Student Information

YOUR ADVENTURE

with The Outpost Wildlife Academy

Accommodation

Students at The Outpost Wildlife Academy will be accommodated in double or single rooms. Rooms have a shared bathroom. Upon arrival, students will be assigned a room number and will move in accordingly, with the option to change rooms after two weeks if needed. Three meals a day will be provided to ensure a well-rounded experience.

Attendance at dinner, evening devotion, and study time (until 21:00) is mandatory. Students are expected to stay in their assigned rooms at The Outpost Wildlife Academy each night, unless special arrangements have been made.

Students are responsible for keeping their rooms tidy, with regular inspections conducted. They wash their own laundry using a washing machine in the laundry room and iron their clothes if needed.

Students may hang their own curtains in their rooms. If personal curtains are used, the student is responsible for rehanging The Outpost Wildlife Academy's curtains when they leave at the end of the year.

Each student is provided with a bed, wardrobe, bedside table, and chair in their room. A desk and bookshelf are provided in the lecture hall.

Students have mandatory duties to prepare breakfast and assist with dinner and weekend meals according to assigned groups. Students who stay over during holidays and off weekends pay R60 per day or part of the day.

Assignments

A laptop, tablet, or cell phone can be used for assignments, with a laptop being the best option. Assignments can be done in writing and/or electronically. WiFi is available (although we experience issues with WiFi when there are power outages from Eskom).

The best phone reception is with Vodacom.

Town Day, Weekends & Sunday

We have town days once a week, where we visit Dullstroom or Belfast for shopping. On Sundays, we attend church in Belfast. Over weekends, we frequently host church or school camps, weddings, festivals and social events, with students helping wherever they can. On other weekends, students can enjoy activities such as watching movies, horse-riding, fishing, canoeing, having a braai, or participating in a social dance.

Rules at The Outpost

The Outpost Wildlife Academy's behavioural rules apply to all students. Students sign an agreement to adhere to these rules.
Smokers must indicate on their APPLICATION FORM that they smoke and may only smoke in the designated area.

Male students visiting female students' rooms or female students visiting male students' rooms, will have their studies immediately suspended. Parents remain responsible for the outstanding fees.

Holidays & Long Weekends

We do not follow the regular school term dates, as our holiday farm and in-house training are best conducted during traditional school holidays. The Outpost Wildlife Academy provides all students with a calendar at the beginning of each academic year.

Students enroll at The Outpost Wildlife Academy from all over the country, and some live too far to go home frequently. Since we keep busy with our activities on public holidays that fall during the week, we can create a long weekend after four weeks (or longer). Students may leave as early as 6:00 AM on Thursday morning. For these special long weekends, students must return by Monday afternoon before 10:00 AM.

Please refer to the YEAR PROGRAM for all dates.

Academic Code of Conduct

Students and their parents should sign the ACADEMIC CODE OF CONDUCT, agreeing to adhere to the terms set out in these codes.

What to Bring

Riding Shoes: Shoes suitable for riding horses and boots.

Clothing: Denim long pants, comfortable walking shoes, collared shirts with sleeves (required for sun protection), and farm clothes in khaki or denim. Women should wear knee-length shorts (no short shorts). For class attire, wear neat shorts/long pants and shoes with a tidy shirt. Bring a hat (any wide-brimmed type).

Water Shoes: Gumboots.

Formal Attire: On days when guests are received, students are required to wear formal attire specific to The Outpost Wildlife Academy. For educational outings, students should wear formal attire with shoes (not gumboots), and women should wear long pants.

Logo Apparel: Shirts and hats with The Outpost Wildlife Academy logo will be ordered on February 1st according to the student’s size. Winter jackets will be ordered at the end of March. The cost for these clothes is +-R2,500, payable on February 1st.

Church Attire: Neat pants/shirts/dresses for church.

Warm Clothing: Enough warm clothing for the winter, including a thermal vest for extra warmth.

Bedding: Duvet and pillow, with an extra blanket for winter.

Accessories: Flashlight, backpack, water bottle, gumboots (water shoes), and a coffee mug.

Lunch Container: A container for packing sandwiches when doing practicals on other farms.

Documentation: Copies of your identity document.

Stationery: Three exam pads, pens, and one thick lever-arch file.

Computer: Laptop or tablet.

Bible

Camping Gear: Small tent, camp chair and sleeping bag.

Room Supplies: Wastebasket for the bedroom and laundry basket. Laundry detergent for a twin-tub washing machine.

Communication with Students

Students are encouraged to use the open communication channels to discuss their concerns, problems, and requests.

Academic Year

The academic year begins on January 20th and ends on November 23th.