Rough Shooting
Generations of Amplefordians and their teachers have taken part in game shooting in the valley's woods and farmland. During the last ten years, this activity has been extended to involve younger students in the running of a small rough shoot and to offer the training and local familiarisation which will enable them to shoot safely when in the Sixth Form.
Informed parental consent is obtained from them first, although many of our students are from country backgrounds and already participate in field sports when at home.
In the first three years, the activity involves the feeding of wild birds and the rearing and release into the wild of 200-300 pheasant poults, work to maintain and encourage natural cover in the valley, and assisting as beaters on days when shooting takes place. Emphasis is placed on the quick and humane dispatch of shot game, usually collected with the aid of dogs. Members of the shoot are taught how to prepare game for cooking, and all shot game is given to students, their parents and anyone at the College who enjoys it. Nothing is wasted!
When students enter the Sixth Form, they may shoot provided that they have sufficient experience and the necessary documentation and insurance. The first priority, of course, is safety and all outings are closely supervised. Parents often come to shoot with their sons or daughters and out of the game season, pigeons and rabbits are shotto assist the farm with pest control and for the pot.
The shoot aims to contribute to students' understanding and enjoyment of their countryside environment by direct participation in rural activities. In times when most meats are bought oven-ready from the supermarket, they follow instead the path of their food through its rearing, feeding, preservation, killing and preparation for the table. Conservation work on the shoot plays an important role in the preservation of the whole ecology and land use of our valley, benefiting all kinds of flora and fauna. We are members of the Woodland Management Scheme and have been accepted into the Country Stewardship Scheme by DEFRA.