Naval Section
The sections train every Tuesday after school. Pupils may join in the Third Year(Year 9). There are also group field days and training excursions to various facilities belonging to the Ministry of Defence. Many pupils are accepted onto a variety of courses run by the Army, Navy or RAF each year.
Royal Air Force Section
Boys can join in the Third Year (Year 9). Each year many cadets go flying, starting with gliders and then moving on to powered trainers. They also learn about the RAF, navigation and undertake basic military training.
Army Section
As well as training every Tuesday for 1 ½ hours the Headmaster allows us a day off school each term to attend a field day. Summer camp takes place during the first week of the Summer holidays.
Michaelmas Field Day
This is usually held at Halton Camp. The evening is spent with the new recruits learning skill at arms before the weapon test. The senior cadets take part in a blank firing pairs fire and manouevre battle exercise. On the following day, training consists of rangework, survival training, command tasks, observation/camouflage and concealment. The fourth years complete their self relaince expedition, covering routes of approximately 35km of a bronze DofE standard.
Lent Field Day
This is held at a range complex such as Sealand Ranges. The evening is spent completing recee patrols or zeroing before bedding down in a large but warm shed. The next day two ranges are operated, one run by the section officers and the other by regular soldiers. These offer the opportunity to classify and to zero then fire at longer ranges.
Summer Field Day
This field day takes the form of a blank firing exercise. Friendly and enemy forces operate independently, patrol against each other into the small hours of the morning before a deliberate attack is planned and executed. Leadership roles are taken by the senior cadets.
Summer Camp
This is the highlight of the year and where we do the majority of our training. We usually go before school on the last day of the year in order to travel to our destination and go straight into the field for a 24 hour build-up exercise. After a day or two in camp it is back out for a 2-3 day exercise before coming back into camp again. Rangework and adventure training are also usually timetabled.
Royal Naval Section
The CCF RN Section meets on a Tuesday after School. We sail Topper, Laser and Bosun dinghies in the Summer and up to half-term before Christmas at Halton Training Camp on the river Lune. Cadets follow a CCF RN Syllabus throughout the winter months. This includes navigation skills and rope work as well as drill and shooting.
Field days are spent at a variety of locations in the North West. At the end of each summer term we attend a camp beside Windermere where we make use of dinghies, powerboats and a staff yacht.
LRGS CCF RN cadets enter CCF Sailing regattas around the country. Recently a CCF Diving Club has been set up on a Wednesday evening.The Royal Navy and Royal Marines provide camps, courses and expeditions during the Easter and Summer holidays which are extremely popular. Cadets can gain qualifications in a variety of activities.
