Students at Kirkby school secure victory in Desert Rats Challenge

Students from a Kirkby school have proved themselves adept on the mock battlefield by winning a special challenge.
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Students from Ashfield School, on Sutton Road, took part in the Desert Rats Challenge Competition at Chetwynd Barracks, Nottingham.

They competed in a range of disciplines including reconnaissance, camouflage and concealment, orienteering, practical teamworking and problem solving and shooting on the indoor range.

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Julie Taylor, school head of uniformed services, said: “The event showcased the professionalism of the British Army’s Desert Rats and our students were actively engaged in disciplined tasks throughout the day.

Year 13/14 Uniformed Services students took park in the challengeYear 13/14 Uniformed Services students took park in the challenge
Year 13/14 Uniformed Services students took park in the challenge

“The learning available through the practical challenges was superb.”

One student said: “Every station was exciting and made engagement easy.

“A stand that particularly stood out for me was the bomb disposal stand. I enjoyed how we worked with equipment most of us had seen, but not used before.

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“Doing so helped us to gain an understanding of how simplistic some aspects of army life can be, while also having the constant reminder of the complexity involved with the expensive bomb disposal equipment.”

They took part in practical teamworking and problem solvingThey took part in practical teamworking and problem solving
They took part in practical teamworking and problem solving

Major Stephen Goodwin, competition organiser, told the school: “Your team were worthy winners.

"From the outset, their professional appearance, attitude and enthusiasm was obvious and every stand commander commented on this.”

To find out more about the uniformed services, vist the school’s Post-16 Centre open evening on Thursday, October 7, from 5-6.30pm and 6.30-8pm.

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