Children joining Steiner-Waldorf schools embark on a journey of learning and discovery. Class teachers guide students through the challenges of growing up, developing creative and responsible citizens able to bring purpose and direction to their lives.
In common with education systems around the world, Steiner pedagogy recognises the far-reaching benefits of focussing on social and pre-academic skills in the Early years. The foundations of these are carefully prepared throughout preschool and two years of Kindergarten, where the learning has begun. Time is taken to allow children to explore their imagination and environment to cultivate a desire and will to learn.
More formal schooling commences from the age of six when the child is developmentally best placed to begin to encode language and number with real understanding.
A high value is placed on active and imaginative learning which provide the building blocks for pre literacy and pre numeracy skills in the early years, imagination in the middle school years and creative thinking at secondary level. This beautiful and enriching curriculum encourages a strong sense for the artistic and cultural life and is supported by an aesthetic teaching environment. The use of drawing, painting, music, movement, poetry, modelling, woodwork, cookery, gardening, and drama enhances the learning experience in all subjects.
The primary years education provides an enriching environment with developmentally timed, and linked topics of study, music, songs, spiritual elements, and interaction with nature, which free the child to explore the world and their place in it unfettered by anxiety. The connections made between Maths, English, Music etc prevent the artificial separation of subjects, and in this way mirror life more closely than ‘traditional’ education.
We recognise our responsibility to nurture the child. We aim to prepare students for life in a culturally diverse society by developing tolerant, articulate, motivated, and mature individuals.
A meaningful relationship is fostered between the child, teacher, and class. Parents are immersed into their child’s school life and frequently involved within the school community.
We encourage all children, regardless of ability, to find the joy in learning, to believe in themselves and to be motivated to succeed in their chosen path in life.
Our priority is to support every child and provide them with firm foundations so that they can develop into free thinking, morally responsible, and confident members of society.
Overall, it is a system that builds confident, articulate, and reflective children who care about others, themselves, and their environment. The Steiner approach is tried and tested and is part of state funded, mainstream provision in many European countries.