My Dc had a Steiner education

[dancingthroughthedark]

As the title says. Really happy to answer your questions of our experience for people genuinely interested to hear a first hand account. Please don't turn this into a slag of Steiner thread.

kalink mine had a weekly school meeting of all school members. The issue could be posed by anyone and both (all) sides of it argued out. At the end a decision would be voted on and a punishment agreed by all. Bullying was not tolerated when I was there and people who bullied others were usually sanctioned with isolation. Littering with litter picking, eating sweets with a ban on going to the shops. The rules were also set at the school meetings. The sweet rule was because we had a kid who had very thin enamel on his teeth so as a body we felt it unfair for everyone else to eat sweets when he couldn't.

Other schools will have other methods for sanctioning poor behaviours.

The first exams I sat were A levels after we moved to the UK. I did really badly but retook them when I understood and learnt the art of passing exams and craming. I now have a degree, PhD and a love of learning. The people who thrive are those that are self motivated. It is a system that fails some people very badly because they are better suited to a defined structure.

Ah ok, the one near me teaches A Levels and BTECs.

there are lots of articles online indicating that racism is alive and well in some - not all - Steiner schools

I hate it when people request this but, links please!

Can you apply to university with qualifications from a Steiner school? Why does the art work displayed in classrooms look all the same?

Would you say the racist views of Steiner reflect the historical views of the time generally and are not present in modern Steiner teaching?

tally I couldn't say. I only encountered the racist views when I was trying to explain to a friend what a Steiner school was like. I was shocked because we were the antithesis of those views. Even if it is a reflection of the time it doesn't make it any better and it is right that it is challenged. However it is wrong to say all Steiner schools are racist just because the man was and there is an example of a racist Steiner school documented on the internet.

Your son has achieved highly, did his peers generally follow academic paths to uni or more alternative choices in general?

Why would you not send all you children? With the choice of mainstream also working for him would you still chose Steiner?

I meant that it was historical racism no longer acceptable in modern society, and of course long challenged. He was born in the 1800s after all, one ought to remember.

Battleax, this is AMA is it not?

I’d rather not search and hear it from the OP instead, thanks.

Post edited by MNHQ

Can I ask if you paid the fees directly or if he was funded with a bursary or scholarship? It's a style of education I am wondering may suit one of my dcs but I could not afford it or be guaranteed to afford it long term. Are there many hidden extras?

As I understand Steiner is a bit like the Montessori - am I correct?

Is it better to go from mainstream to Steiner or Steiner to mainstream do you think? Is the difference a shock after a particular age when they've gotten used to typical school routines etc?

Thank you

*Battleax, this is AMA is it not?

I’d rather not search and hear it from the OP instead, thanks.*

@foxferry - Steiner really is nothing like Montessori, it’s a very different approach. There don’t tend to be a lot of bursaries available for either, but you can always ask your local school.

Was your DS at a Steiner Academy or independent?

Is it true that the children are unsupervised at playtimes? If so, how does that work?

My ds was an independent school. They do offer bursaries. All applications for financial help are considered on an individual basis and the system is confidential.

In his class the majority of them have moved on to Uni or other further education courses. All those who applied to Uni got several offers including unconditional offers to RG Unis,

I have just asked him and he says there were always teachers on duty at break times

Yes Ds got his Uni place with just his Steiner Qualifications. he does not have any GCSEs or A levels. When he was considering Uni, he contacted a large number of Unis about the qualification. Only one said they would not consider a pupil who had it.

I have never been aware of a bullying issue at his school and like any other school it has a bullying policy and every other policy. It is also regularly inspected just like any other school.