The introductory outdoor education program for Years 6 and 7 is where the adventure truly begins. These years focus on building confidence, resilience, and independence, providing a strong foundation of outdoor skills that students will further develop when they enter Cadets in Year 8.
BUILDING CHARACTER THROUGH OUTDOOR EDUCATION
Our Year 6-7 program develops essential life skills: students learn to persist when tasks are difficult, manage their time and responsibilities, contribute meaningfully to group work, and think critically about problems. They develop the ability to ask thoughtful questions, explain their reasoning, and work through challenges with creativity and determination.
WHAT DOES THE OUTDOOR EDUCATION PROGRAM LOOK LIKE?
The school calendar contains five whole Activities Days, one weekend Bivouac, and an Annual Camp of five days at the end of Term 4. Every student from Year 6-11 focuses on outdoor education on these set days.
Activities Days prepare students with all the skills needed for the week-long Annual Camp, with skill development beginning in Year 6 through introduction to navigation, knots, camping, hiking, and canoeing, which is further developed in Year 7.
Progressive Skill Development
Students progress through activities that gradually increase in complexity, incorporating:
- Camp bushcraft and bush hygiene
- Knots, ropes, and shelter building
- Radio communication and team-building
- Bush cooking and safe fire-lighting
- First Aid and navigation
- Hiking and physical challenges
Activities Day Experiences:
Day 1 includes:
- Climbing Wall at UNE (developing courage and resilience)
- Stretcher-making using cadet-issued items (building problem-solving skills)
- Knot-tying and basic First Aid (developing practical competencies)
- Physically demanding obstacle courses (building perseverance)
Day 2 features rotation through six training stations at a local property:
- Fire-lighting – collecting materials and building fires
- Bush Cooking – cooking damper over hot coals
- High Ropes – climbing suspended ladders and crate towers while harnessed
- Navigation – learning bearings and compass use
- Shelters – erecting sleeping shelters
- Radio – learning phonetic alphabet and call signs
Students then camp overnight on bivouac, sleeping in self-erected shelters and cooking their own meals – all designed to build character through fun, authentic challenge.