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.

"Does anyone know why they all use the same font for their signage and websites? Is it a requirement?"

It is. It is based on 'organic' forms - as in no perfect circles or right angles, like in nature.

danger that sounds a bit like how some home edders talk of school!!

I agree, pizza . I also find home ed/Steiner advocates seem to forget that our children are only at school 6 hours a day, there's a lot of time left in the day (and weekends and holidays) for other types of learning!

Steiner teachers do tend to think of state schools as some sort of fleapit cross workhouse

We were frequently told how awful state schools were by the staff at the Steiner school I went to. Apparently they set hours and hours of homework, never do any art, don't allow creativity and don't have playgrounds. Strangely enough this was not my experience of the state schools I went to before or after my time in a Steiner school, or of the state schools my own children have gone to.

When I was an SEN Officer, a parent asked to place their autistic 16yo with challenging behaviour in a residential Steiner college. I researched the school and was very scathing, my boss felt I was being a snob. In the end we didn't agree to fund because the Ofsted was poor. I can't imagine what would have happened to him if he had gone...

I have no axe to grind having not sent my DCs to a Steiner. I did visit two before they went to primary school and a lot of what they were doing at 4-7 seemed reasonable. Eg, doing play, learning about plants and keeping a vegetable garden, cooking - and learning other languages through dance and play. No writing or reading. Since a number of countries don't do formal writing or reading until 7 this seems reasonable and especially (as I understand it) boys tend to benefit since early writing doesn't go with their fine motor skills which they develop later. BUT there was no allowance for kids of either sex who learnt to read and write earlier or wanted to. It was also interesting that one teacher took the 7-13 year olds through every subject. In tiny villages in the past that would have been normal but we expect more now. Steiner's overall philosophy is hateful but I don't believe that's taught now - it's more the inadequacy of the education.

Greebz - Ofsted have the power to inspect any school in England. Independent schools are normally inspected by one of the smaller inspectorates, but a number of things can trigger an Ofsted inspection, including Ofsted / DfE receiving qualifying complaints or the other inspectorates passing their concerns onto Ofsted for their consideration

Generally, Ofsted inspecting an independent school is an indication that there is potentially something serious amiss

I think what craftsy said is spot on. How can one consider sending one's children to a school which will harm another child in 100 subtle little ways every day?

We should be asking why school which do that get any funding from central government, too.

Found this online in reference to the "close relationships" in an article about Steiner.

^Kevin Avison, who is an ‘Executive Officer’ of the Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship UK (the body that oversees Steiner standards), has written in ‘A Handbook for Waldorf (Steiner) Class Teachers’ exactly what is required of them in their relationships with pupils. For example, in a chapter entitled “How to make it difficult for anyone else to teach your class – ever!”, Avison says,

"Tell the class frequently that they are a very special group (they must be to have you as a teacher) and let them know implicitly and explicitly that you are the only person fit and able to teach them. Alongside this, it helps to hint frequently that no-one else can or could handle them as you do.

Make a particular point of cultivating the strongest leaders in the class so that they see you as their special ally, the only adult who understands them.

Ensure that class evenings have as much as possible the quality of a party held in your own home.

Rewards, for example chocolates (especially if the school rule is no chocolate), should be awarded to indicate how pleased you are with an individual (and, of course, it’s “our secret”)."^

Bloody hell - that can't be real Surely that's from "Grooming for Beginners"...

The books freely available at 11 quid online. I'd almost but it as I'm curious but it would give money to their empire and I'm broke!

"danger that sounds a bit like how some home edders talk of school!!"

Exactly what I thought.

I am a former student of the Steiner School in Kings Langley, I know this is kind of and old post but it is still current in so many ways. I was disgusted with the comment from Tim Byford, or anyone else, about the apology. Why say sorry when there are still safeguarding issues in the school, I.e. Not doing proper security checks on new members of staff. Ofsted did another inspection in February this year, and guess what? It failed AGAIN. How many teachers at this school have had inappropriate relationships with former or current students. What exactly did Denis McCarthy do? I know it's historic but when I was a student at this school. The teacher was taking us for a lesson, he told the boys they wearn't allowed to wear pants under their shorts. When we eventually got into the gym the boys were lined up, us girls stood on the opposite side. The same teacher walked down the line of boys and pulled out their waist bands and looked at the boys privates. I saw the same teacher severely beat boys, pull down their trousers and pants and spank them on their bare buttocks. There was another teacher who threw a blackboard rubber at a child and split his head open blood everywhere. That kind of thing to me can't be forgotten with a simple apology

I trained in anthroposophy and my son’s father has an anthroposophical family dating all the way back to Rudolph himself. My son went to Steiner school in Europe. I am amazed how many parents send their children to Steiner school without any real, coherent knowledge of anthroposophy or understand that it is actually a cult. I cannot even say here how much disturbing stuff goes on in Waldorf schools and I have been in many across the world and in many Camphills. It’s very upsetting actually. My adult son recovered, but none of my other children went there. And he only went there briefly. People within the movement are often brainwashed and in it from childhood. It makes me sad.