In partnership with you, we uncover detailed understandings of your school’s culture, cohort and educational objectives. We then work to co-construct purposeful and meaningful sequences of learning that focus on specific student outcomes, either whole units or subjects. This sequence includes teaching at Rubicon as well as in your classroom, with Rubicon teachers working with students pre and post their learning with us.
Before you apply to work with us, we ask that you identify your specific student learning needs and how you see their learning with us being a part of your school’s explicit curriculum.
If your school is offered a place with us, the structure, timing and ultimate learning goals and outcomes will be further discussed and confirmed.
We can support schools to deliver aspects of the Victorian Curriculum 7-10, the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), the Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC) and the VCE Vocational Major (VCE VM). You can find the scope of our curriculum offerings below.
Victorian Curriculum 7-10
Rubicon Outdoor School’s Years 7–10 curriculum is drawn from the Victorian Curriculum 2.0, focusing on the Geography and Health & Physical Education learning areas, alongside the Critical and Creative Thinking and Personal and Social capabilities. Selected to make the most of our outdoor, residential context, these areas and capabilities are brought to life through fieldwork, journey-based learning, and hands-on practice, where students tackle authentic challenges that build resilience, collaboration, innovation and personal growth. We place strong emphasis on the cross-curricular priorities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures and Sustainability, supporting students to engage with contemporary issues such as climate change, reconciliation, and our collective social responsibility.
Please select the relevant curriculum area below to explore specific content within the learning areas and capabilities that we offer:
When you apply for a program,
When you apply for a program, the sub-strand identified in your application will be the area of the Victorian Curriculum we will explicitly teach and assess.
VCE
As one of the department’s Outdoor Education Schools, Rubicon is ideally placed to support VCE OES students to connect practical experiences with the theoretical content studied in a range of different experiences across a variety of Victorian outdoor environments.
The 2024-2028 study design places a renewed emphasis on practical outdoor experiences and underscores the importance of learning "about," "through," and importantly, "in" outdoor environments throughout Victoria. The curriculum recommends allocating 25-50 hours to active outdoor engagement for each unit, excluding travel and rest time. While schools are encouraged to conduct a range of outdoor experiences throughout units 1 - 4, a 5-day program at Rubicon would constitute at least 50 hours of participation.
A significant addition to the study design is the introduction of Area of Study 3, integrated into Units 1, 2, and 4. Units 1 and 2 call for students to demonstrate essential practical skills during their outdoor ventures, while Unit 4 involves an independent exploration directly tied to practical experiences in at least two distinct environments.
Whilst we can address any of the key knowledge points and skills in the OES course, we believe that we are particularly well placed to support students and schools in the planning, delivery and assessment of outcome 3 in any unit. Specific program design will depend on various factors including, the time of year, students’ previous experience, and integration with the home school’s overall plan for practical experiences across units 1 – 4, however, below are examples of how Rubicon can support schools to deliver the practical aspects of each Unit:
VPC and VCE VM
We can support VPC and VCE VM programs in addressing specific personal development skills. We can help students link theory to practice in a hands-on approach to the natural world and outdoor environment.
Please contact us to chat about the specific needs of your students and school.