Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College ( Welbeck DSFC ) is an independent , selective sixth form college in Woodhouse , Leicestershire , England , providing A - Level education for candidates to the technical branches of the British Armed Forces , the Ministry of Defence civil service and privately funded students . Welbeck is located near Loughborough and is funded by the Ministry of Defence . Prior to 2005 the College was known as Welbeck College and was based at Welbeck Abbey near Worksop in Nottinghamshire , where it provided an education for A - Level candidates planning to join the technical branches of the British Army . Role . Welbeck DSFC provides a two - year programme of education and training leading to A - Level qualifications in preparation for University entry on the Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme followed by entry to the Armed Forces or MOD . Academic work is complemented by leadership development inculcating a military ethos and an understanding of the purpose and structure of the British Armed Forces . Selection and entry . Candidates for DSFC are sponsored by the elements of the British Armed Forces or the MOD Civil Service , entry is predicated on having been selected as a potential officer candidate or technical civil servant . All candidates must be considered likely to succeed in a technical undergraduate course and will be funded through University and accepted into the sponsoring service . Royal Navy candidates are required to undergo the Admiralty Interview Board and are selected into the Engineer branch specialising in Weapon Systems , Marine Systems or Aviation . After undergraduate studies they will enter Britannia Royal Naval College , Dartmouth for initial officer training . Army candidates make up the bulk of each Welbeck intake and are required to undergo the Army Officer Selection Board and are selected into a technical role ; Royal Signals , Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers , Royal Engineers or the Royal Logistic Corps . After undergraduate studies they will enter Royal Military Academy Sandhurst for initial officer training . Royal Air Force candidates are required to undergo selection at RAF College Cranwell Officer and Aircrew Selection Centre and enter either as Engineer Officer s , or , more recently are now able to enter as Logistics Officer s . After undergraduate studies they will enter RAF College Cranwell for initial officer training . Defence Engineering and Science Group students also attend the OASC at Cranwell , and as such go through much the same process as the RAF candidates , however there are fewer places for DESG students ( 12 - 15 per year ) , and so fewer boards . History . When founded in 1953 , the College was housed in the grounds of Welbeck Abbey in the estate of the family of the Duke of Portland . Until the mid - 1990s , Welbeck only accepted male Army candidates . At any one time there would be 150 students in the College . There were two intakes each year : one in September ( of 50 students ) and the other in January ( of 25 students ) , these were numbered sequentially : 1 Entry , 2 Entry , 3 Entry and so forth , odd numbers denoting September entries . Each entry was split into two houses , Harland and York , named after the original housemasters . Each house had a distinct character with different rules . " Harlanders " generally originated from northern England , south western England , Scotland , Wales , Ireland and overseas , whilst " Yorkies " came from southern England . Although located in a magnificent building with extensive grounds , the quality of living accommodation was lower than may be expected for sixth - form students at most other comparable establishments . The largest dormitory , Harland ' s " Dorm 3 " , held 13 students ; many lessons were held in " glass corridor " , an underground complex with numerous roof lights originally intended for horticultural purposes ; and the lower sixth study areas ( known as " the pits " or " cabins " ) consisted of two large underground rooms and a long corridor which were sub - divided by low partitions to provide each student with an individual work area and some degree of privacy . There was one television for each house and until 1990 , a single public telephone to be shared by all students . There was academic study six mornings a week ( usually preceded by a service in the College ' s Chapel ) , CCF one afternoon , sport on four afternoons , with academic tutorials filling the remaining time . Maths and physics A Level were compulsory , with a limited choice for the third subject . Double maths was the preferred option , followed by chemistry , electronics , technology and occasionally other subjects such as history . An additional A Level exam in general studies was introduced in the 1980s . Assessment for entry to Welbeck was by a series of interviews , exams and practical tests over a period of three days at Westbury or York . Little changed at Welbeck between 1953 and the mid - 1990s . Following the retirement of the College ' s military Principal ( Col Silvey ) and replacement with a civilian ( Ken Jones ) , the first major change occurred and the doors were opened to girls . The overall number of students at the college increased by about 30 and they formed a separate house known as ' School Lodge ' , being accommodated in the former sanatorium . The number of intakes was reduced from two per year to one . Progression into the Army varied according to ability . Whilst it was possible for students to go straight to university , typically Cambridge , most went on to Sandhurst at the recommendation of the Headmaster . For a while in the 1980s and 90s , the decision was taken by an assessment board similar to the Regular Commissions Board . The outcome of this dictated whether students should attend the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst ' s Rowallan Company ( now called the Sandhurst Development Course ) or the commissioning course of the day . Occasionally , the headmaster would feel unable to recommend a particular student from moving on to Sandhurst . The assessment board process was dropped in the mid - 1990s and the decision was made by the College Principal . As with Army Scholars ( students whom the Army sponsored through their sixth - form studies at establishments other than Welbeck ) , the automatic entry to Sandhurst was not universally supported . As students had not attended the full Regular Commissions Board , some people argued that it was an ' easy option ' to obtain a commission . The Welbexian magazine records some of the history of Welbeck College , including the summary above . Some of these are available on the internet , as indicated in the References section . In 2004 the first RAF and RN applicants were admitted , and in 2005 the first DESG applicants were admitted . In 2009 an ' East Midlands Scholarship ' was offered . This does not commit the student to any military service , and study is possible on a day basis , rather than boarding with a maximum cost of £8 , 000 per term . This was then renamed as ' Welbeck Private Scheme ' ( WPS ) in 2010 . The WPS intends to offer the possibility of full boarding , day boarding and ' flexi - boarding ' to students . Uniform . Students wear a variety of uniforms at the college . The normal working college uniform is called " G - Kit " ( General Kit ) . This consists of grey trousers ( grey skirt for girls ) , a Wedgwood blue shirt with epaulettes , a tie ( house , prefect , music or sporting ) , and black leather shoes . The ties for G - Kit vary depending on the individual ' s house , rank , and if they hold a college position . Ties are also given for sporting merit ( colours and half colours ) and achievements in music . The college blazer is only worn for formal occasions . This is called " College - Kit " , and is worn with the college tie . All students wear epaulette s with their year ( designated by stripes ) and service shown on them . The epaulettes worn by all prefects bear a white stripe in between the usual parallel purple stripes of non - prefect year 13 students . On military training days , the Royal Navy wear No 3 dress for most parades . The Army wear newly issued MTP combats ( previously CS95 ' s ) , which is the regular British Army working dress . The Royal Air Force wear No 2 Dress . In hot weather this consists of peaked hat and short - sleeved shirt , while in winter , this changes to long - sleeved shirt and black tie . All members of the college are issued with Single Service Parade Dress . This is worn throughout the year at special occasions such as the Annual General Inspection , or the Remembrance Day ceremony . Curriculum . As DSFC prepares candidates for technical branches the academic syllabus emphasises science and technical subjects , recognising that Officers in the Armed Forces are first and foremost officers rather than engineers , opportunities exist to study non - technical subjects . First year students study four subjects with all being required to study Mathematics and Physics . Other available subjects include : Government and Politics , Biology , Chemistry , Business Studies , Information and Communication Technology , Electronics , Systems and control engineering . Students also follow a course in Career Skills and the European Computer Driving Licence , which became compulsory starting in the 2009 entry . Second - year students traditionally drop one subject and carry on three subjects through their A2 year and take up an enrichment subject ranging from Arabic and Mandarin to music . Mathematics is compulsory in the second years , and if Physics is dropped your university course choice becomes limited . It is also possible for students to continue with their four AS subjects into their second year or to replace one with an academic enrichment subject . Such enrichment options include : Further Mathematics AS , Business Studies , or a distance learning topic of their choice . Extracurricular activity . Combined Cadet Force . Four permanent military staff exists at DSFC to support military training for students . This military training is delivered through a Combined Cadet Force structure which is mandatory . Training occurs Twice per week each time for half the college Cadets are taught everything from scratch , which allows students who have little or no military experience to pick up on the training . They are taught Drill , Fieldcraft , Rank s , Leadership and more . At the end of Initial Training , there is an assessment of Military Knowledge , and a Drill Assessment . Successful completion of the above entitles cadets to wear the College Stable Belt in uniform . Training for first - year students includes : hillwalking and navigation , military history , adventurous training and leadership . Training for second - year students includes : Community service , battle PT , Officer skills and adventurous training . Adventurous training . During the autumn term students are required to undertake a 72 - hour field exercise to practise fieldcraft skills learned in the CCF ( " Ex . Welbeck Start " ) . Around Easter , students attend a 7 day course at HMS Collingwood consisting of leadership exercises , historic visits , PT and various other challenges , ( " Ex Welbeck Leader " ) . During the summer term students undertake a 7 - day Military Camp ( " Ex . Welbeck Challenge " ) . This involves military training and exercise , and usually involves a 48 hour tactical exercise . This is preceded by a 7 day hillwalking exercise in Snowdonia at Capel Curig ( " Ex . Welbeck Trail ) . Second year students undertake " Senior ex " ( currently called " Ex . Welbeck Warrior " ) , a 3 - day exercise in February , where the students themselves take command . Sport . Teams include : General Activities . General Activities ( known as GA ' s by students and staff ) is the equivalent of a regular sixth - form enrichment programme . The activities are non - academic and are aimed at developing a student ' s wider interests . GA ' s take place on a Monday afternoon during the Autumn and Spring Terms . Students can opt for a GA for the duration of one term . GA ' s available to students vary with the staffing make - up but may include additional sporting activities such as rowing or table tennis , or non - sporting activities such as ballroom dancing or tank restoration . Players for the First Teams of sports often use this time to complete additional training . Accommodation . Students are accommodated in one of five boarding houses named after significant figures in British military history and the history of the college : Alanbrooke , Nelson , Portland , Stirling , and Trenchard . In their first year at the college , the students are placed into three man rooms . These rooms are swapped around regularly , allowing students to bond , and gain friendship . All bedrooms have full internet access and an ensuite . Upon returning to their second year at the college , the Upper Sixth students are given their own study bedrooms , with en - suite bathrooms . Facilities . Welbeck puts a heavy emphasis on physical education in order to help prepare students for their later careers . Facilities include a swimming pool , sport fields and various indoor and outdoor courts and gymnasia . The college also has a climbing wall , assault course and a high ropes course . References . Welbexian magazines , 1999 - 2006 , http : / / www . dsfc . ac . uk / medialibrary / welbexian . asp