What makes a Steiner education different?

Michael Hall School outlines the focus of its ‘rich, broad and balanced curriculum’...

Have you ever wondered what life will be like for your child entering adulthood? Modern schooling can sometimes feel as if it is completely dictated by warnings from the future about job markets and job prospects. Little attention is given to the unspoken essence of the child. How do we teach children to navigate through the shifting landscape of this age? Well, for nearly a century, Steiner Waldorf schools have being doing just that, placing the child, rather than the fluctuating impulses of politics and economics, at the centre of the curriculum. It is a system taught on every continent, based solely on a deep understanding of the developmental needs of the growing child.

Michael Hall Steiner School celebrated its 90 years birthday last year and offers a rich, broad and balanced curriculum. Developing ‘head, heart and hands’, in order that children may develop cognitive, social-emotional and practical skills in all aspects of life – to the job market and beyond. We can confidently say our school is filled with pupils who have the problem-solving skills required for a sustainable future, in every way. Based on the educational philosophy of Austrian-born Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), we place high value on play in the Early Years, imagination in the Middle School period and creative thinking in the Upper School. Rather than imposing a model of education on the growing child, subject to the whims of political change, it is a tried and tested model of success, based on a real understanding of the human being. Supporting and guiding children as they take their first footsteps on a path of lifelong learning is our passion. Our disciplined and traditional approach in core subjects is rigorously delivered through a child-centred learning experience.

We understand your concerns as parents. We know you want your children to be articulate, creative, self-reliant and flexible. We also know you want to develop their capacity to be resourceful, so whatever the future brings, they will be able to find their own way, coming up with new solutions to old problems.

Steiner schools form the largest group of independent, non-denominational private schools in the world, 37 in the UK and over 1,000 worldwide in a total of 64 different countries. Responding to the recognised need from parents for their children to receive truly balanced educational provision, we believe each child has something unique and valuable to contribute to the benefit of the whole. We are not growing children to fit into outdated models of society that no longer work.

We are growing children to be free-thinking and independent individuals. Confident, enthusiastic graduates from Steiner schools contribute to society in a way that is sustainable and respectful of the world in which we live. Engaging with a changing world with flexibility and initiative, pupils are highly sought after both in further education and the workplace, entering a broad spectrum of trades, careers and professions.

What makes our education so different? Seven reasons why Steiner education really works:

1. Childhood is not a race

We take child development seriously. Learning is age-appropriate. Childhood is recognised as a time of wonder. Respecting the power of a young child’s imagination in Steiner Early Years’ settings offers the foundation for future creativity and adaptability. Similar to Scandinavian countries, reading and writing begins from the age of six, allowing children to develop the right verbal and social skills before formal teaching begins. By age eleven, numeracy, literacy and language skills have normally outpaced those of children in mainstream education.

2. Lifelong love of learning

Subjects are taught using the outdoors, songs, movement and art. OFSTED inspectors, parents and pupils regularly comment on how the teaching methodologies employed in the classroom, alongside traditional teaching of core subjects, enhance a child’s experience at school and inspires a curiosity in the world around us.

3. Minimal testing

We monitor progress closely and assess where appropriate, but testing is minimal. In general we do not think regular testing contributes to a love of learning or self-esteem. Having said that; “examination results are well above the national average in relation to GCSE A* to C pass rates and A*/A grades and at GCE A-level A/A*, which suggests that teaching, learning and achievement are of a good quality overall” Ofsted 2015.

4. World’s most exciting curriculum?

Most schools claim preparing children for exams is only part of what they do. With Steiner schools, it is really true. GCSEs and A levels are studied alongside the Waldorf Curriculum, which aims to embrace the wonder and challenge of the world, while achieving academic proficiency.

Key subjects are taught in ‘Main Lessons’, thematic blocks of up to four weeks on the same topic, usually for two hours each morning. This allows for depth, integration and focus on a given subject. Where else can you experience working in a forge, gardening, silver-smithing, basket-weaving, geology and photography alongside studying for exams?

5. Life-changing school trips

School trips offer experiences tailored to the pupils’ educational development. These unique trips; walking down to the south coast in Class 4 whilst studying the landscape of the SE in a Main Lesson, or walking Hadrians Wall in Class 6, whilst studying the UK in a Geography; a week-long survival course in Class 9 with the Earths Stewards Partnership, and a three-week artistic pilgrimage to Italy to reflect on masterworks of European art and culture, among many others. Class trips build confidence, deepen friendships and remain treasured memories for life.

6. Respectful relationships

Steiner teaching is a vocation. Children enter the school at six years and ideally have the same class teacher for the next eight years of school life. Entering the Upper School at fourteen years, pupils are supported by a two Guardians, who have both a teaching and pastoral role. The importance of these relationships over the years enables pupils to experience a purposeful progression in their learning.

7. Creativity

Children are encouraged to be open-minded and adaptable, whether involved in complex mathematical solutions, scientific experiments or crafting a bowl on a potter’s wheel. Drama and the performing arts form a strong part of the diverse artistic curriculum, where pupils gain confidence for self-expression and deepen their personal maturity.

If you want to help your child grow into a responsible, contributing member of society as they blossom in this fast-changing world, why not consider a Steiner Waldorf education?

For more information on Michael Hall School, see their profile on School Search