Radford College

Radford College, Canberra, was founded in 1984 and is a contemporary Anglican co-educational school. With students from pre-Kindergarten to Year 12, the school is dedicated to educating and supporting young people to become compassionate and adaptable, global citizens.

To Radford College, the role of learning in the outdoors is of increasing importance. School leadership see the need to provide their students with unique outdoor education experiences that cannot be created on campus to develop essential skills and capabilities.

When Radford College reviewed their outdoor education programming, teacher feedback showed significant concerns about the long distances some groups travelled and the lack of variety in activities and environments explored.

With the newly formed Junior school opening in 2007 and the maturation of the college and its programs, the school began looking to expand its offering and provide its student body with experiences involving multiple activities in diverse local environments.

Ultimately, the school was looking to partner with a single trusted outdoor education provider who could shape a sequence of varied programs linked to the school’s curriculum, making them an integral part of the student experience. The school wanted a provider who was expert in the fields of provision, facilitation, risk management and compliance.

Radford College found The Outdoor Education Group recognised their needs and was able to provide varied activities within a single program across different local natural environments. Consequently, the school’s students would truly extend themselves.

The Outdoor Education Group offered Radford College an open and flexible partnership, providing opportunities for the review and modification of programs year-to-year to ensure their needs are met.

Radford has an established scope and sequence supporting the design of their outdoor education programs, linked to their Learner Profile, outlining the behaviours they wish to see exhibited by students in various contexts. The Outdoor Education Group’s Educators understand the language around the Learner Profile and utilise relevant aspects of it during program, creating links to classroom learning and embedding the school’s objectives.

Since partnering with The Outdoor Education Group in 2009, Radford College students experience varied and unique opportunities to grow and develop. Students return home with smiles and wonderful stories to tell, and the school sees a newfound positivity and perseverance in their students, which flows back into the classroom.

Students develop memorable bonds with their peers, building culture and leading to positive associations around school. Teaching staff observe students support and encourage one another in new ways. During reunions, alumni will often talk about their camps with great fondness.

The Year 7 camp experience is particularly important as it supports the school’s efforts to establish broad friendship groups and integrate students – many of whom have joined the College from other primary schools in the ACT.

With the support of The Outdoor Education Group, the school’s offering has gradually developed over a decade of partnership, from Years 6, 7 and 9, then Year 10, with the Junior school now looking to add a Year 4 experience.