Above: CCF Pupils with their Pringle Trophy, with CCF Contingent Commander Mr Jones (far left) and Principal Will Scott (fourth from right)
Members of Dame Allan’s Schools’ Royal Marines Combined Cadet Force (CCF) have achieved their best-ever result in the prestigious Sir Steuart Pringle Trophy, taking third place in the Normandy Tier of the national competition.
The annual contest, held at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines in Lympstone, Devon, saw cadets from leading independent schools and CCFs across the country compete over two challenging days of tests designed to mirror real-life Royal Marines training.
The Dame Allan’s team, made up of pupils from Years 9 to 13, took on a gruelling series of events on the Woodbury Common training grounds, including an assault course, modern urban combat challenge, section attack and endurance course.
The team included: Cpl India Ridley (Team Leader), Cpl Lucas Carson, Cdt Noah Foster, Cdt Isla Biggins, Cdt Sebastion Mead, Cdt Luke Tufton, WO Milo Bennett and Cdt Orson Shivji, a cadet from Winchester College who joined the Dame Allan’s contingent for the competition.
Their strong teamwork and leadership paid off, with the team winning the ‘Target Indication’ stance, a highly technical event testing communication, command and fire control skills, and securing an overall third-place finish behind Harrow and Charterhouse.
Owain Jones, Contingent Commander of the Dame Allan’s CCF, said: “To compete alongside the big names in the CCF world — schools like Harrow, Charterhouse, Rugby and Malvern — and to come away with a trophy is a huge achievement for us. The team performed brilliantly and showed real resilience, humour and determination throughout.
“What’s most rewarding is seeing how much our cadets grow through these experiences. They learn discipline and teamwork, but also the ability to stay positive in tough conditions… and they have great fun too!”
Year 10 pupil India Ridley, who captained the Dame Allan’s section, was also awarded the Commando Spirit Medal for her outstanding leadership and cheerfulness in adversity – an honour presented by the Royal Marines staff at the training centre.
She said: “I am so proud of the team for how we pulled together to conquer lots of challenges. To come home with our first ever trophy is such a wonderful achievement. For all my Commando Medal was an individual award, I couldn’t have won it without the amazing effort that all of the team put in.”
The Sir Steuart Pringle Trophy, named after a former Commandant General of the Royal Marines, is the most prestigious event in the Royal Marines Cadet calendar. In recent years, the competition has been divided into two tiers – the Pringle Trophy and the Normandy Trophy – to ensure fair competition between schools with differing resources and facilities.
The Dame Allan’s Royal Marines section continues to thrive, with around 35 cadets training weekly and new recruits joining from Year 9 upwards. Older cadets take on leadership roles, helping to train and mentor the younger members.
“The CCF offers something unique,” added Mr Jones. “It teaches pupils to be confident, capable and self-reliant – to ‘crack on’ and get the job done, whether it’s in uniform or in everyday life.”