Our education, as in each of the Waldorf schools worldwide, is based on the spiritual ideas of the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner. Developing the whole child is of the upmost importance. We offer a rich, broad and balanced curriculum woven within the main subject lesson or Kindergarten Day. We consider the developing child in all its aspects, with the knowledge that education affects the child in a profound way. A key phrase is ‘Not too much too soon’. Our education enables all children, irrespective of academic ability, class, ethnicity or religion, to be able to access what we do.  We are particularly proud of the respect and care that our children show for one another, the environment and the wider community, and the development of a love of learning and enthusiasm for school.

Importantly, we recognise that the child has a different consciousness from that of the adult. We recognise that thinking in a young child transforms and develops through the stages of development. Each stage respects the whole child as a physical, emotional, spiritual and intellectual being. In the early years, the emphasis is on the development of the physical and sensory body. The next stage is about social, emotional and spiritual growth. Thinking, slowly emerges from a pictorial basis, using an artistic approach, encouraging and working with the imagination, moving towards a more objective analytical thinking. This provides the foundation for intellectual development.

Teachers engage in a process of continuous assessment of all aspects of the children’s development, anticipating children’s needs, using assessment for learning strategies and deep knowledge of the child. We do not follow main stream formal testing such as SAT's. We do, however, test for reading levels from class 3 onwards and for maths levels in class 5. These are not timed tests, but help show gaps in pupils' knowledge, to enable them to be ready for their transition to their next phase of learning.

Staff observations are shared at teachers’ meetings. In this way, each child is supported by all the teachers at the school. This continuity of collegiate responsibility, helps to build a deeper picture of the individual child, in addition to his or her academic progress.

Waldorf education is tried and tested and is part of state-funded, mainstream provision in most European countries. It is respected and flourishing worldwide. It is generally recognised that pupils develop to be very able, young people who have a strong sense of self and diverse abilities that enable them to become socially and economically responsible citizens.

Our Curriculum Policy can be found here.