Army Foundation College
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The Army Foundation College (AFC) is located in
Harrogate Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa ...
,
North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by national parks, including most of the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. It is one of four co ...
, England. It is the only
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...
establishment that delivers initial military training (Phase 1 training) to Junior Soldiers (aged between 16 years and 17 years, 5 months when they start).


History

The Royal Signals Apprentices School was established in
Harrogate Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa ...
to provide military and vocational
training Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge or fitness that relate to specific useful competencies. Training has specific goals of improving one's capability, capacity, productivity and performance. I ...
for the
Royal Corps of Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS or R SIGS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield commun ...
,
Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
(RA) and
Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is head ...
(RE) in 1947. It was renamed the
Army Apprentices College The Army Apprentices College was a college system in the United Kingdom that offered military training, education and common core skills, leadership and adventurous training, character development and trade training. History The advent of mechanis ...
in 1961 when the RA and RE were relocated, providing
Royal Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS or R SIGS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communi ...
training until it closed in 1998. In September 1998, the site reopened as the Army Foundation College to provide initial military training to the army's youngest other ranks trainees, aged between 16 years and 17 years, 5 months, for a range of
combat arms Combat arms (or fighting arms in non-American parlance) are troops within national armed forces who participate in direct tactical ground combat. In general, they are units that carry or employ weapons, such as infantry, cavalry, and artillery ...
and services. It was rebuilt by Jarvis under a
private finance initiative The private finance initiative (PFI) was a United Kingdom government procurement policy aimed at creating "public–private partnerships" (PPPs) where private firms are contracted to complete and manage public projects. Initially launched in 19 ...
contract worth £526.6 million between 2000 and 2002. Tom Moore was appointed as the first honorary colonel of the college on his 100th birthday, in recognition of his fundraising success during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. When acting in that capacity, he was addressed as 'Colonel Tom'.


Training

AFC delivers two Phase 1 ( initial military training) courses: * Junior Soldiers enlisted for roles in
combat arms Combat arms (or fighting arms in non-American parlance) are troops within national armed forces who participate in direct tactical ground combat. In general, they are units that carry or employ weapons, such as infantry, cavalry, and artillery ...
(the
infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...
,
Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
and
Royal Armoured Corps The Royal Armoured Corps is the component of the British Army, that together with the Household Cavalry provides its armour capability, with vehicles such as the Challenger 2 Tank and the Scimitar Reconnaissance Vehicle. It includes most of the ...
) are enrolled on a 49-week course. Junior Soldiers enlisted for roles in the Parachute Regiment are also enrolled on the Operation Achilles pathway during their last 12 weeks of phase 1 training. * Junior Soldiers enlisted for other army trades complete a shorter, 23-week course. Despite the differing course lengths, all recruits are trained to the same standard of the Common Military Syllabus (see Selection and Training in the British Army).


Intake and retention

There are two entry points annually, in September and March; and two graduations, also in September and March. Each year, approximately 1,200 boys and 100 girls begin their army training at AFC, of whom approximately 500 are training for
infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...
roles. Official figures for the period from 2017–18 to 2020–21 show that, on average, 70% of recruits on the 49-week course complete their year at the college.


Education

In addition to initial military training, Junior Soldiers can study
Functional Skills Functional Skills are qualifications that have been developed by the UK Government as part of an initiative to improve England’s literacy Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and ...
courses in maths, English and IT at Levels 1 and 2, provided by TQ Pearson. Those who already have qualifications in mathematics and English have the option to study two units of a BTEC Certificate in Public Services at Level 3, however not the full qualification. The education provided has drawn both praise and criticism.


Running costs

In 2017, it cost the
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...
approximately £62 million ''per annum'' to operate AFC.


Controversy


Cost of service delivery

, the cost of fully training an infantry soldier through AFC, at £103,000, was twice that of training an adult recruit to the same standard for the same job at the Infantry Training Centre in Catterick, at £53,000. The
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...
's policy of enlisting from age 16 has also been criticised for leading to lower trainee retention than is found among adult recruits.


Age of enlistment

In view of developing
children's rights Children's rights are a subset of human rights with particular attention to the rights of special protection and care afforded to minors.
standards and evidence showing a detrimental impact of military training and employment on younger recruits, several bodies, including the Children's Commissioners for each of the four nations of the UK and the UN
Committee on the Rights of the Child The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is a body of experts that monitor and report on the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Committee also monitors the Convention's three optional protoc ...
, have also called on the armed forces to raise the minimum age of enlistment to 18. In response to these concerns, the
Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in state ...
(MOD) has defended the current policy, stating in 2016: 'The army needs to attract school and college leavers at the earliest opportunity.' In the same year, the
Chief of the General Staff The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) is a post in many armed forces (militaries), the head of the military staff. List * Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ( United States) * Chief of the General Staff (Abkhazia) * Chief of General Staff (Af ...
, General
Sir Nick Carter General Sir Nicholas Patrick Carter, (born 11 February 1959) is a Kenyan-born former senior British Army officer who served as Chief of the Defence Staff from June 2018 to November 2021. Carter served as commanding officer of 2nd Battalion, ...
, added: ' e fact that our junior entry is always 100% manned is indicative of people finding that it is something that is really positive to do.'


Duty of care


Ofsted grade

In 2018 and 2021, the education inspectorate
Ofsted The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a non-ministerial department of His Majesty's government, reporting to Parliament. Ofsted is responsible for inspecting a range of educational institutions, incl ...
awarded the college an 'outstanding' grade for its duty of care. The 2021 report noted: 'Recruits speak consistently of fair and respectful treatment from all staff...'


Abuse allegations

Between 2014 and 2020, recruits made 62 formal complaints of allegations of assault or other ill-treatment by staff at the college. 13 of the allegations were proven following investigation, of which seven occurred since 2017. In 2021, nine investigations were opened into sexual offences against 22 girls at AFC; in one investigation, three of the suspected perpetrators were members of staff. The revelations were the subject of a ''
Vice News Vice News (stylized as VICE News) is Vice Media's current affairs channel, producing daily documentary essays and video through its website and YouTube channel. It promotes itself on its coverage of "under-reported stories". Vice News was create ...
'' report in July 2022.


Recruit abuse investigation 2014–18

In 2017, the MOD confirmed reports that 17 instructors at AFC would be standing trial at
court martial A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...
for 40 counts of alleged
physical abuse Physical abuse is any intentional act causing injury or trauma to another person or animal by way of bodily contact. In most cases, children are the victims of physical abuse, but adults can also be victims, as in cases of domestic violence or wo ...
of recruits during battle camp at Kirkudbright, Scotland, in 2014. ''ForcesTV'', and the ''Guardian'' reported that the allegations included assault, holding trainees' heads under water, and forcing animal dung into their mouths. The case was reported as the British Army's largest ever investigation of abuse. At a preliminary hearing in September 2017, the accused pleaded not guilty to all charges. The trial in February 2018 collapsed after the judge ruled that the investigation by the
Royal Military Police The Royal Military Police (RMP) is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of army service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK and while service personnel are deployed overseas on operation ...
had been 'seriously flawed', and that a fair trial for the defendants would no longer be possible. An internal review confirmed multiple failings by the Royal Military Police. It noted that, in addition to recruits who had lodged formal complaints, 'a considerable number of JS unior soldier recruitswho had been the subject of ill treatment / assaults' had not wished to do so.


See also

*
Association of Harrogate Apprentices The Association of Harrogate Apprentices, whose spiritual home is at Harrogate in England, exists to re-unite people in any way associated with the Army Apprentices School, Harrogate (AAS Harrogate), which was renamed the Army Apprentices Colleg ...
– includes a general history of Uniacke Barracks * Selection and Training in the British Army *
Military recruitment Military recruitment refers to the activity of attracting people to, and selecting them for, military training and employment. Demographics Gender Across the world, a large majority of recruits to state armed forces and non-state armed ...
*
Recruit training Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which resocializes its subjects for the unique deman ...
*
Military service Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job (volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription). Some nations (e.g., Mexico) require a ...
*
Children in the military Children (defined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child as people under the age of 18) have been recruited for participation in military operations and campaigns throughout history and in many cultures. Children in the military, inclu ...
*
History of children in the military Children in the military are children (defined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child as persons under the age of 18) who are associated with military organizations, such as state armed forces and non-state armed groups. Throughout h ...
* Army Foundation College recruit abuse investigation, 2014–18


References


External links


Army Foundation College, Harrogate
– British Army website {{coord, 53.9939, -1.5974, type:edu_region:GB, display=title Training establishments of the British Army Military units and formations established in 1998 Buildings and structures in Harrogate Education in Harrogate