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Scotch College’s renowned Outdoor Learning programme begins in Year 3 and continues through to Year 10, as an integral part of each student’s journey at the school. All students participate in Outdoor Learning at Scotch, gaining skills and peak experiences which contribute to their holistic education. The programme is designed to develop and test self-reliance, resilience, management of personal risk, leadership, and teamwork, while building an appreciation and sense of custodianship of the natural world.
Scotch College’s extensive Outdoor Education programme offers students a unique opportunity to experience learning in Australia’s only global biodiversity hotspot (South West Australian ecoregion). In this rich environment students are encouraged to grow a sense of adventure through a range of activities, gaining deep connections with peers in supportive communal-living contexts. Through our Outdoor Education curriculum, boys develop and extend skills in:
- Bushcraft and communal living
- Cooking
- Navigation
- Bushwalking
- Canoeing
- Rafting
- Rock-climbing
- Abseiling
- Surfing
- Kayaking
- Aboriginal Cultural sessions
- Team/Problem Solving activities
The programme has an emphasis on environmental studies, which directly link to the Primary and Middle Years Programmes of the International Baccalaureate. The skills students learn throughout their Outdoor education at Scotch also integrate with learning in academic subjects including Mathematics, Geography, Art, History, Sciences and Design and Technology. Outdoor education is an essential part of curriculum and has immense importance for students’ personal growth and social development.
The School has its own Outdoor Education Centre, Moray, situated on the banks of the Murray River, three kilometres south of Dwellingup on Wilman country. The name Moray is taken from the historic northern region in Scotland, known as Moray. Fittingly, the Murray River flanks the southern boundary of the Scotch College campus and those with a Scottish accent will pronounce Moray, ‘Mur-ray’. This 66 hectare property is set amongst the tall trees of the Jarrah forest and provides students with a home away from home as they visit Moray in Year 5, Year 7, Year 8, Year 9 and Year 10.
In Year 10, boys choose from a variety of week-long expeditions at various locations throughout Western Australia:
- Horse Riding programme
- Surfing
- Bushwalking
- Canoeing
- Mountain Biking
- Climbing, Caving & Abseiling
- White Water Kayaking
- Sea Kayaking
- Diving
These expeditions are seen as the culmination of the students Outdoor Education experience at Scotch. This programme allows the boys to use the skills they have developed over the earlier years of their Outdoor Education.