CAPS - Wongutha Caps

The Wongutha CAPS School is a boarding school at Gibson, about 20kms North of Esperance in Western Australia. The school caters for Year 11 and 12 Aboriginal students who wish to pursue vocational studies in a caring Christian environment. The school is sited on a farm and all students are involved in training in some form of land care or agriculture.

Wongutha is owned and managed by an Aboriginal Board who have developed a vocational education program to accommodate the specific needs of Aboriginal students. CAPS (Christian Aboriginal Parent-directed School Inc) also manage the CAPS school in Coolgardie and the Kurrawang school near Kalgoorlie.

Most of the Board members have some connection with the Mt Margaret Mission, and all embrace an evangelical Christian faith. The CAPS Board employ staff members who are practising Christians, and to an extent the staff are expected to be involved in the Christian components of the school and hostel.

Wongutha CAPS caters only for years 11 and 12 and only accepts boarders (there is no day school program). The whole educational program is vocationally directed; with few general subjects and no TEE subjects offered.

Educational Program
The school curriculum is flexible and able to respond to the training requirements for changing employment situations for Aboriginal students. All students are intensively prepared for work and then involved in a work experience (Structured Workplace Learning) program. Students in the program are supported by SWL mentors.

Teaching staff include a mix of teachers, trades-persons and assistants. A student involved in a trade area would be taught by a Trade teacher. Many indigenous staff are employed in the school and hostel to ensure that students are supported by a sympathetic environment.

Courses include Curriculum Council and school-based vocational courses. Vocational courses in the following industry areas are offered:

• General Construction
• Wood Fabrications including Furniture
• Metals and Engineering
• Hospitality (Catering & Food Production)
• Automotive Vehicle Servicing
• Automotive Panel and Paint
• Lands, Parks and Wildlife (CALM Rangers Course)
• Plant Operating (Front-end loader, backhoe)
• Business and Administration

Curriculum Council and School-based Subjects available:

• Vocational English
• Vocational Maths
• Keyboard Operations - Application
• Career and Industry Awareness
• Structured Work-place Learning
• Agriculture (Animal or Plant Production and Enterprise)
  • Equine (Horses)
  • Poultry (Chooks)
  • Aquaculture (Fish)
  • Horticulture (Plants)
• Bible
• Workplace Maths
• Scaffolding Literacy
• CALM Bush Rangers
• Driver Training

Work Training Program
A major focus of the school is preparation for employment and further training through a very successful work placement program.

Students are involved in an intensive work preparation course which includes:

• Fire safety (levels one to three)
• St Johns First Aid qualification
• Occupational Health and Safety and
• general work preparation.

Each student has a mentor and the mentor finds placements for the student and visits the workplace to ensure that the work placement is proceeding satisfactorily for both the employer and the student. The student receives a high level of support from the mentor.

Every Wednesday all the students travel 38km to Esperance by bus and are mentored by Wongutha staff as they work in local businesses, educational institutions or on farms.

While completing 120 hours of Structured Work Placement, students are assessed in a number of skill and attitude areas in order to pass the Curriculum Council Year 11 Structured Workplace Learning (SWL) subject. Employers are very complimentary of student performance in the workplace and one student has been employed as relief staff because of their excellent work.

Some students who do not initially have the skills necessary for the workplace attend morning training sessions in a School to Work (STW) Transition program run by Esperance Group Training. In the afternoon they develop these skills in supervised volunteer work at the Esperance Adventureland Park or projects at Wongutha. Students who are undergoing Driver Training are also able to gain experience by driving in town on this day.

FACILITIES
Wongutha has the following facilities to assist with the delivery of the vocational courses.

• Buildings
  1 large General Purpose Learning Area, 5 small teaching areas, a mechanics area, a metals area, a panel beating area, woodwork area, a large basketball court/hall, hostels and associated buildings.
  
• Computer
  30+ personal computers, scanners, data projection unit, various printers desks etc
  
• Hospitality
  Commercial kitchen serving up to 200 meals per day
  
• Agriculture
  Access to fully operating farm
  
• Mechanics Workshop
  Equipped workshop, hoist etc
  
• Panel Beating and Spray Painting
  Operating panel beating and spray painting workshop
  
• Metals Fabrication
  Metals Fabrication workshop
  
• Building
  Strip footings, building pads, building models and tools
  
• Wood fabrication
  Woodwork area and machine shop
  
• Plant Operator Training
  New Ford front end loader backhoe
  Ford 8 tonne tipper

TEACHER REMUNERATION
All teachers commence on the award, and on a six months period of probation.

Christian Aboriginal Parent-Directed School - Wongutha
Gibson East Road
GIBSON  WA  6448
PO Box 101
GIBSON   WA  6448
ph:   (08) 9075 4011
fax:  (08) 9075 4019
e-mail:  admin@wonguthacaps.wa.edu.au
web:  www.wonguthacaps.wa.edu.au

Principal:  Mr Steve Florisson
Chairperson:  Mr Billy Vincent