Pocklington School Newsletter Lent Term 2019 | Page 4

Combined Cadet Force
The Officers within the Contingent are
constantly looking for ways in which they can
challenge and stretch the 148 Cadets we have
across the Army and RAF Sections. In this term
alone, two groups of Fourth Year Army cadets
have put their Skill at Arms training to practice
on the live firing target range at Strensall, we
have entered a ten cadet strong team into the
Welbeck
College
STEM
Leadership
Competition and our Fifth Year cadets have
finished their Cadre training with an overnight
exercise on Strensall training area. The RAF
have been equally busy having entered a 13
cadet team into their annual Air Squadron
Trophy regional competition at Inskip Training
Centre; they finished in sixth place and
achieved an impressive second place in the RAF
knowledge aspect of the competition. The RAF
cadets have had two Air Experience Flying Days
this term at RAF Linton on Ouse and 17 cadets
were fortunate enough to secure a place on a
ground training day at RAF Topcliffe. This has
been a remarkably busy term for the RAF and
they have proven themselves to be one of the
most competitive and proactive sections in the
region.
Over Easter, a group of our cadets and Officers
will travel to Keswick, Cumbria for our
Adventurous Training week. Activities will
include mountain biking, sailing and we are
adding a new overnight survival element to the
package this year. I am sure it will be a fabulous
week for all involved.
Finally, the CCF has recently added an air rifle
range to our list of facilities. Our aim is to
provide our cadets with plenty of opportunity
to improve their target shooting, with the hope
of entering more competitions next year.
Hands-on approach to science
An action-packed British Science Week began
with
Headmaster
Toby
Seth
bravely
demonstrating the methane bubble flaming
hand experiment. He survived to pick the
winner out of a hat and name the Biology
Department’s new bearded dragon ‘Bernard’.
Practical lessons included the Northern Lights,
mouse dissection, turning water into ‘wine’ and
using socks to demonstrate mitosis cell
division. The First Year Science Club imploded
cans and Second Year Science Club made a
tasty giant wave machine with jelly babies and
kebab sticks, Third Year students investigated
osmosis using horse blood, and Fourth Years
examined toilet paper’s effectiveness as a
barrier against microbes.
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