Steiner free school anyone?

[3asAbird]

Ok anyone at steiner exeter, hereford or go other steiner schools want give me some feedback.

keep hearing negatives.

baically start r but kindergarten 2years
then year 2 is lower primary goes all way upto year 7
They dont start formal reading/writing untiil year 2 age 7
no efys, phnics test, natipnal curriculum or keystage 2sats.

from what i can see they free of testing.

they agreed keystage year 6 testing although what they would score if not followed curriculum.

1 form tutor then lots subject teachers but several years with same teacher.

apparently herfeford achieved god gsces but they only offer 7

I been assured its not a cultish religion or pagens/athiests.
its educational philosophy in same way motentessori.

but its is alternative and need think would it limit them academically.

[PedlarsSpanner]

Who has assured you that it is not a cultish outfit?

No way is it the same ethos as Montessori sorry

[PedlarsSpanner]

Also klaxon for HQ

[pointythings]

It's nothing at all like Montessori, I'm afraid. I'd be doing some very major research before making the decision. It may be for you, but make sure that it's an informed choice if you do make it.

[CoteDAzur]

"I been assured its not a cultish religion or pagens/athiests."

Read this.

[3asAbird]

I know lots are anti steiner

its state funded free school funded by osfted

was wondering if anyone on here actually had 1st hand of being in steilner school?

[CoteDAzur]

I don't care who it's funded by. Why do you think that's relevant.

If it's a Steiner school, that means it follows Steiner's teachings. Read the link I posted.

[3asAbird]

is that link usa?

all the teachers are properly qualified teachers no steiner from good mainstream local primary schools so yes they are qualified and guess impartial i know since trogen horse faith can infiltrate the state system but from talking to them they dont seem cultish and teach all faiths and tend to celebrate seasons.

[pointythings]

You seem to have made your decision already, OP... Please do your own research - you don't have to read Cote's link, that's up to you, but do yourself a favour and do some research. Even reading Steiner's own texts should serve to open your eyes. Do a bit of Googling, look at both sides of the debate before you commit your child to this. And yourself too - you will be expected to make changes to your own life.

This school is a faith school. And frankly I would rather send my DDs to a Pagan faith school, or a fully atheist school (such things don't exist in the UK, btw) than to a Steiner school.

[CoteDAzur]

USA, Europe, or UK makes no difference. If a school is a Steiner school, they have the same philosophy and same reasons for how they do stuff. It's not just "they celebrate seasons".

[BristolRover]

The only person I know who sent her children to a Steiner school bitterly regrets it, and has a son who has begged her never to "let the fucking hippies loose" on him again (the one plus point is that it taught him fluent swearing at an early age). He came out craving double maths, a uniform and a rigid timetable.
(& nb, there's no issue with state funded faith schools in the UK)

[UriGeller]

I have thought about it. I was actually a bit put off by its origins and ethos, and it could appear cultish, probably if you're in its system already seeing it from the inside then you may not think so.

We've decided to homeschool. I wanted ds to be liberated (for as long as possible) from the system. Steiner schools are still "schools" at the end of the day and so we decided it wasn't for us.

[Hedgehogsrule]

From what I've seen, they really seem to hold the children back educationally. And everyone's expected to share their views on things like using cloth nappies, cycling not cars, not having TV at home, etc etc. Good things, but I wouldn't like the pressure to conform. And the parents have to do voluntary work at the school (though that may change if now state funded). And they come out with very few GCSEs and can find it difficult to integrate with others and understand the "real world".

[3asAbird]

look guys not made mind up either way asking here was part of my research.

we home educating middle child as no school place.

youngest starts next year and may have some special needs and not sure hes ready so wondered if kindy be good for him.

not sure about my girls eldest in another state primary

bristol rover do you mean the private one in redland as heard some mixed things but mostly because their parents panic then move them to very academic private schools where they vastly behind.

heard steiners slow burn and like i said hereford achieved decent gcses.

will do more research and visit open day in sept.

not making any hasty decisions herad lot of negatives was hoping some positives to counterbalance.

im not overly hippy.

[JodieGarberJacob]

I thought they HAD to follow the EYFS. They got a couple of co sessions a few years ago regarding the ICT requirements but the rest I thought was non-negotiable.

[Elsiequadrille]

Arm yourself with a list of questions and visit the school if possible.

[Elsiequadrille]

Ah, you're already going to the open day! Good

[mrz]

Definitely isn't funded by Ofsted. Ofsted do not fund schools.

[Hedgehogsrule]

Plenty of parents send their children there for kindergarten only, and then send to a normal primary school later on. But if you keep them there any later, they'll have a lot of catching up to do. One thing I found off-putting in going to lots of their events at different schools, is that they don't just seem to learn different things but learn them well, but everything seems to be second rate. Eg they all learned recorder, fine, but when they gave a little concert they were totally rubbish. Low expectations.

[Hedgehogsrule]

NB I think a lot of the children have special needs, so the intake isn't the usual state school balance.

[NK5BM3]

My neighbours sent their kids to Steiner. And bitterly regret it. First kid got out at year 3 and is now at grammar school but they got to grammar via going to private school for the next 3 years. She came out not knowing how to read/write. They realised all the other kids could but only because the other parents were 'disobeying' the Steiner philosophy and teaching their kids the curriculum too!

Second kid got out at year 1 and is now in the private school and hopefully will pass the 11+ and go grammar too. The third child (second family) is in state. Reception year.

The kids have turned out v well but I dare say it's because they could afford to send them to private to rectify the damage.

[exexpat]

You might also want to google the Steiner attitude to bullying - there seems to be an attitude that it is the children's karma working itself out, so no one intervenes. And also their attitude to vaccinations and childhood illnesses. Scary.

I know some lovely people who have sent their children to Steiner schools, and even one who worked there. Obviously Steiner schools suit some people, but although they try to put themselves across as a more liberated, free-thinking alternative to mainstream education, in fact they are rigidly dogmatic about their educational principles and methods, which have been preserved pretty much as the distinctly weird Steiner himself laid them down in the 1920s. I would not want to subject my child to educational principles based on karma, Lucifer & Ahriman, etheric and astral bodies and all that spiritualist nonsense.

[exexpat]

This might be useful reading: Some very good reasons why Steiner schools shouldn't have state funding.

[BeatriceBean]

Aren't they quite strict about not having a tv in the home, not allowing them to read/write, only painiting in approved colours...

[3asAbird]

www.steineracademybristol.org.uk/steiner-education/anthroposophy-and-education/

it states they dont teach steiner as a religion or force any faiths.

could be good early years and even if just for kindy could give youngest bit more time to devlop without me home educating him, he could get preschool funding until sept after hes due to start but most preschools/nurserys round here not keen on this idea.

Could be ok stop gap for middle child

I definatly need take good look and keep open mind i did ask few tricky questions today.

can we read at home-yes thats fine.

if they dont do sats and tests efys whats the measure of childs learning.

I think what skews things is private steiners and state funded steiners

wondering how they vary due state funding.
.

[Anone]

This may be an unfounded myth but I had heard you couldn't use black pens at Steiner which ruled my highly creative DD out as she loved nothing more than colouring in everything with a black felt-tip pen.