Outdoor Education - St Mary's Anglican Girls' School

Outdoor Education


St Mary’s boasts an excellent outdoor education program, which progresses from Kindergarten to Year 11. In the early years, our girls participate in Bush School, which sees them venture into the school’s neighbouring Trigg Bushland Reserve on a weekly basis to explore, collect, build and create. This appreciation for the natural environment is the foundation for a variety of camps from Years 4 to 11, with each camp building on the skills learned the previous year.

Our camps are designed to develop our students’ initiative, independence, communication, teamwork, awareness of the environment, bush craft and safety skills in fun and supportive settings.

Camps

YEAR 4 MOTHER-DAUGHTER CAMP

Mothers and daughters travel to our St Mary’s at Metricup property in the Margaret River region for an overnight stay. This camp is all about our girls spending quality time with their mothers or mother figures, and becoming familiar with our amazing Metricup property, which they visit independently from Year 5.

YEAR 5 CAMP

Our Year 5 camp incorporates the School’s Nearer to Nature program, which encourages girls to discover and analyse the unique and diverse varieties of flora and fauna located on our St Mary’s at Metricup property. The girls hike a section of the Cape to Cape Track, visit the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse and learn about bush fires and their impact on the bushland.

YEAR 6 CAMP

Getting to know each other, building relationships and adventure are the themes of our Year 6 camp. Our students participate in a raft of exciting activities while making new friends during this action-packed camp. In addition to playing a variety of team games, the girls also undertake several physical and mental challenges.

YEAR 7 CAMP

Given that many students begin their St Mary’s journey in Year 7, this camp is all about the girls making friends, having fun and getting to know each other. Based at our Metricup property, the camp offers opportunities for students to work together and come up with innovative solutions to creative challenges. Activities include high ropes, orienteering, team games, theatresports and rafting.

YEAR 8 CAMP

A two-night camp-out is the highlight of our Year 8 camp in the Margaret River region. The girls are also afforded opportunities to try their hand at a range of outdoor pursuits, including caving, snorkelling, surfing and a hike along a small section of the iconic Cape to Cape Track.

YEAR 9 CAMP

Our Year 9 students meet challenges head on during a six-day, action-packed camp which begins at our Metricup property. The girls later depart to a variety of remote locations across the stunning Margaret River region to participate in activities, including abseiling, canoeing, caving, hiking, mountain bike riding and rock climbing. They learn a great deal about themselves, their capabilities, relationships and working together during this rewarding camp.

YEAR 10 CAMP

Taking place at our stunning Metricup property, our Year 10 camp is an extension of our Year 9 camp. The girls continue their leadership education as they make important and considered decisions while being supported by our specialist outdoor education staff.

YEAR 11 CAMP

Our Year 11 camp focuses on developing our girls’ leadership, problem-solving and communication skills. Based at our Metricup property, the girls participate in a variety of challenges designed to highlight their resilience, including abseiling, canoeing, hiking and problem-solving games. The camp brings the year group together ahead of, arguably, the most challenging year of their schooling journey.


The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award

St Mary’s offers The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. The Award is a worldwide, self-development program for young people aged between 14 and 25 years. The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award has three levels, each with four sections: Skills, Service, Physical Recreation and an Adventurous Journey (there is a fifth section for Gold level: Residential Project). Each year, the Award gives thousands of young people the chance to set and achieve personal goals and to prove to themselves that they can succeed in anything they attempt. The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is recognised by government and industry, and is a valuable achievement to have listed on one’s resume. It is also a School Curriculum and Standards Authority endorsed program.

In Year 9, students are invited to join this program and are assisted as they strive towards acquiring their Bronze award, with activities taking place outside normal class time. This program helps girls develop their leadership skills while they assist in the organisation and planning of their own camps throughout the year. Students can work towards acquiring their Silver and Gold awards in Years 10, 11 and 12.


Learn about our enrolment process

St Mary’s is all about girls discovering their best. We want our students to be engrossed in the exploration of ideas, to be self-motivated and self-directed, to delight in trying something new and to contribute positively to the community.