CCF Field Weekend with Cheney
Headington School CCF in collaboration with (MCS) Cheney School CCF embarked on their first field weekend of the year on the 19th/20th November 2022.
42 Cadets (27 HSO and 15 Cheney) and five Cadet Force Adult Volunteers headed off to Yardley Chase Training area, near Northampton.
The weekend was for all the new curious cadets to experience their basic field craft and to give the new NCO’s the opportunity to teach some lessons in the basics. The Cadets were taught by Headington’s U5 cadets about camouflage and concealment, signals and patrolling and movement with and without a rifle.
The Lance Corporals have been taking their Method of Instruction course over the last 4 weeks and this was their assessment phase, to deliver accurate but creative lessons to the new cadets. The NCO’s rose to the challenge teachers and leaders face and being confident to adapt their lessons in order to be creative and reassuring in the field.
The new cadets (U4’s) have had a challenging but exciting few weeks, first with getting their uniform then working on their drill and turnout in order to be on Parade in Oxford city centre for the Remembrance Service. This field weekend really opened their eyes to living in the field, having to set up harbour areas, resting under bashas, cooking in mess tins and eating rations. They had to be extremely diligent with planning their space for sleeping, as they needed to ensure they were protected from the rain! Cooking in the field can be a challenge, ensuring your rations are indeed hot and that you remember to carry the right amount of food and snacks to get you through the action-packed days. This weekend certainly tested each and every one of them. They took it in their stride, stiking up friendships with the Cheney School Cadets and working together to get through the activities, encouraging each other to have courage in those moments of challenge.
Major Anisha Charania, PE Teacher and CCF Contingent Commander said: “The NOC’s presented good leadership skills and compassion in order to ensure each of the new cadets rose to the challenges and indeed succeed in their first field weekend. Credit goes to every single one of them, a great achievement and they are certainly looking forward to more adventures with the CCF and indeed (MCS) Cheney CCF.”
