Andersons Creek Primary School

Andersons Creek Primary School aims to create a safe and nurturing, yet challenging environment built on positive behaviour and relationships. Increasingly, the school is focused on fostering positive attitudes in its students and firmly believes in the importance of outdoor education in support of this focus. Located in Warrandyte, Melbourne, right by the Yarra River, the school’s 240 students enjoy lush natural surroundings.

Andersons Creek Primary School has always provided their students with outdoor education programming. Having worked with several providers over the years, the school wanted to give their students outdoor education experiences that were more than just camps; they wanted their students to move away from single-day events, overcome challenges and have every opportunity to extend themselves and explore their potential. Importantly, the school also wanted to continue developing positive attitudes and behaviours in their students.

The School Leadership team wanted their students to connect with each other – to be immersed and truly engage in the philosophy of outdoor education; this was particularly important after the COVID-19 pandemic’s lockdowns and school closures. School staff found, after the lockdowns, their students were more reserved, inwardly focused and not working well together as a team.

The Leadership team considered The Outdoor Education Group a trusted leader in the industry. Recognising embedded learning occurs best over successive days, The Outdoor Education Group offered Andersons Creek Primary School 4-day camp programs across both their Victorian centre-based camps.

The Outdoor Education Group’s programs foster positive attitudes through collaborative adventure activities. Students work as a team to reach their goals, encouraging one another along the way and celebrating their triumphs. For the school, the most appealing feature of The Outdoor Education Group’s solution was the inclusion of reflection time, which is a vital part of all programs. Allowing time for reflection at the end of each day encourages positive attitudes, ensuring the school’s values are honoured and emphasised.

The school also appreciate The Outdoor Education Group fostering an atmosphere of challenge by choice Students are empowered to make decisions, measure their own personal bests and have a go at the things that scare them. A mix of activities provides something for every student. Even if they don’t reach the peak of the climbing tower, each student is challenged in their own way, increasing their self-belief and building a positive attitude.

The school sees The Outdoor Education Group’s programs as providing each student with an opportunity for success. Teachers notice students who can be a bit tricky or challenging in the classroom often shine and excel at camp.

After the lockdowns of 2020 and beyond, the school found camp served to reconnect their students, who returned from camp with increased communication and collaboration skills, a greater sense of confidence and optimism and respect for one another. Parents comment on how camp has improved their child’s resilience and perseverance and teachers have seen their students become more encouraging, kind and caring of their peers.

The lessons learnt on camp are embedded back at school, with teachers often reminding their students of the determination they demonstrated on camp when they are feeling unsure of themselves in the classroom. The school has seen many students, having participated in The Outdoor Education Group’s programs, plan to pursue a career in the outdoors as they head into their final years of high school.