Steiner school - would you like to find out more?

[cam_beauty]

The aim of this survey is to capture the demand for Waldorf education in the South London area. We currently have an application with the Department of Education ? at ?expression of interest? stage ? to become a Free School in September 2011. We need to show that there?s strong demand for Waldorf education in south London and specifically the area (SE19 ? SE27) but please do fill in the survey even if you are NOT in this postcode.

http://waldorflondon.co.uk/free-school-survey-dfe/

It only takes 1 minute to fill in! For all parents who would like to see a Waldorf school in south London - please pass this on to any friends and family.

If you would like to arrange a visit to the school every Friday is open day just book in with Sheila first by Phone: 020 8671 6846 or by e-mail: [email protected]

Or join us at parent and child group (open to carers too);

Monday and Tuesday afternoons at Riggindale, Mitcham Lane, Streatham or Tuesday mornings outside at Hedgesparrows on Tooting Common: http://waldorflondon.co.uk/childs-journey/early-years-0-3-years

Any parent can find out more about the benefits of a Waldorf education via links on our school website. There are quotes from parents and children who are or have been part of our school and this may be helpful to some.

With love and light Sarah xx

[Jamma]

I appreciate you don't want to get into a discussion on the benefits or otherwise of a Steiner education, if you did you'd have posted something very different.

But in the interests of balance does anyone know if there's a way of registering objections to a free school opening in a certain area?

[Curmudgeon]

I object to Steiner education wholeheartedly and encourage everyone to read the debates that proliferate the web about this contraversial 'education'.

the concept of hiding a religion in education, the science vs pseudo-science debate, the foundations of anthropophosy, of the cultish nature

anyhow read up for yourselves

google it

or as a starting point http://www.stelling.nl/simpos/anthroposophy.htm

[wellington]

The deadline is actually tomorrow (Friday) 10 February so you have a bit more time :)

[cam_beauty]

Please do refer to the

The Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship who state the following on their home page:

' The SWSF is a membership organisation for all the Steiner schools and independent 'Steiner Early Years settings in the UK and Ireland.

As such, we seek to safeguard the Steiner ethos and to serve the interests of our members, as well as to represent and further the relevance of Steiner education in the wider education debate.

There are now over 1,000 schools, 2,000 early years? settings in more than 60 countries.

The SWSF is opposed to all forms of discrimination against any person or group of people on the grounds of race, gender, faith, disability, age and sexual orientation and is committed to promoting equality of opportunity and reflecting the diversity of the children, staff and parents served by Steiner schools. We also reject any racism stated or implied in any of Rudolf Steiner's speeches and writings (dating from the mid-1880s to his death in 1925).

For more information please download and read the 'Waldorf schools against discrimination' document that can be found on the European Council for Steiner Waldorf Education's website.'

http://www.steinerwaldorf.org.uk/

[karter]

My friend's kid goes to Steiner school and i am impressed by how they teach him to be creative in so many different ways, i have never seen this from a conventional skool.(tu)

[GinaG3]

Agreed Karter, I have friends that went to Steiner school. Very creative people. All of them. I was always jealous of their school holidays, summer holiday for us was 6 weeks they got 9-10.

[Curmudgeon]

I have friends who went through Steiner education and were horrified as adults at what they felt they suffered

2 sides to every story

Steiner Waldorf have a huge marketing campaign behind them

ensure if you've never heard of this you discover the origins and debate that rages about it that's all I'm saying

[Emily]

"Would you like your children being taught that gnomes are real?' 'would you like a school based on bizarre superstitions invented by an out-and-out racist who thought black people spiritually inferior?'

What do you think?

[karter]

Sheesh, you can't please everybody can you...:-S

[Curmudgeon]

well no not if inherent racism, bizarre curriculum coverage and anthroposophy comes into play you can't

http://www.waldorfcritics.org/active/concerns.html

[helena handbasket]

What I wonder, though, is why the President of PLANS (the group sponsoring the website) is keeping herself so busy in her crusade against Waldorf when it appears that she has founded her own school? Shouldn't she spend a bit more energy on that? I don't get it.

These messages that Waldorf preaches must be pretty subliminal, because I'm been to a couple of schools and certainly known a few Waldorf educated children and I fail to recognize traits of a cult anywhere. It's not for everyone but it's a great fit for some children, especially those who struggle in the mainstream system. I would hate to think that parents who are considering alternatives for their struggling children would dismiss Waldorf due to a website run by someone who has organized their own school.

It could all be true, who knows? But I'd dig a little deeper than googling "criticism of Waldorf schools". Ofsted must have information as well.

[Saffron]

Emily Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> 'would you like a school based

> on bizarre superstitions ...?

erm... did anyone else's parents send them to Catholic school? Yeah, pretty weird.

Grain of salt, people, grain of salt.

[Emily]

Saffron, do you believe in gnomes?

[littleEDfamily]

My Mum was a remedial reading teacher at a Steiner school for some time. In her role as a specialist, she wasn't required to buy into the Steiner philosophy, and (reading between the lines) she found the ethos odd and thought that it was absolutely not right for certain children who were suffocated and bored by Steinerism. I think, and apologies for cutting to the chase here, she thought that they were basically loonies and belived that fringe schools make it even harder for 'alternative' children to deal with the 'real world'! I tend to agree, so Steiner certainly wouldn't be my choice of school. I'd like to see fewer faith schools and fringe schools, and instead much better quality bog standard state schools.

[new mother]

What would a neutral description of the Steiner philosophy be? (serious question - I am intrigued by the schools but have not met anyone who attends/attended.)

[cam_beauty]

Developing the "whole child" is key in Waldorf education.

Take a look at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2005/may/18/schools.uk2

Sarah

[cam_beauty]

Developing the "whole child" is key in Waldorf education.

Take a look at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2005/may/18/schools.uk2

Sarah

[kacenka76]

HI all,

I'm currently undergoing the Steiner Kindergarden teacher training and I have to say, that while working with children (and have been working for many years), everything I learn I put into practice and see the results immediately. I work with toddlers and pre-school children so can't comment on class education but as it is based on the same principles, I'm sure my colleagues would say the same. I understand that the Steiner philosophy might seem rather different and yes, his teachings are quite deep and take time to absorb. But as I have said before, all knowledge I gained based on his teachings on child development have been very helpful to me and the children I take care of have flourished so much (I'm a nanny and even the parents now appreciate Steiner approach much more as they see the results themselves)...What I do not understand is why the mainstream educators are pushing children to learn how to read and write earlier and earlier. Most of the countries in the EU start with learning these at the age of 6 or even 7 and we all speak and write well, our literacy levels are higher than in the UK. It seems rather obvious where the problem is.

[Sanne Panne]

Being from the "continent" myself I agree that we don't need to push early reading/writing if the child doesn't show a natural interest before age 6 (although I think it's a crime to postpone it if a child does show an interest in letters (or anything else for that matter) earlier on) and I can't comment on the Steiner "cult" discussion because I don't know enough about it but do I think Steiner education doesn't offer enough useful links back into day to day society. Three good friends of mine went to a Steiner school and although they ended up doing well as adults (not more or less than other friends), till this day they all still struggle when they need to fill in a form. They've been educated to be such free spirits that small and big things that they have to conform to in life (university exams, council tax, the tube map) take them disproportionate amounts of time to process (or as the wife of one of them half jokingly says: "yeah you can milk a cow but you still couldn't read the clock when you were 18"). You can say this shows that society is too restrictive and that it's really society's fault but given the fact that it functions as it does I think it's important for a school to give children enough tools to deal with the tough world out there.

I think that's what would worry me more than the cult discussion. I have an issue with any kind of cult including the standard religions but I think parents have a large influence on how much a child will take this with a grain of salt. Again, I don't know enough about that part to be able to really judge. My Steiner friends are all pretty healthy atheists although one does genuinely believe that there is a (real, living) man who has a little bottle with a magical solution in it that can clean polluted lakes and seas by just adding one drop of his magical potion. He's 39 ;) Ok sorry this magical potion example doesn't represent Steiner as a whole, I know I know...

[Bellenden Belle]

Sanne Panne Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

My Steiner friends are all pretty

> healthy atheists although one does genuinely

> believe that there is a (real, living) man who has

> a little bottle with a magical solution in it that

> can clean polluted lakes and seas by just adding

> one drop of his magical potion.

Isn't that called homeopathy?

[cam_beauty]

Here's a wonderful video: http://waldorflondon.co.uk/admissions/the-gift-of-learning/

The Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship commissioned ITN to make a short film to look at some of the key features of a Steiner School including:

-How Steiner Schools nurture spiritual development in keeping with the cultural setting of the school and without being tied to a particular faith;

-The emphasis on ?doing? to complement academic learning;

-How the absence of testing in the younger years nurtures enthusiasm for learning;

-The importance of quietness and contemplation as part of the school day.

[Curmudgeon]

Whilst I agree that standard education policy in the UK leaves much to be desired and the focus on reading at earlier and earlier ages is counter-productive and somewhat ridiculous I also know that some children leave steiner education never having learned to read

[cam_beauty]

Fisherman & his Wife plus Genie in the Bottle

Saturday 2nd April at 5pm

Rudolf Steiner House Theatre, near Baker St tube, 35 Park Road, NW1 6XT

A special 'one-off' fundraising performance of the ?Fisherman & his Wife plus Genie in the Bottle? (two stories from the Brothers Grimm) by the Classic Fairytale Company. This event is to help raise funds for the ?Waldorf School of SW London? which is currently in interim premises and seeks a new permanent home for their pupils.

We would also like to invite you to a pre-theatre picnic at the bandstand in Regents Park from 1pm where we will make some beautiful 'hand-crafted' fish to take with us to the play. We see this as a wonderful opportunity to gather friends, families and staff together to enjoy a pre-Easter celebration.

(Bandstand: http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=527942&Y=182503&A=Y&Z=110)

Please do message me if you'd like to print off a poster and invitation so you can post them somewhere visible, put it in your newsletter and invite all to the picnic. We look forward to seeing you. The play is suitable for all ages and is 70 minutes long.

There are 230 seats in the theatre and we hope to fill it with fun, laughter and awe for this wonderful opportunity to see a great performance. Bring your friends, family and neighbours!

Tickets can be booked on-line here: http://waldorflondon.co.uk/event/the-fisherman-and-his-wife-the-genie-in-the-bottle/

More info here: http://www.classicfairytales.co.uk/cft/Whats_On.html

[Caswallion]

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