Gordon's School Cadets put through their paces at Collingwood

Students from Gordon’s School in Surrey visited HMS Collingwood, near Fareham recently to experience team-building, Royal Navy-style.

Firstly, the group tackled the base’s daunting assault course which is designed to test and challenge participants in a variety of ways.

Obstacles include a 20-foot tall A-frame covered in ropes and an 8-foot wall, which all the students completed. Some, suffering from a fear of heights, were especially grateful for their team-mates’ encouragement.

Crawling through a steep concrete tube also provided a challenge for at least one of the Cadets who suffered from claustrophobia. However, with determination and encouragement from the Collingwood instructors and the other students he completed this obstacle with confidence.

The course also boasts several water obstacles which require the students to work as a team to avoid any of them getting wet. Despite the heat of the day, they soon learnt the best way to avoid this indignity.

Cadet Kyle Vara said, “This is fun. I’ve done obstacle courses before but this one’s much different. I’d really like to tackle it as a time trial.” 

Cadet Lauren Mallindine enjoyed the A-frame. She said, “I really want to join the Royal Navy as soon as I leave school. I went to a careers fair where the Royal Navy was represented and told them I’d like to be an Air Traffic Controller. They said I could do that within the Navy and that there were loads of other opportunities open to me too.”

After lunch the Cadets tackled the base’s low ropes course. In a similar way as the Obstacle Course, this tests teamwork and communication but includes more problem-solving challenges.

Successfully completing these gives Cadets valuable life-skills they can apply elsewhere both in their academic and personal lives.

Gordon’s School Head Teacher Andrew Moss said: “CCF is a hugely rewarding and fulfilling part of life for students at Gordon’s School and the visit to HMS Collingwood was eagerly anticipated. We are very grateful to the staff for all they did for the students.

"The fact that so many of our students join military service after leaving school is testament to the enjoyment and challenges experienced by them when taking part in CCF camps such as the one to HMS Collingwood.”