to be amazed it's taken so long for a Steiner school to be shut down over safeguarding issues?

[QoFE]

And the biggest bestest shiniest one in the UK at that - Kings Langley

I'm aware it's a touchy subject and that MNHQ have been threatened with legal action for allowing open discussion of these and other issues on here so I won't go into my own experiences (I have done in the last under name changes but I think all the posts got deleted).

Suffice to say this does not surprise me in the least.

A quarter of 11 year olds isn't 'all' though - plus it was the distinction between seeking out (hard-core) porn to see it as opposed to seeing porn when searching something else - which could be at 11 'boobs' or the such like: no delusion here that at 11 year old is curious about sex.

Then again this allowing overtly mature thing might not be a Steiner school trait - but all her DC seem precousious in this area to me.

Quote from the newspaper article The educational philosophy of schools is inspired by ‘anthroposophy’ - a doctrine coined by the school’s founder, Rudolf Steiner, which preaches the value of inspiration, imagination, and creativity in the classroom.

Crap - anthroposophy is rascist .

Our local Steiner school assured me they didn't follow it

Yes they do tend to skip over the racist aspects of their core philosophy.

If only they redirected all the energy they put into silencing people and threatening them with lawyers into child safeguarding.

itsAllGoingFine: Anthroposophy is the basis of Steiner schooling. Steiner schools are the educational wing of the Anthroposoply movement

I know. That's why I was worried. I assumed that Steiner schools would tend to avoid the unpleasanter bits of Anthroposophy, but presumably not where one of their high priests is running the show...

David Gilmour's children by his first wife went to a Waldorf school (Steiner).

'They originally attended a Waldorf School, but Gilmour called their education there "horrific"'

That quote is taken from his Wiki page.

at that Ofsted

I used to collect a child from a Steiner school (I was a childminder), and the atmosphere in that 'school' used to make me depressed and I was only there for a few minutes.
They use a dark hall as their main premises, then use an old caravan as the classroom (no kidding).
The only time the kids go out is on a 'march' around the village (no playground).
I'm surprised it's still running!

YANBU

Regarding a different Steiner school...I had an ex colleague get in touch asking for a reference for a job that she had been doing for over a year, at a Steiner school. The school didn't bother getting any references at all before employing her- but they were worried they'd get OFSTED and had no records, so were trying to catch up. She is lovely, but still...references are critical.

2bees it's bollocks the school doesn't follow anthroposophy.

They might not TEACH it to the children, but the teachers will have been brought up with it and educated in it. They may well (probably) study anthroposophical stuff in meetings. The school with probably have links to The Christian Community (anthroposophical church).

I once (only once ) attended a Steiner playgroup . My son was drawing a car and wanted to colour in the wheels.
We were told that there weren't any black crayons "because black is a dirty colour" .

Does it matter what type of school it is. As far as I a aware most schools are hiding issues. Particularly those in the covey program.

What's the covey program? Google tells me a covey is a small group of birds, esp quail. Schools are hiding game birds?

the Leader in me program by the covey family. Schools pay to be in the programme but honestly I have yet to see actual results.

In a nutshell what is a Steiner school? Never heard of it.

What makes you say
And the biggest bestest shiniest one in the UK at that - Kings Langley

There's a Steiner near us and the children use a local park as they have no playground. They are some of the worst behaved little snots I've ever seen out and about, and the teachers completely ignore bad behaviour and bullying as they believe in letting the children resolve it themselves.

I'm not surprised at all but I'm not a fan of Steiner education. I went to a liberal comprehensive and there were lots of kids who came in from the local Steiner school. They really struggled academically but could do wonderful watery rainbow pictures.

Does anyone know how closely European Steiner schools are linked with the UK ones and if there's reason to be concerned that there could be the same 'culture' there in terms of safeguarding concerns?

That really is a terrible Ofsted report. Massive, fundamental failings in every area.

I'm confused by the seeking advice from solicitors in regards to safeguarding issues?!
Surely all schools regardless of what type are bound to seek advice from social services if unsure on any issue?

ChancerPrancer: one of the families I know who had a horrible bullying experience was at a Steiner school in Norway. As well as actual injury the child developed mental health problems which a therapist linked directly to the treatment in the school.

The schools are run according to a philosophy and methodology, I would expect many aspects to be the same regardless of country.

Children in the Steiner system can be very isolated from the 'outside world'. Depending on how strict the individual school parents may be asked to sign an agreement that their children will not be allowed any 'screens', including at friends and family. Not to be given access to certain toys. You can imagine that this is very socially restricting, and some schools in 'Steiner communities ' actively discourage friendships except amongst other Steiner-educating families.

Who can an unhappy child talk to??

I can't believe it's taken this long really. I mean this was raised in 2014;

"In 2014, it emerged that the civil servants at the Department of Education had expressed concern about the schools, mentioning one claim that a teacher had permitted classroom violence for “karmic reasons”.

Karmic reasons? How on Earth could an adult justify allowing children ti harm each other on the basis of Karma??

Not wanting to get too political but I wonder if the dragging of feet is to do with the free school policy that DfE are promoting . Some Steiner have set up as free schools . If it is the whole Steiner philosophy being questioned then that will include those tacitly supported by Govt through free school policy and it seems to me that they want to support that come what may and despite the proven correct criticism that the wilting sorts of organisations were getting involved

As someone who has had kids at Steiner and has also had Steiner pedagogic training and worked and lived in Steiner communities and a school, I'm consistently amazed at the amount of people who send their kids to a school based on cult practices with cult beliefs, racist ethos and desperately irrational foundations. There is nothing safe or good about Waldorf education. Tragically it's something that isn't going to end any time soon.

And few people really understand anthroposophy yet send their kids there. That's what I meant. It's utterly bizarre.