So, cadet can start aged 12 if they’re in year 8 (English system). Great move.
Is that the earliest they can attest?
I’m wondering if someone could be unattested and checking out their local squadron during the summer preceding that September school year’s start.
12 and in year 8, that’s the lower limit. Any younger and, tbh, they rarely keep up. And what’s a month or two in the grand scheme of things?
Our recent intakes have seen that 12 year olds have the highest drop out rate, so we don’t tend to recruit many
Gosh really? So you have better results at 14-15?
Is that because lots of activities are closed to them until they’re older?
They’re just too immature to sit through the academic bits they need to. They’re not ready. We see it a lot as well
Agreed. 13 turning 14 is ok. 12 turning 13 is frankly too young.
I think the decision was made to lower the starting age so that we were in-line with ACF, and therefore supposedly didn’t miss recruiting someone if they saw they were able to go elsewhere.
The fact that ACF and ATC are two very different demographics of young people was seemingly lost.
And yet the Sea Cadets manage to run a junior section for 10 year olds.
But they have an age appropriate syllabus. It’s like the difference between cubs and scouts
What demographic would that be? The vibe I got was ATC was more middle class kids while ACF was working class kids. Not that you can’t get a mix in either.
Fixed that for you 
Fixed that for you!!!
Yes, there is a separate question about whether what we ask of then is relevant, but for now, it is, and that’s what we’re dealing with.
I prefer “geeks and chavs”. Socioeconomic background isn’t the driving factor, but we’ve always been nerdier compared to our noisy cousins.
Being attracted to us is (partly) interest based, but depending on the detachment, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was an aspect of dissuasion based on reputation, which is where we end up with the higher proportion of the “posh kids”.
I wonder if this is born out in recruitment?
Does the number of ATC Cadets joining up bias officers more so than ACF Cadets?
(And i measure this across all services not simply ATC = RAF and ACF = Army
In my own experience of all the ATC cadets I’ve known join up (which for what it is worth is closer to 50-50 between Army and the RAF with the odd one or two going the Navy route) the majority (60-70%) have not gone for commission which is true for either service.
I would be interested to see the stats as anecdotal I see something similar with the majority of the ex ACF & ex ATC cadets going as enlisted with the flip side that the majority of the ccf cadets I know who have signed up went commissioned.
I think is more to do with the culture within the respective cadet forces with a big emphasis on NCO culture in the ATC where it’s more officer focus in the CCF (who have very little NCOs).
Given it’s traditionally (although not exclusively) within grammar and independent schools that you find CCFs, you would expect a contingent that are more well-off as a percentage representation versus those in state comprehensive schools within the same areas. People from wealthier backgrounds traditionally prefer the commissioned route of entry.
There are always exceptions. My old school was a state comprehensive that founded a CCF whilst I was a student. I tried it once, decided it was too much like the Scouts, and went off to the ATC instead. Admittedly though, that school did act much more like a grammar than any other in the city.
They’ve gone done to 9 now for juniors - still same age as us for the blue jackets.
Cadets arent attested.
But i know what you meant.