Welcome to the Army Section!

If you’re looking for a section that builds character, resilience and real world skills, while being safe, fun and inspiring – you’ve found it. The Combined Cadet Force (CCF) Army Section gives young people aged 13 – 18 the chance to learn leadership, teamwork and practical skills through exciting, structured, hands-on experiences. Whether your child is interested in navigation, marksmanship, first aid, fieldcraft, or simply growing in confidence, the Army Section offers something special. Click here to read more about the Army Cadet Syllabus (ACS).

The broad function of the CCF Army is to provide a disciplined organisation within a school so that young people may develop the powers of leadership by means of training to promote qualities of responsibility, self-reliance, resourcefulness, endurance, perseverance and a sense of service to the community. The specific function of CCF training is to provide:

• The opportunity for young people to exercise responsibility and leadership, and to learn from the services how they can best be developed.
• Show them why the defence forces are needed and how they function.
• Encourage those who have an interest in the service to be become Officers of the Regular or Reserve Forces.

Here’s a snap shot of what we offer

Weekly parade nights during term time – Structured sessions include a variety of theory and practical lessons covering a variety of topics, including: Drill, Fieldcraft, Marksmanship skills, First Aid, Leadership and Signals.

Weekend exercises and camps – Safe, supervised overnight experiences put learning into action: fieldcraft, bivouacs, navigation and team tasks.

Skills & Qualifications – Cadets can work towards nationally recognised awards and qualifications (e.g., BTEC in Public Services, Cyber Skills, First Aid at Work, Duke of Edinburgh). These look great on CVs and university applications.

Adventure & Sport – Exciting opportunities such as climbing, kayaking, mountain navigation, and physical training build fitness and courage delivered at section level and also through the national Army Cadet Centre for Adventurous Training.

Mentoring & personal development – Older cadets mentor younger ones — a great chance to practise leadership and communication in real situations.

Our programme is carefully balanced between fun and educational personal development. Click here to have a look at our recent activities. Each review has been written by one of our senior cadets.

Cadet Promotion

Whilst progressing through the Army Cadet Syllabus, cadets can aspire to achieve promotion within their section. Although promotion is based on leadership, attitude, skill and progression through the ACS, the final decision rests with the Officer Commanding Army section.

Please see below, the criteria required for promotion at each rank in the Army Section at Royal Russell CCF:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

1. Who can join the CCF?
   • Students in years 9-13 from either Royal Russell School or Coloma Convent Girls School are eligible to be cadets within the CCF. Bulk recruitment happens during the summer term of year 8.
2. Is the CCF linked to the military?
   • The CCF is an educational youth organisation offering a structured, military-themed training programme. It is focused on personal development and skills, not recruitment. Participation is voluntary and we respect every cadet’s choice.
   • There is no obligation to join the military after leaving school, however a handful of cadets do each year.
3. When does CCF meet?
   • CCF meets every Monday evening during Royal Russell Schools term time. First parade is at 1900hrs and cadets are dismissed at 2100hrs. Royal Russell students can also sign in for CCF supper at 1830hrs if they wish.
4. What commitment is required?
   • On average, the Army Section offers an activity one weekend a month to complement Monday night training. There is no obligation to attend weekend training, however it is widely recognised, cadets get out as much as they’re willing to put in.
5. Will the CCF affect my child’s school work?
   • CCF Activities are designed to complement academic learning, not disrupt it. Skills developed through the CCF (discipline, organisation and leadership) often enhance academic and personal performance.
   • In the last two years, the CCF has had six students with senior leadership responsibilities (Head Boy/Girl etc…) within the school.
6. What uniform do cadets in the CCF wear?
   • Multi-Terrain Pattern (MTP) Uniform is provided on loan by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to individual cadets. Boots are the only thing that need purchasing, however the CCF will provide the first set as part of the joining fee.
   • The Army section is affiliated to the Corps of Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers (REME) and all our cadets and instructors wear the REME cap badge. A lot of our camps revolve around trades conducted by serving soldiers, such as Aircraft Technician, Avionics Technician, Vehicle Mechanic, Vehicle Recovery Mechanic, Metalsmith, Armourer, and Electronic Technician.
7. Are girls allowed to join?
   • Absolutely. The CCF is fully co-educational, and girls are encouraged to join and participate in all activities equally. In fact, due to our CCF partnership with Coloma Convent Girls School, we often have a larger majority of girls.
8. Who runs the Army Section?
   • Our Army Section is run by Captain N Quick who is also an Old Russellian. He can be contacted via email – nquick@royalrussell.co.uk
   • The majority of our instructors are ex-cadets from Royal Russell who all help to run the CCF on a voluntary basis.
9. Are the activities safe?
   • All our activities are on the MOD indemnified activities list. We conduct a rigorous planning process to ensure all events are as safe as possible. There is a dedicated process called the Army Cadet Safety Management System (AC SMS) which prescribes the way activities must be planned and ran, in accordance with the safe system of training (SST).
   • Our paperwork and events are quality assured by a Training Safety Advisor (TSA) from the MoD to ensure the correct planning and execution of events occurs.
   • We are fully insured through the MoD and the Combined Cadet Force Association (CCFA).