As Covid-19 is still affecting our lives, it has not stopped the Bloxwich Academy Cadets from taking part in the CCF Programme. The Cadets paraded, over the summer holiday, once a week to refresh their training as the lockdown limited them from what they could participate in. The CCF staff from the school generously gave up their holiday time to make the training happen. Bloxwich Academy were the only school in the area to parade straight out of lockdown and probably the only school in the UK to do this. This just shows the dedication of the staff and Cadets as all involved get a lot out of the CCF programme.

So far this academic year the CCF programme has started with a major recruitment drive across all year groups in the school with 32 pupils choosing to attend the CCF programme. This now brings the total amount of Cadets at the school to 52. This is Bloxwich Academy’s largest intake and it is only the start of our third year. The Cadets are now starting to run the unit themselves with Cadets delivering lessons to the new Cadets. This is a big achievement as this is only the start of year 3 and the Cadets lost time due to lockdown.

One of the Contingent Commanders favourite jobs is to promote Cadets in recognition of their hard work and dedication. Cadet R has been promoted to Lance Corporal and now takes the second in command position in his flight. Lance Corporal H has been promoted to full Corporal again in recognition of her hard work and dedication to the CCF programme and takes the position of Flight Section Commander. Promotion is open to all Cadets as long as they meet the promotion criteria.

The contingent has won a grant off the Combined Cadet Force Association (CCFA) to help fund projects planned later in the year. With the first project being to purchase rock-climbing equipment as Bloxwich Academy have some budding mountaineers.