Upper School
For ages 14–18 — an inspiring, creative and intellectually challenging education for life beyond school
Our Upper School runs from Class 9 to Class 12, corresponding to Years 10 to 13 in mainstream education. Students develop their academic interests while continuing to experience the breadth of a Steiner Waldorf education, with increasing opportunities to explore subjects independently and in depth.
A broad and rigorous education
Our curriculum combines academic study with artistic, practical and creative learning. As students progress through Classes 11 and 12, they are able to specialise in areas that interest them, developing greater depth, independence and responsibility in their learning.
Alongside the Steiner Waldorf curriculum, students have the opportunity to work towards the New Zealand Certificate of Steiner Education (NZCSE), an internationally recognised Level 3 qualification comparable in level to qualifications such as A levels, the International Baccalaureate and the Abitur.
The NZCSE is quality assured by the Steiner Education Development Trust (SEDT) in New Zealand. The qualification provides a pathway to further study, including university, as well as supporting students who choose to enter employment or take time for other opportunities after school.
Learning with increasing independence
As students mature, they are encouraged to take greater ownership of their learning. They can pursue areas of particular interest in greater depth, with opportunities for extension and more specialised study in their chosen subjects.
Our Upper School teachers work closely with students to support this development, combining academic guidance with the wider relationships and experiences that are central to a Steiner Waldorf education.
The result is an education that seeks to prepare young people not simply for their next qualification, but for a purposeful journey into life – with confidence, curiosity, independent thinking and an active interest in the world around them.
Our International Qualification
Students study the Steiner Waldorf curriculum and are assessed using the NZCSE framework, which sits on the NZQA. At Level 3, the NZCSE has verified parity (via NARIC) with any other UK Level 3 qualification, such as A Level / International Baccalaureate. It is an internationally recognised qualification.
The programme is a single exit qualification, and graduating students are able to apply for university places via the usual UCAS pathway.
Students can join the Upper School throughout the four year programme. Students from mainstream settings as well as from other independent and Steiner Waldorf schools may also apply for the Upper School.
There may be some financial assistance available to applicants to the Upper School as long as they meet our set criteria.
For more information please see the links and references below, or contact Jeff van Zyl, School Education Manager.
Why Steiner School?
Quite right! Why would you transfer into Steiner education or to a new school when all your friends are about to embark on their GCSE or A Level courses?
For us, it is a question of what you want from your education.
Do you want to be inspired to learn and continue learning, long after the lesson has ended?
Do you want to learn how to ask questions and research answers?
Do you enjoy experiential lessons as well as rigorous academic learning?
Do you want to combine your creativity with your academic progress?
Do you like the idea of going on numerous educational visits throughout every school year to really cement your classroom experience?
Would you like to avoid the pressure of examinations and instead work consistently hard throughout the course to achieve the points necessary for each qualification level?
If you have answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, come and meet us. We may just be the school you are looking for!
Never Heard of Steiner School?
Book a school tour or request a trial day to see whether what we do speaks to you!
Whilst some of what we do might feel unfamiliar at first, especially if you have attended a mainstream school to date, our Upper School faculty and friendly students are always happy to help you transition successfully to a Steiner Waldorf education and our Upper School programme.
Our Education Manager and Upper School teachers are available to chat through how you might transfer into our programme and transform your educational experience. Call 1803 897377 to make an appointment or contact the Admissions Team.
Transferring from other Steiner Waldorf Settings
Students from UK Steiner schools as well as international students from Waldorf settings around the world may apply to our programme. Our Upper School is immensely culturally diverse, especially considering it is relatively small in size and we welcome applications from students from around the globe, subject to their meeting our criteria and UK border controls.
If you are a UK based Steiner student who would like to apply to our Upper School programme, you are welcome to join our programme at any stage along the four year course. For some, this might be at the beginning of class 9 and for others, completing class 10 and then transferring to South Devon Steiner School might be what works. To discuss your requirements, please make contact with the Admissions Team.
Wherever you are currently studying, we are happy to help you make a successful transition to South Devon Steiner Upper School.
Stand Out with a Steiner Education
“The Steiner system really benefitted me when I applied to University. It made me stand out in a group of students who came from the same system.
The most obvious benefit of the Steiner system is the way you are treated by Professors and tutors; they can very quickly identify a Steiner student and are much more open and willing to help.
There is a stigma that being a Steiner student will lower your chances of being accepted to University but this simply isn’t true. I’ve come across many Steiner students from all over the world who all say the same thing: We feel different to other students and more confident in our ability. We are faster to grasp the higher academic level at University and feel at home in self-motivation based work.”
