FAQs

How old do you have to be to join the CCF?

Your child must be in year 8 or above in school to join The Vyne CCF. Enrolment happens annually, usually after the October Half Term holiday.

Does my child need to be a UK citizen to join?

No. Membership of the CCF is open to any child whose school is part of a Contingent, regardless of citizenship.

Which days and times do cadets meet?

The CCF parades after school every Friday during term time. Training usually starts at 3:15pm and ends at 5:45.

Students from Everest and Sherfield will be brought to The Vyne at the start, and can either be collected from The Vyne, make their own way home from The Vyne, or will be returned to their school for collection.

Which other activities can cadets take part in outside of normal parades?

As well as Friday parades, there will be activities at weekends and during the holidays. Some of these will be required to enable your child to pass elements of their cadet training, such as weapon handling, shooting, flying, navigation, and fieldcraft exercises; others are for interest such as visits to air shows, displays, and military bases. We will try to give you a forecast of events every six months, highlighting what activities must be attended as part of cadet training.

How do you make sure my child will be safe in your care?

We have stringent processes in place to keep our cadets safe. Each adult volunteer undergoes an enhanced disclosure check with the police and military when they join the CCF and at regular intervals thereafter. We also have strict supervision rules, and every adult volunteer is trained in handling safeguarding incidents. We do not tolerate any form of bullying or discrimination in the CCF and have easy and accessible methods for cadets to report these issues to our trained volunteers.

The safety of cadets during activities is the first concern for all of our excellent adult volunteers, who have received specialist training in their areas of expertise from national and regional training teams, and the Contingent is proud to include volunteers who have worked for the national training team delivering safety-critical training packages. Support for safety is provided by the national and regional training teams, including a full-time Training Safety Advisor in every county, who ensures that training is conducted safely while remaining exciting and challenging.

How much does the uniform cost?

Cadets are provided with a uniform at no charge, which must be returned when they leave. This includes a camouflage hat, t-shirt, camouflage shirt, camouflage smock (coat), camouflage trousers, and socks.

Boots are not provided, so you will need to purchase a pair for your child when they join. The CCF has trade accounts with military equipment suppliers, allowing us to sell boots at a significant price reduction – approximately £25 instead of £70. Please indicate on the uniform sizing form if you would like this, and include an extra £25 with the joining payment.

Can my child join the CCF with a medical condition or disability?

Yes. The CCF is dedicated to ensuring every cadet is able to partake in as many activities as possible. We will assess each medical condition or disability on a case-by-case basis and make every effort to accommodate your child. Only where a condition or disability presents a critical safety issue is it likely to prevent them from taking part in an activity.

Will my child have to join the Armed Forces if they become a cadet?

No. The CCF is sponsored and administered by the Ministry of Defence, but there is absolutely no requirement on cadets to join any of the Armed Forces. If your child is interested in joining the Armed Forces, adult volunteers can offer advice and information to support this.

When can my child join the Army or RAF Section?

Due to age limits for some activities, and limits on the number of Cadets in the RAF Section, Cadets in The Vyne CCF spend their first academic year as part of the Recruit Section, taking part in a combined syllabus that includes elements of both Army and RAF Section training. This will help them understand which section is right for them, and ensure we can maintain numbers within the limits set by the MOD. Cadets are interviewed at the end of their Recruit Training, to help decide their future Section, and results of this will be published by email before the end of the Summer Term.

How does the CCF communicate with Cadets and Parents?

All Cadets will be enrolled in Salerno, a secure Microsoft 365 environment, that allows us to communicate with Cadets through Teams and emails, and share relevant documents through SharePoint. Most of our communication with Parents is through emails from office@vyneccf.org.uk, but for specific events we may set up a WhatsApp or Teams group to allow fast communications.

What should we do if my child can’t attend CCF?

We understand that life is busy, and some weeks your child may not be able to attend – this is fine, and they just need to catch up on any information they miss. If it is likely to be a longer absence, please tell us as soon as possible, so that the CCF staff can make sure that they will be able to catch up on any important topics they miss. If the CCF’s registers show that your child has been absent for 4 weeks, and we are not aware, we will make contact, either by email, or through a teacher in school.

What should we do if my child decides to leave the CCF?

We understand that being a cadet is not for everyone, and if your child does decide they no longer want to be part of the CCF, please let us know as soon as possible, and return any uniform or equipment on loan from the CCF.