This year has been a particularly exciting one for the Royal Navy, and not just because of the return to normality after Covid. There has been a range of exciting events and trips, as well as the introduction of a new syllabus which we had the honour of trialling for the MoD. It has been an especial privilege to be WO1 for the year, working with a great team of Upper and Lower Sixth cadets. The new training syllabus this year introduced a more structured system ensuring cadets are aware of what promotions they are working towards. It also means that there is now a wider range of topics from History of the Royal Navy to Alliance (perhaps proving that the Navy doesn’t just learn about knots!). The cadets have also been able to explore their own individual interests, from researching the Mary Rose to naval disasters. The first key event of the year was October field day. The Lower Sixth and some Upper Sixth NCOs visited Chatham Dockyard, taking part in activities such as looking round the different museums, building aeroplanes, learning how rope is made as well as staying in HMS Cavalier overnight. Fortunately the food was better than WW2 fare of rum and biscuits, as we learnt on the tour, and overall it was a great trip. Meanwhile, the Year 11 and Year 10 cadets took part in sailing, kayaking and raft building at Fairlop Waters, then all cadets returned to school on Monday for activities such as paintballing, archery, gun run and scuba diving. Aside from learning new skills and the history of the Royal Navy, we had a huge amount of fun! ROYAL NAVY 213
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