Outdoor Education at Hale offers self and group learning opportunities that are not available in the formal School curriculum. Through interaction with the natural world, Outdoor Education aims to develop an understanding of our relationships with the environment, others and ourselves. It provides students with an opportunity to develop essential life skills and physical activity skills, and an opportunity to develop a comprehensive understanding of the environment and a positive relationship with nature.
Students should be able to work effectively in a team situation, recognising the need to fit in with others while still performing the role of an active team member. They will need to recognise and accept the differences of others and be supportive in their quest for group goal attainment.
They will also have to face challenges in areas of perceived risk to themselves and while recognising their own limitations will challenge these and relate the outcome back to other environments such as home and school. In order for this transfer of knowledge to occur most effectively activities must be:
- Well planned and groups must be thoroughly briefed.
- Ones where the participants are involved in setting both individual and group objectives.
- Thoroughly debriefed so that members identify and share personal experiences, challenges and achievements.
- Able to have outcomes directly related to broader life experiences.
Hale School Outdoor Education recognises the four outcomes within the Curriculum Council Outdoor Education Course, which was implemented in Western Australia in 2008. The expedition model of delivering Outdoor Education at Hale School is unique and does not follow the model designed by the Curriculum Council for classroom based education. Students will not be formally assessed, however a report is written on every student’s camp performance.
The Outdoor Education programme spans across the Junior, Middle and Senior Schools, commencing in Year 5 and concluding in Year 10.
These programmes are compulsory and Hale students are expected to attend Outdoor Education camp. As much as possible the timing of these camps in the school calendar is designed to minimize the impact on academic programme as well as sport, music and other Hale commitments.
The Outdoor Education Department also offers a range of recreation activities for boys before or after school through the Outdoor Education club. These activities include indoor rock climbing, kayaking and scuba.