Outdoor Education Coordinator

1. Position Overview

The Outdoor Education Coordinator is responsible for planning, coordinating, delivering, and developing Summit Academy’s Outdoor Education program for students aged approximately 11–18.

The role combines outdoor instruction, leadership development, risk management, trip coordination, physical education, curriculum planning, and pastoral support. All activities must be educationally purposeful, appropriately challenging, inclusive, and conducted in accordance with Summit Academy’s safeguarding, health, safety, and operational procedures.

The Coordinator shall promote independence, resilience, perseverance, teamwork, environmental responsibility, and student leadership.

2. Key Responsibilities

A. Program Leadership

The Outdoor Education Coordinator shall:

1. Plan and deliver a structured program aligned with Summit Academy’s curriculum, values, and student-development goals.

2. Coordinate weekly lessons, practical activities, fitness preparation, hikes, camps, expeditions, and field activities.

3. Provide a balance of physical challenge, practical skills, environmental education, teamwork, leadership, reflection, and personal growth.

4. Review and improve the program each semester with the Head of Operations.

5. Support Summit Academy’s Explorer, Adventurer, Nomad, and other achievement programs.

6. Maintain high expectations for participation, behaviour, preparation, resilience, safety, and environmental respect.

7. Coordinate and run summer camps where required.

8. Oversee the organisation, storage, maintenance, and ordering of equipment.

B. Teaching and Instruction

The Coordinator shall teach and assess:

• Map reading, compass use, elevation, navigation, and route planning;

• Hiking, trekking, camping, and expedition preparation;

• Shelter construction and campsite management;

• Knots, ropes, and safe equipment use;

• Fire lighting and outdoor cooking;

• Radio communication and emergency protocols;

• Basic outdoor first aid;

• Management of cuts, blisters, bites, dehydration, heat-related illness, and fatigue;

• Fitness, pacing, leadership, teamwork, and perseverance;

• Environmental responsibility and Leave No Trace principles;

• Risk awareness, personal responsibility, and decision-making.

Instruction must be adapted to students’ fitness, experience, medical requirements, confidence, and learning needs.

C. Trips, Camps, and Expeditions

The Coordinator shall:

1. Propose and plan suitable trips, camps, hikes, expeditions, and outdoor activities.

2. Conduct or arrange site visits and route assessments where necessary.

3. Prepare itineraries, risk assessments, equipment lists, student groups, emergency procedures, transport arrangements, and staff responsibilities.

4. Submit documentation to the Head of Operations within the agreed timeframe.

5. Coordinate with staff, parents, guides, transport and accommodation providers, instructors, and activity operators.

6. Confirm that consent forms, medical information, emergency contacts, and permissions have been collected.

7. Provide families with clear information about schedules, equipment, clothing, food, fitness expectations, costs, risks, and behaviour.

8. Lead or support activities and ensure appropriate student supervision.

9. Complete post-trip evaluations and report incidents, injuries, behavioural concerns, near misses, and recommendations.

D. Health, Safety, and Risk Management

The Coordinator has a significant duty of care and shall:

1. Prepare appropriate written risk assessments.

2. Identify hazards and implement reasonable control measures.

3. Monitor weather, routes, environmental conditions, student fitness, staffing, equipment, and other safety factors.

4. Decide whether an activity should proceed, be modified, postponed, or cancelled.

5. Ensure first-aid supplies, medication, water, food, communication devices, and safety equipment are available.

6. Provide students and staff with appropriate safety briefings.

7. Maintain accurate attendance and student-accountability procedures.

8. Follow Summit Academy’s safeguarding, child-protection, medical, emergency-response, and incident-reporting procedures.

9. Immediately report serious incidents, injuries, near misses, safeguarding concerns, or significant risks to the Head of Operations.

10. Confirm that external providers have appropriate experience, qualifications, equipment, insurance, and safety procedures where applicable.

Students or staff must not be exposed to unnecessary or unreasonable risk to complete an activity.

E. Student Fitness and Participation

The Coordinator shall:

1. Develop students’ physical readiness through fitness, endurance, mobility, and preparation activities.

2. Conduct fitness assessments and approved school benchmarks where required.

3. Maintain records of participation, fitness, practical skills, progress, and activity readiness.

4. Recommend alternative or modified activities based on medical needs, fitness, behaviour, experience, or ability.

5. Encourage students to challenge themselves while respecting reasonable personal, medical, and safety limitations.

6. Support students who lack confidence or experience while maintaining expectations for effort and participation.

F. Assessment and Reporting

The Coordinator shall:

1. Develop practical and written assessments aligned with the curriculum.

2. Assess navigation, communication, shelter building, outdoor cooking, first aid, fitness, teamwork, leadership, and expedition readiness.

3. Maintain accurate assessment and participation records.

4. Provide clear feedback identifying strengths, areas for improvement, and next steps.

5. Complete reports, grades, comments, achievement records, and badge recommendations by required deadlines.

6. Contribute to awards recognising resilience, perseverance, leadership, service, improvement, and outdoor competence.

G. Equipment and Resources

The Coordinator shall:

1. Maintain an accurate equipment inventory.

2. Ensure equipment is stored, cleaned, inspected, repaired, and replaced appropriately.

3. Report missing, damaged, unsafe, or unsuitable equipment promptly.

4. Prepare equipment before activities and ensure its return afterward.

5. Teach students to use, carry, maintain, and return equipment responsibly.

6. Prepare equipment requests and budget recommendations.

7. Prevent unauthorised personal use of school equipment.

H. Staff Coordination

The Coordinator shall:

1. Brief staff regarding routes, risks, student groups, supervision duties, emergency procedures, and expectations.

2. Allocate responsibilities with the Head of Operations.

3. Guide staff supporting outdoor activities.

4. Promote consistent expectations for safeguarding, behaviour, supervision, and safety.

5. Communicate relevant student medical, physical, behavioural, learning, or pastoral needs.

6. Attend relevant meetings, professional development, parent meetings, and operational briefings.

I. Student Behaviour and Pastoral Care

The Coordinator shall:

1. Build positive, professional, and respectful relationships with students.

2. Model resilience, integrity, preparation, teamwork, calm decision-making, and respect.

3. Establish clear behavioural and safety expectations.

4. Address unsafe, disruptive, dishonest, disrespectful, or environmentally irresponsible behaviour.

5. Apply Summit Academy’s behaviour and restorative-practice procedures.

6. Help students resolve conflict, reflect on decisions, accept responsibility, and repair harm.

7. Maintain professional boundaries at all times.

8. Immediately report safeguarding, wellbeing, bullying, harassment, substance-related, or serious behavioural concerns.

3. Additional School Duties

Depending on operational needs, the Coordinator may also be required to:

• Teach Business, Entrepreneurship, Sport, Humanities, or another agreed subject;

• Support homeroom, mentoring, supervision, study periods, assemblies, and events;

• Assist with orientation, recruitment events, open days, community events, and camps;

• Provide approved photographs, trip summaries, reports, or program information;

• Participate in curriculum development, school improvement, and accreditation;

• Assist with Summit English Camp during the final week of July where required;

• Undertake other duties reasonably connected to the position.

4. Communication and Administration

The Coordinator shall:

1. Communicate professionally with students, families, staff, management, and external providers.

2. Respond to work-related communication within reasonable professional timeframes.

3. Submit lesson plans, trip plans, risk assessments, reports, purchase requests, and incident forms on time.

4. Obtain approval before making significant bookings, purchases, commitments, public statements, or program changes.

5. Maintain confidentiality regarding students, families, staff, medical information, and school operations.

6. Use approved school communication systems when contacting students and families.

7. Obtain written permission from the Head of Operations before privately contacting students or friends of the employee’s child.

8. Ensure parents or guardians are informed where direct personal contact with a student is necessary.

5. Safeguarding and Professional Conduct

The Coordinator must:

• Comply with Summit Academy’s safeguarding and child-protection policies;

• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries;

• Avoid being alone with a student in an unauthorised or unobservable setting, except during an emergency;

• Use appropriate language, communication, physical contact, and behaviour;

• Never use the position for personal benefit or to give an inappropriate advantage to a student;

• Report suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, harassment, or serious wellbeing concerns;

• Protect students’ dignity, privacy, and safety;

• Protect Summit Academy’s reputation and interests.

6. Working Hours and Availability

The Coordinator shall work the hours stated in the employment agreement and remain reasonably flexible according to operational requirements.

The role may involve early departures, evening activities, overnight camps, weekend expeditions, school-holiday work, emergency availability, and preparation outside normal teaching hours.

Participation in Summit Academy’s English Camp during the final week of July may be required.

Additional hours shall be managed in accordance with the employment agreement and school procedures.

7. Qualifications and Experience

The preferred candidate should have:

• Relevant outdoor education, teaching, youth work, physical education, adventure, or expedition-leadership experience;

• Experience working with adolescents;

• Strong hiking, camping, navigation, and leadership skills;

• Current first-aid certification, preferably outdoor or wilderness first aid;

• Knowledge of risk assessments and emergency procedures;

• Strong organisational and communication skills;

• The ability to manage groups calmly in challenging situations;

• Appropriate fitness for the activities undertaken;

• A relevant teaching, coaching, guiding, or outdoor qualification where available;

• A valid driving licence where required;

• English proficiency appropriate to the role.

Additional rescue, climbing, paddling, lifeguarding, environmental, or expedition qualifications are advantageous.

8. Personal Attributes

The Coordinator should demonstrate sound judgement, reliability, resilience, leadership, empathy, integrity, initiative, teamwork, cultural awareness, clear communication, enthusiasm for outdoor learning, commitment to safeguarding, and willingness to receive feedback.

9. Performance Expectations

Performance may be reviewed against:

• Teaching quality, student progress, engagement, behaviour, and supervision;

• Safety and risk-management practices;

• Quality and timeliness of documentation;

• Organisation of activities and equipment;

• Assessment, reporting, and communication;

• Reliability, punctuality, and professional conduct;

• Development of the program and contribution to the school;

• Compliance with policies and lawful instructions.

10. General Conditions

This job description outlines the principal responsibilities but is not exhaustive.

Summit Academy may reasonably amend duties in response to changes in enrolment, curriculum, staffing, safety requirements, program development, or school operations.

The employee must follow all lawful and reasonable instructions from the Head of Operations or authorised school management.