Excursion program

Preschool

Our excursion program offers preschool students (aged 3 to 5) the chance to explore healthy catchments and healthy water for us and the animals living in our catchment. Our program is linked to the requirements of the Early Learning Years Framework and can be tailored to meet the needs of your students.

Preschool excursions to Warragamba Dam allow for a maximum of 15 students aged 3 to 5. We require a supervision ratio 1 adult to 5 preschool-aged children. Preschool groups with more than 15 students must book over a number of days to ensure a safe, high quality learning experience for your students.

We typically start preschool excursions at 10:00am and finish at 12:00pm. We can modify the timing of the excursion to meet the needs of your students.

If you travel by bus, your excursion to Warragamba Dam may include a guided tour of the dam. (Sites accessed will be determined by operational requirements on the day.)

Following the excursion groups often have lunch in our parklands before returning to their preschool.

Book a Preschool Excursion

Primary and Secondary

Our excursion program offers primary and secondary school students the chance to explore all aspects of modern water supply and catchment management through hands-on activities and a guided tour.

The program is linked to the requirements of the Australian Curriculum, as it is implemented in NSW schools.

Primary syllabus links: Mostly Science and Geography (and also English, Maths, and Creative Arts)
Secondary syllabus links: Geography (Stages 4 & 5), Science (Stages 4 & 5), Investigating Science (Stage 6), Earth and Environmental Science (Stage 6)

We require the following supervision ratios for school students:
Primary: 1 adult to 10 students
Secondary: 1 adult to 15 students

Excursions to Warragamba Dam typically allow for a maximum of 60 students to ensure a safe, quality learning experience.

Use this Social Story – An excursion to Warragamba Dam (PDF, 3281.8 KB) to familiarise yourself, other school staff and students with the movements, sights and sounds that may be experienced across the Warragamba Dam precinct during your visit.

Schools with larger student numbers are encouraged to book over a number of days.
Secondary school groups for our Geography program (Stage 4) with 61 to 90 students may consider the inclusion of a teacher-directed field work component or alternatively, a shared excursion with Penrith Lakes.

60 student schedule

10:00am - Arrive (adults undertake safety briefing / students use toilets & have morning tea)
10:15am - Introduction (led by us)
10:45am -  Group 1: Hands-on activities in our indoor learning area (led by us) / Group 2: Guided tour of the Dam (led by us)
11:45am - Students use toilets & fill water bottles (led by you)
12:00pm - Group 1: Tour of the dam (led by us) / Group 2: Hands-on activities in our indoor learning area (led by us)
1:00pm - Lunch (led by you in our parklands)
1:30pm - Departure

90 student secondary schedule

9:30am - Arrive (adults undertake safety briefing / students use toilets & have morning tea)
9:45am- Introduction (led by us)
10:15am -  Group 1: Hands-on activities in our indoor learning area (led by us) / Group 2: Guided tour of the Dam (led by us) / Group 3: Self-guided activities (led by you, materials provided by us)
11:15am - Group 1: Guided tour of the Dam (led by us) / Group 2: Self-guided activities (led by you, materials provided by us)/ Group 3: Hands-on activities in our indoor learning area (led by us)
12:15pm - Group 1: Self-guided activities (led by you, materials provided by us) / Group 2: Hands-on activities in our indoor learning area (led by us) / Group 3: Guided tour of the Dam (led by us) 1:15pm - Lunch (led by you in our parklands)
1:45pm - Departure

Shared secondary excursion with Penrith Lakes schedule

First group (starts promptly): 9:30am-11:15am (condensed version of tour and indoor learning)
Lunch (25 minutes) & Travel between Warragamba Dam/Penrith Lakes Env Centre (35 minutes) 11:15-12:15
Second group (starts promptly): at 12:15-2pm (condensed version of tour and indoor learning)
Leave site: 2pm
(Note: sites accessed on dam tours will be determined by operational requirements on the day of your excursion.)

Book a Primary or Secondary Excursion

Support program

Our support program offers students from Schools for Specific Purposes (SSPs) and support units the opportunity to learn about water, their drinking water, catchments, animals living in our catchment, activities in our catchment that can impact our water, and actions they can take to care for our catchment and our drinking water.

Our support program provides accessible experiences and includes a diverse range of hands-on learning activities. Before your attend please provide us with information about your students’ needs, accommodations, and supports so that we can tailor the program to suit your students.

Your excursion to Warragamba Dam may include a guided tour of the dam. Sites accessed will be determined by operational requirements on the day.

Our support program is linked to the NSW curriculum (particularly science and geography outcomes). For secondary students we have linked our content to the Life Skills syllabus.

The maximum number of participants for our support program is 30. We require a supervision ratio of 1 adult to 10 support students. Please bring additional support staff, parents and carers if you believe this would benefit your students.

The typical schedule is:
10:00am - Arrive (adults undertake safety briefing / students have morning tea)
10:15am - Introduction (led by us)
10:30am -  Hands-on activities in our indoor learning area (led by us)
11:30am - Students use toilets, fill water bottles & eat snacks (led by you)
12:00pm - Tour of the dam (led by us)
1:15pm - Departure (your group is welcome to have lunch in our parklands before returning to school)

Please note: For secondary support students learning mainstream curriculum  we suggest booking the “School excursion program” and notifying us of students’ needs, accommodations, and supports.)

Book an Excursion

Home education program

Our home education program offers home educated children (aged 5 to 15) the opportunity to learn about the importance of water, the origins of their drinking water, defining a catchment, identifying organisms living in our catchment, how activities in the catchment can impact our water, and actions they can take to care for our catchment and our drinking water.

The home education program is tailored to meet the needs of mixed age learning groups with a range of hands-on learning activities. The maximum number of participants (children and adults) for this program is 30. We require a supervision ratio of 1 adult to 10 home educated children.

Your excursion to Warragamba Dam may include a guided tour of the dam. Sites accessed will be determined by operational requirements on the day and your mode of transportation. Groups that independently hire a bus generally have greater access to areas of the dam that we are unable to visit by foot.

The home education program is linked to the NSW curriculum (particularly science and geography outcomes).

The typical schedule is:
10:00am - Arrive (adults undertake safety briefing / children use toilets)
10:15am - Introduction (led by us)
10:45am -  Hands-on activities in our indoor learning area (led by us)
11:45am - Children use toilets & fill water bottles (led by you)
12:00pm - Tour of the dam (led by us)
1:15pm – Conclusion (your group is welcome to have lunch in our parklands before returning home)

Book an Excursion

Tertiary field trips

WaterNSW delivers free technical tours of Warragamba Dam for tertiary students, including TAFE and university.

Your field trip to Warragamba Dam may include a guided tour of the dam.

Sites accessed will be determined by operational requirements on the day.

Book a Technical Tour

Scouts

Our scouts program offers scouts (aged 5 to 14) the opportunity to learn about the importance of water, the origins of their drinking water, defining a catchment, identifying organisms living in our catchment, how activities in the catchment can impact our water, and actions they can take to care for our catchment and our drinking water.

The scouts program at Warragamba Dam allow for a maximum of 30 participants (children and adults). We require a supervision ratio of 1 adult to 10 scouts. Larger scouts groups must book over a number of days to ensure a safe, high quality experience for your children.

The scouts program will include a guided tour of the dam. Sites accessed will be determined by operational requirements on the day and your mode of transportation.

This program helps Joeys, Cubs, and Scouts working towards their environment and/or STEM badges.

The typical schedule is:
9:30am - Arrive (scouts use toilets and have morning tea / adults undertake safety briefing)
9:45am - Scouts Parade (led by you)
10:00am – Introduction and hands-on activities in our indoor learning area (led by us)
11:15am - Tour of the dam (led by us)
12:30pm - In the park: lunch (organised and led by you)
1:00pm - In the park: scavenger hunt (led by you; we provide the materials)
1:45pm - In the park: eel making kits and eel colouring sheets (led by you; we provide the materials)
2:30pm - Depart

Book the Scouts program