Steiner Waldorf Education

What is Steiner Waldorf Education?

Our school aims to provide an education according to the understanding of the developing human being as set out in the education lecture cycles and books by Rudolf Steiner. Our education is rooted in Steiner’s picture of child development and in the belief that healthy and sustained enthusiasm for learning is achieved by introducing the right content and developing the right skills at the right time: not always at the earliest opportunity.

At the core of Steiner’s educational philosophy lives a recognition of the unique spirit inherent within every human being and a concern that education should enable each human being to achieve their fullest possible potential. This central principle informs the aim to create environments of holistic learning imbued with respectful relationships regardless of belief, ethnicity or similar facets of human difference.

Pupils are provided with a broad and integrated curriculum, paying attention to their spiritual, social and emotional development alongside their academic achievements, with a creative and explorative approach to learning. Cross curricular links are made in different subject lessons.

The aim of Steiner Waldorf education is to develop healthy young humans who are confident and conscious of their own uniqueness, skills and abilities and who have a healthy orientation to the world that they are moving into. This brings about the experience of life as a purposeful journey on which everyone may discover their gifts and talents and their capacity to bring relevant and worthwhile contributions to the world.

Pupils can become free, resilient, creative human beings who lead lives of purpose and direction, who are capable of independent thought and are respectful of the rights of others.

A brief history of Steiner Waldorf education

Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) was born in Austria and his early work focused on science, the classics and philosophy. His philosophy of the science of spiritual life became known as Anthroposophy, and he gave lectures on this in many European countries in the early twentieth century. These lectures and his books covered many fields and subjects: education, farming, medicine, architecture, movement, eurythmy, music and more.

In the aftermath of the First World War, Steiner’s insights and ideas gained wider recognition, and in 1919 he was asked to start a school in Stuttgart (Germany) for the children of workers at the Waldorf cigarette factory. Today over 1000 Steiner Waldorf schools around the world all share a common regard and appreciation for his educational methods. Each school is unique but part of a family working with the same ethos and approach.

Since Steiner’s death in 1925 the traditional Waldorf Steiner curriculum and teaching methods have been continuously developed and improved to meet the needs of today’s children and the realities of time and place. There are now over one thousand schools world- wide in every continent.

The Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship

The Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship (SWSF) is the membership organisation for all the Steiner schools and independent Steiner Early Years settings in the UK and Ireland. On their website you will find a range of information about Steiner schools and the education they offer.

LINK : https://www.steinerwaldorf.org/steiner-education/what-is-steiner-education/