Outdoor Education

Students develop an understanding of human relationships with the physical and biological aspects of God’s creation, as expressed in the Western Australia environment. They realise their full potential by extending their knowledge of themselves, their classmates, and the natural environment. Students "learn by doing" and persevere through challenging outdoor adventures. By developing close ties with the local environment, students understand the importance of sustaining our natural world.  Outdoor education also gives students time to reflect, rest, and reset. 

The outdoor experiences students have during their time at CAPS are fundamental to presenting new challenges and helping students to discover their potential. The program aims to help students build resilience, problem-solving and develop connections with nature that are usually lost due to technology in our everyday lives.

 Primary

The program begins in Kindy/Pre-Primary with nature play during school hours and with a simple, comfortable camp at the school. As the children grow, they are challenged by more distant and longer trips. The students experience one camp each year within the Goldfields/Esperance region, strongly linked to both classroom and outdoor education curriculum. 

Secondary

High school students have Outdoor Education as a regular part of their school program. During this time they participate in swim & survive programs, mountain biking, bushwalking, knot tying, and canoeing at the Coolgardie Gorge. Secondary camps require that students take on extra responsibility, often revisiting places they have been to in primary years, experiencing these areas with new perspectives, and engaging different faculties. 

The Bush Rangers unit 

This unit is an extension of the Outdoor Education program for students who wish to participate in more than one camp per year. The program is run during school hours on Thursday afternoons, alongside other electives. Weekly meetings focus on character development and conservation attitudes. The program involves one camp per term. These meetings and camps are voluntary, but students must meet the criteria in school to be invited to attend. In 2021, Victoria Carpentier (Bushrangers unit leader) won the Geoff Hurren award from Cadets WA for leading the program with enthusiasm and teaching the students life skills & resilience through regular camps.