Welbeck College
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Welbeck College, now officially known as Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College (DSFC), built on the site of the old Intelligence Corps language college at Woodhouse in Leicestershire, UK, was opened in 2005, after moving from its previous site near Worksop where it had been based since 1953.
It is a military college specialising in training people who wish to be engineering officers in any of the three armed forces or a scientist in the Ministry of Defence civil service. All those who go there first have to pass their respective service entry exams for officer entry and gain good GCSE results. The college then concentrates on helping the students get good A-levels to get onto an engineering degree at university, while also giving them a good range of sporting activities and some basic officer and military training. These students then go on to train at their respective officer training colleges after completing a degree in engineering.
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[edit] Reputation
Welbeck College has a good reputation. The institution has had a long-standing reputation for academic excellence at its former picturesque Worksop site. However, some in the military have a pre-set image of the standard "Wibbly Wobbly Welbexian". Welbexians were sad to lose the historic connections associated with the old college due to the move to Loughborough; however, the move to new premises has been accompanied by a more modern approach to team building and mentoring which could do much to improve the effectiveness of Welbexians as leaders. In recent years the numbers of privately schooled students has dramatically fallen, giving way to a new working or middle class majority. This is undoubtedly a bonus, as in the future this will only strengthen the officer-soldier bond.
[edit] Sport
The girls football team's reputation has been far from good in the past, with not a single match being won, but this year things are changing and we have already seen the girls team enjoy their first victory ever in the history of Welbeck. Unfortunately on the same day the boys football team had a disappointing loss of 5-3 against the very same school the girls beat, Wiggleston.
[edit] Academics
Every student at the college takes Mathematics A level and the vast majority take Physics. To fill up the remaining two timetable blocks, students can select from a range of other subjects including (but not limited to) Government and Politics (Excellent reputation), Biology, Chemistry, Business Studies, ICT, electronics, Systems and control.
For two terms of their first year, Welbexians also take Communication Skills (as opposed to General Studies A level) to help enhance their abilities as future officers. In their second year, Welbexians may continue all four subjects or drop one and pick up an enrichment subject. The enrichment subjects offered include Further Mathematics AS, Critical Thinking or Sport. There is also the option to take up a ‘distance learning course’ and teach themselves in a subject of their choice. Students are also expected to complete a minimum of two hours independent study every evening.
[edit] Combined Cadet Force (CCF)
Welbexians engage in CCF training twice a week (either Monday or Friday afternoons, and Tuesday afternoons). Welbeck CCF runs slightly differently to CCF at other boarding schools and around the country because it is trying to give Welbexians different training. It should be the best trained cadet unit in the UK with permanent military staff posted to the college to train the cadets.
Monday or Friday afternoons rotate in blocks of six weeks. Lower Sixth do hillwalking, military history, adventurous training and leadership and Upper Sixth do etiquette, battle PT, leadership assist and adventurous training. Hillwalking enables Welbexians to learn basic map and compass skills and get out onto to the nearby hills to practice them. Battle PT improves fitness and gives the students a chance to use the assault course, as well as lots of running around carrying heavy objects, and often each other. Etiquette covers defence writing as well as how to behave in the Officers’ Mess and culminates with a dinner for those involved to show off their skills. Leadership for Lower Sixth is assisted by those in the Upper Sixth and is mostly command tasks to help them practice and develop as a leader.
For the first few weeks, Tuesday CCF is learning the basics of drill and military knowledge, in order that each cadet can earn the right to wear their beret. After that, weapons handling and field craft are important parts of the training.
[edit] CCF Exercises
In the autumn term each year group goes on a separate exercise for a 24 hour period. For the Lower Sixth, this is their first experience of living in their issued kit – a chance to finally prove if they have or haven’t broken their boots in. The Lower Sixth are gently introduced to military life, being permitted to return to the toilets by minibus if they are not quite ready to make the giant leap to being completely self sufficient in the field.
The Upper Sixth get a chance to do live firing on a range. 'Senior Ex', as it is known, once involved transportation via helicopter (organisational skills permitting) to a training area in the UK, where the Upper Sixth get the chance to use the skills, they've practised all year.
In the spring term, the Lower Sixth used to go on a so-called Exercise Snowdonia Stretch, a week in northern Wales which is a mixture of hillwalking and command tasks. This is an opportunity for them to prove what they have learned in leadership and hillwalking. However, this has been removed, due to reasons unknown to the college students, and to many whines from both seniors and juniors alike.
In the summer term, the Lower Sixth go on a two week camp to the Gareloch area near HMNB Clyde. Like Snowdonia Stretch, this consists of command tasks and hillwalking. The three day long military phase at the end of the camp, is slightly different, however. Cadets get the chance to prove their camouflage and concealment skills in trying to find out information from the "enemy", as well as learning how to conduct vehicle check points (VCPs). There is also the opportunity for all cadets to search a building, armed with SA-80 rifles and blank rounds (providing they have passed their weapons handling test, of course).
Those cadets who were ill, injured, or did not do well on Summer Camp will be taken on Snowdonia Return in their Upper Sixth year. Cadets who did do well have the opportunity for promotion in their Upper Sixth year.
[edit] The Boarding Houses
Welbeck has five main boarding houses: Nelson, Portland, Alanbrooke, Stirling, and Trenchard. These are all names based on key figures in the services: Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson who led the Royal Navy to a famous victory at Trafalgar; The Duke of Portland who owned Welbeck Abbey, the College's first home; Field Marshal Lord Alanbrooke, famous WW2 military commander; Sir David Stirling, the founder of the Special Air Service during WW2; and Marshal of the Royal Air Force Trenchard, the first head of the RAF. There is a strong, albeit healthy, rivalry between the houses and a student's time at the college will be filled with inter-house competitions. The houses contain rooms for either one or three students, although the Upper Sixth have priority over the single rooms. All the rooms are en-suite and come with plenty of storage space.
[edit] Facilities
Welbeck is home to a variety of on-site, independent facilities.
Welbeck put a heavy emphasis on phyical educational in order to help prepare students for their later careers. To do this Welbeck is home to the following facilities:
- 25m indoor heated pool
- Various fields (for rugby, football, cricket including cricket nets among other sports)
- Floodlit astro turf
- Large indoor sports hall with basket ball hoops
- Indoor climbing wall
- 4 indoor Squash courts
- A weights room (comprising of free and resistance weights)
- A cardiovascular room (comprising of running, rowing and cycling machines)
Although they are the core facilities, the range of sports available is very much dependent on the students as they are free to arrange / organise sports at their own leisure, and if there are enough people wanting to do it, specialists can be called in / equipment can be purchased. These include such sports as karate or archery.
Students take part in 2 compulsory games sessions a week (on a Wednesday and Saturday) and get to choose three major sports a year. Pupils also have one PT session a week where they have the chance to learn theory as well as taking part / trying different training techniques.
Students are very much encouraged to do sport in their spare time, and due to the nature of the inhabitants there are always people in the gym / pool / playing rugby / running.
