News

The RAF Section of CCF visited RAF Waddington this week. Below are accounts of the trip from two of our cadets:

Seb (10H)

"Visiting RAF Waddington was both an inspiring and thought-provoking experience. We visited the new Protector RG MK1 drone operating room, and control system, followed by an in-person tour of the hangar where we got up-close with the aircraft itself, and its weapon/surveillance systems.  

This was followed by a presentation by the Chief engineer of the RC-135W river joint, and a quick Russian lesson from a RAF Intelligence linguist, who has worked aboard the spy plane while deployed in the Black Sea.  After lunch in the officers' mess, we drove to the Defence Fire and Rescue station where we were shown how to use a heavy-duty fire hose and were given a tour of two fire trucks. Later we visited a Vulcan and Red Arrow which were on display. The Red Arrows had only recently moved to RAF Waddington and this was made clear as on the way into the base, when we saw an incredible display of the Red Arrows skill while practicing their manoeuvres.   

To finish the experience off we met a RAF Police dog crew, who showed us around the dog station and gave us a little preview of their impressive training and capabilities. The trip was fantastic giving us an excellent insight into life on an RAF base, and what careers pathways may be on offer." 

Ben (9J)

"On Wednesday, we went to RAF Waddington on a 2-and-a-half-hour drive from school.  

When we arrived at the base, we were welcomed quickly, and went to our first activity, which is where we saw these multi-million-pound drone simulators for the new Predator aircraft, replacing the Reaper. We also got to see it in person, what surprised me the most was how long the wings were. These aircraft were used for stealth missions, equipped with many missiles and a very high quality camera.  

After we went to the 51 Squadron to learn about certain types of domestic and foreign aircraft. We also learnt a bit of Russian.  

After lunch, we went to the fire department, sat in a fire truck and tried spraying a cone down with a high-pressure hose, personally, this was my favourite part. Next, we saw a display Red Arrow Hawk T1, and also on the day we saw the Red Arrow team practicing near the base earlier when we were driving over to it, which was mesmerising to watch how they could all do it. 

Finally, we went to the RAF Police Dog Section, to see all the canines they use for various activities. We ended the day there arriving back to school at about 6.  

Overall it was a very enjoyable and insightful experience seeing some of the operations a main RAF base does. The red arrows were truly incredible though seeing all their manoeuvrers in synchrony, it was just shocking. Really though, the whole experience was just amazing." 

Over the weekend, over forty Ampleforth College students and staff took part in the annual Ampleforth Big Walk to raise money for pupils at Oak Field School in Nottingham. Raising over six thousand pounds, the team walked 78km from Whitby back to Ampleforth, through the night and across the North Yorkshire Moors.

The weather was on our side as it was looking like it could go either way on Saturday for the start of the walk, but the clouds soon disappeared and the sun came out for the rest of the day in support.

For 20 years, the Friendship Project has been an incredible partnership between the students of Ampleforth College and the pupils of Oak Field School, a special needs school for children with learning disabilities. The funds raised are put towards social experiences between Ampleforth and Oak Field students, as well as purchasing equipment for their school.

A special thank you to Dr Anglim and Mrs Stannard for organising the walk, and to the support teams that kept all of our walkers fuelled up throughout.

 

Our students have had two flying opportunities in the last month.  

Firstly, on a gloriously sunny Sunday afternoon, six students went gliding at RAF Topcliffe.     

Then last week, another group of RAF cadets had the fantastic opportunity to visit RAF Leeming to complete Air Experience Flying. Under the guidance of some very experienced fighter pilots, cadets took to the skies and gained hands-on flying time in the Grob Tutor G 115, a fixed-wing propeller aircraft. 

All participating cadets are now working towards their Bronze Pilot Wings, the next step on their exciting journey in the RAF Cadet programme.

Today, 9th May 2025, at morning break the whole school joined together in the Abbey Church to celebrate the election of The Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV and to sing the ancient and formal celebration hymn Te Deum Laudamus.

Confirmation weekend is very special at Ampleforth with hundreds of families, godparents, and friends descending on the valley to support those being confirmed. Last weekend was no exception with the Bishop of Middlesbrough, Terence Patrick Drainey, confirming 37 candidates in a packed church and accompanied by heavenly music. The sun shone too!

The Sacrament of Confirmation completes initiation into the Christian life, by a particular gift of the Holy Spirit of God, like the apostles of Jesus received on the day of Pentecost. That is why the bishops, who together are the successors of the apostles in an unbroken line, confer this sacrament. 

Candidates, known by their Latin name as confirmandi, are prepared over many weeks both by chaplains and House catechists (who are fellow students). On the day itself, confirmandi are sponsored by a member of their family, or friend, someone who lives the Christian life in such a way they can accompany them into a deeper sharing of the life of the Church.

On Friday night, the confirmandi came together to pray in the Abbey Church in preparation for Sunday, to make their confession as a preparation of the heart, and to ask the prayers of their chosen saint.  Each candidate chooses a patron saint, whose name they would like to be added to their baptismal names. They write to the bishop asking for confirmation and explaining the choice of their patron saint. On the day itself, the bishop talks to each candidate about their saint and calls each by their chosen name, to mark this moment in the Christian life.

Families and godparents come to Ampleforth to support and witness the moment when the bishop asks the Holy Spirit to be close to the confirmandi, using a special holy oil to do this which he brings with him. Called the oil of Chrism, it is blessed by the bishop just before Easter. Consisting of olive oil mixed with balsam, it has a powerful fragrance which diffuses in the air around you, like the Holy Spirit, making you a fragrant offering to God, as it says in scripture. It sets you apart, reserves you, for the work of making God known in the world.  It’s the same oil used to set apart the hands of a priest at ordination, for the work of celebrating the sacraments.