Welcome to Wongutha CAPS

Wongutha Christian Aboriginal Parent-directed School (CAPS) is a non-government, Indigenous year 11 & 12 vocational school on a farm 27 kilometres from Esperance. The school has both boys’ and girls’ hostels and accepts students from all over Western Australia.

Why choose to go to Wongutha CAPS?
Christian Aboriginal School; with Christian staff, mentors and a Chaplain.
Safe Christian place to live; where students can learn strong Christian standards to help them in life.
Vocational school; Students will get training in work skills and help in planning their pathway for their future work.
Literacy school; Teachers will help students to read and write English. Teachers also tutor students who need help with their reading and writing.
Driver -training school; Teachers help all students who stay on at Wongutha to get their Driver’s Licence before they leave.
Co-Ed boarding school; with 2 brand new hostels that can house up to 72 students.

Are there Aboriginal staff at Wongutha CAPS?
Yes there are teachers, support staff, mentors and hostel supervisors.

How long has Wongutha been around?
Wongutha has been training Aboriginal students for 55 years.

What Courses can I do?

We aim to help our students to improve their reading and writing so they can study other subjects better:

English – We use the National Accelerated Literacy Programs for those needing help in their reading and writing. We also teach English as Another Language or Dialect (EALD) for those who have stronger English skills.

Maths: All students are in small classes which will help them to improve their maths.

Bible, Computers, Health, Phys Ed – There are two or three levels of each of these classes.

Agriculture – All 1st year students study Animal or Plant Care. Students choose which agriculture subject they will take; Fish, Poultry, or Gardens.

Vocational and Education Training (V.E.T) subject choices:
Metals and Engineering – Certificate 1 & 2
General Construction – Certificate 1 & 2
Automotive Servicing – Certificate 1 & 2
Conservation and Land Management (CALM) – Certificate 1 & 2
Business Services – Certificate 1 & 2
Stock and Station – Certificate 1 & 2
Outdoor Recreation – Certificate 2

Upon completion of a Work Education course students do Workplace Learning each week. They go to workplaces one day every week and learn to work with
different people and equipment. Students gain lots of experience doing many different kinds of work at Workplace Learning. They can use the skills they learn at Wongutha in their workplaces. Many students work in shops in Esperance as part of their Workplace learning. Students also go on trips to Perth and other places where they visit different organisations to see the kind of work they might do when they leave school

Career Guidance
When you arrive a teacher will work with you to work out a Pathway Plan that will help you:
• To set goals for the future
• To choose the right VET subjects to help you towards those goals
• To put together an Employment Portfolio while you are at Wongutha

Work Placement Program
Wongutha has an intensive work preparation course which includes Work Education course, Fire Safety, First Aid certificates and Occupational Health and Safety.
Students are ready to do Workplace Learning after they have finished doing the Work Readiness training. They go to work every Tuesday in Esperance or on farms. Each student has a mentor who finds work places for them. The mentor also visits them at their workplaces to help and encourage.

Aboriginal School Based Traineeships
Students who complete a VET Certificate are able to do a Traineeship at the school. These students are paid for the hours they work. They also keep doing their school subjects.

Employment Covenants
There are work places in Western Australia who will promise to keep jobs to students who get a VET Certificate and have worked well at Workplace Learning. When the students graduate from Wongutha they will be able to go straight to those jobs. Those students will have Mentors from the work places they go to.

Driver Training Program
Wongutha helps all students who stay to get their Driver’s Licences.
A student who has a Driver’s Licence will find it easier to get work after leaving
School. Students need to have a Birth Certificate to get a Driver’s Licence

Bushrangers
Wongutha CAPS has a Bushrangers program after school each Wednesday. Student also go on Bushrangers camps. These are a lot of fun and a good time for learning about working with other people and the environment.