As much info, experience and advice as possible please RE:steiner education.

[BeWorthy]

OK. Where do I start?

My son has always been quit ill so we put him on a very different diet where he only eats all organic, no dairy etc, no sugar etc. So his body stays as healthy as possible.

He is one of the youngest of the academic year as he was four in August. So putting him into school in September just gone was a big concern for me, maybe I'm an over protective parent (but is there such thing?) But I hated the whole idea. Admissions, school uniforms, everything. He started in September as one of the youngest and he has stuggled, and so have I. He has struggled to settle in and go into school willingly, he has struggled to sit at a table all day, he has struggled to eat a very different lunch to his classmates. I have struggled with wanting to talk to a teacher who spends more time with my child than I do but her never having the time as she has 30 four year olds. But what really irritated me recently was when I was doing homework with my son ( he has LOTS of homework, at 4, reading diaries, homework diaries, targets, etc) and he has always been left handed, but on this evening of homework after the teacher mentioning to me about his current inability to hold a pencil properly I noticed him trying to write with his Right hand. I asked him why and he said because maybe it would be easier to grip, and all of his friends do it that way. This broke my heart - I want my son to feel he can be whoever he is and not have to change that to meet expectations of society at aged FOUR.

I don't want my son to feel pressured academically, or left our because his food is not processed and bad for him.

So - my partner mentioned steiner to me. I looked into steiner schools and I had a visit on Friday. I was blown away, almost emotional at how perfect it is for us, how we parent, and for my son.

He's next in line for admissions. However, since my visit I've started to do more research and I am only seeing very conflicted views on the steiner education. I am at a loss on a decision. We are not wealthy, or even middle class. We get by. & by sending him to steiner school we'd be scraping the coins together - but I feel for an education whuch is relaxed, non-pressured, and with outstanding end results that it would be worth it. But I need to be sure, 100 percent sure almost.

So I'm looking for your views, experiences, advice so I can have as much information as possible to base my decision upon. This is a very big decision for me, this is my sons future and well-being. I know there are bad experiences, but 95% of the people I know had bad experiences with state funded schools included myself! So how can it be worse than that? The whole 'processed pea' tarred with the same brush state education system.

All views welcome

BeWorthy - AFAIK the Bristol school is OK. And if your DC is happy and flourishing there surely that's the key thing?

yes but worldgonecrazy he is not a 'scientist' he is a Steiner school teacher

FWIW my class turned out 2 doctors, a couple of lawyers, 2 West End theatre professionals (actress and dancer/choreographer), a fashion designer, a couple of engineers, a CEO, several entrepreneurs and I'm not sure what the rest of them are up to.

That doesn't prove anything about world-class scientists though

I am against Steiner schools because they are not upfront about what they are. They are very ideology led under a guise of being free thinking. They "spin" things like their exam results- there is one, for example, that talks about having the best GCSE results in the area, while omitting to point out that only a tiny % of the tiny number of children of a GCSE age take the exams- and those that do take them a year later than other schools. I don't like an outward commitment to art- but a rigid definition of what art is. I don't like no computers. I don't like the connection to homeopathy. I don't like th attitude to children with special needs. I could go on- but google is your friend.

Thy are very beautiful though, the wooden toys and so on are wonderful. The environment is usually lovely. And many children would be better starting formal learning later. I just don't think they should be "forced" to start later even if they were ready sooner.

I agree with some of what you are saying. But surely we can't say the same for ALL stiener schools? don't you think?
I don't agree google is always our friend though!

More people take to the internet to express negatives rather than positives, because they have this feeling of anger, frustration or sadness they feel they need to express somewhere. Whereas people who experience positive experiences of something don't neccessarily feel the need to shout about it or express it.

I'm pretty sure not all stiener schools 'force' children to start reading later. I have parents messege me saying that although reading and writing were not encouraged in class, if a child was showing a general interest at home that was ok.

You seem to be very adimant on sticking by the experience of 'someone you know' and Google. If you consider google your friend, maybe you should test it's frienship with you by searching 'negatives of state schools.' Again, and again, and again, again, NOT ALL SCHOOLS OR ENVIRONMENTS ARE THE SAAMMEEE..

xx

Again, and again, and again, again, NOT ALL SCHOOLS OR ENVIRONMENTS ARE THE SAAMMEEE
but you clearly stated earlier that;
state schools just create processed pea cash cows to use within society to make themselves richer. Stiener schools believe in the soul, happiness and living and enjoying life. As state schools tell you to do well, earn well, get a mortgage

and it is 'Steiner' not 'Stiener'

Burberee - we have spoke about this comment over and over if you have read all of the posts and i explained that this is not a generalisation of state schools more the system and I understand how it sounded in my moment of upset after another bad school run (we all say things without thinking sometimes, human) and that it is hypocrytical to talk about generalisation when you are generalising STEINER.

And as for my bad spelling (cheap shot) I am at work and replying on my phone..........or maybe it's a result of my state education Hopefully you have a sense of humour.

Not all Steiner schools are the same.
However the things I outline in my last post does apply to
all of them.

Happy to join a thread talking about the negatives of
state schools. But that's not what this thread is about.

I have a very close family member at a Steiner school. For various reasons, she now needs to move back to Mainstream. Her parents are utterly terrified she won't cope at any other form of school - she can't read, can't do maths, etc. (She is nine).

I have various gripes and concerns about the state school my children are at. No institution is perfect. But I have found that if I work collaboratively with the school, then most things get ironed out. Neither of my children started full-time till the February of reception, for example.

hypocrytical to talk about generalisation
I dont think I did talk about that did I?
anyway I was not generalising, I was referring to Steiner's philosophy and to the specific experience of close family friends at a Steiner establishment.
Also in general I dont give a stuff about spelling mistakes but this is different.

CaterpillarCara - Yes I agree most things do get sorted out if you try to work alongside the school.That must be a scary situation for your family members. That was one of my main concerns, is that if for whatever reason we had to go back to mainstream it would be a difficult process and may be more harmful than just keeping him where he is.
I hope it all works out for them. Maybe a tutuor could help Xx

he was at high risk of developing childhood cancer - not all cancers are 'bad luck' in most cases they are preventable

Fantastic - I shall pass that on to my friends whose son died age 5 from cancer. I know you said that a while back, OP, but I thought it worth picking up on xx

Her parents are utterly terrified she won't cope at any other form of school - she can't read, can't do maths, etc. (She is nine)
That in itself would be enough to put me off. I'm all for letting infant age children learn through play etc, etc, but I would probably need my 9 year old to be able to read and do maths!!

My experience of Steiner communities occurred when I had a lengthy illness. I found the followers of Steiner's ideas combined - in many cases - great kindness with a sort of unthinking, humourless mental rigidity.

There was also a sort of omnipresentclass/caste system. If you wanted to know about Steiner's ideas you were seen as somebody who wanted to help yourself/get better/grow towards enlightenment.

If you didn't want to know about Steiner's ideas - perhaps because you had some sort of different mental framework/philosophy/spirituality either - you tended to be regarded as a bit 'blocked' and/or a lesser sort of being.

I don't have direct experience though my children's school tends to have quite a few transfers from Steiner. There's a lovely girl who came over in y4 - don't know if parents' motives were financial or whether they were dissatisfied with the Steiner.
As I say, she's lovely and very articulate with similar parents. However, she can't read or write and she's now pushing 10. She has to do remedial stuff with a boy who struggles to count to ten (admittedly, he's been in state all the way through but very chaotic ss-involved family and with probably special needs that mother is refusing to have examined).
I don't doubt that the girl from Steiner will catch up but given her parents and what seems to be her level of intelligence, it must be a bit dispiriting to be having to be a catch-up group with a boy who unfortunately finds it so hard to access learning.
And when she'll catch up is another moot point.

Avoncallingbaksdale - I really don't understand your comment on the 'quote' you've taken from one of my posts? Can you explain what you mean? I am very very sad to hear about your friends son. I cannot imagine anything worse in the whole world. My comment was never nasty ? I know many children with cancer or children who have sadly passed away through the charity which has helped my son. it is awful. But what I said, It is fact.. Some cancers are in fact bad bloody luck !! And some are preventable, more than half are. I think it's a real shame that more people do not know this and it should be wide knowledge. My comment was never meant to offend anyone? I don't see how it would have been interpreted that way - but I'm spry if you saw it that way ...

Xx

Sorry**

I don't really understand the assertion that more than half cancers are preventable. (Let alone the idea that this should be 'wide knowledge'.)

Yes, screening can detect abnormalities early. If you don't smoke actively or passively your chances of lung cancer are a lot lower. Exposure to asbestos is not exactly going to help.

But abnormal cell growth is something that happens. It is particularly likely to happen to older people, as we are just not programmed to go on and on.

When I had a long illness - of the sort that the NHS couldn't do a lot with - a huge amount of people encouraged me to 'buy' metaphorically and literally all sorts of weird unproven therapies. To eat this. Avoid this. See this practitioner. (Yes, they were £100 a session and I was on benefits, but your health's worth it, surely?) I imagine if I had a sick child in that situation, again some people would encourage me to go down all sorts of strange alternative roads.

I hope that your child grows stronger and has a happy experience of education. But I do think most children have a very deep-seated desire to be 'normal', not to be deprived of experiencing the sorts of things that their peers are enjoying. And I hope you will feel able to let them access some of that 'normality', even if their health is not 100%

"Some cancers are in fact bad bloody luck !! And some are preventable, more than half are."

I wonder if you could possibly provide a link to the research that shows that more than half of childhood cancers are preventable? Because my understanding is that not smoking, drinking or being too fat can help reduce your risk of some adult cancers. However, I am pretty sure this is not true of childhood cancers. But, as ever, prepared to be proved wrong.

Her parents are utterly terrified she won't cope at any other form of school - she can't read, can't do maths, etc. (She is nine)
That in itself would be enough to put me off. I'm all for letting infant age children learn through play etc, etc, but I would probably need my 9 year old to be able to read and do maths!!

Yes, Avon, exactly. And it means she can't access all kinds of family activities that you would expect most nine-year-olds to do, too: board games, I spy, etc.

I think the situation crept up on them really, it all looked lovely and snuggly and they were very smug about how "rigid" my children's school was. And then as my children took off academically they'd be saying "they are very bright, aren't they?" and I would have to confess they were actually rather average!

And actually, my children had the perfect play-based reception really - a school with chickens, and frogs, and a "bug club" for ferreting round in the dirt... cooking, role play, free flow indoors and out, dance with the whole community before school outdoors in summer... I think my family members got so swept away looking for difference, they couldn't see that there can be excellence even with a uniform on and in the most unpromising Grange Hill type buildings!

It is absolutely fine if you don't agree of course. I have a very close family friend who's son had been given a terminal prognosis and was very ill. He did the what you may call 'alternative' therapies and diet but he is now 11 and perfectly fine and the doctors are stunned and e continues to help many other families who are very thankful. Some
People agree some don't but I do not believe there is any need to be rude. You will be able to find that info through google very easily through trusted websites. This is not the conversation I came for I have it a lot with people
In the real world some whole heartily agree others don't that is fine I personally feel I have seen the proof not just luck but if u think I am
Wrong that's fine also. I was never mean or rude or never said anything to offend anyone. This is obviously a big topic and can raise emotions and if you would like that discussion I would say start a thread, but I won't be participating as I didn't come here for that. I wish you well. Thank you for helpful comments re steiner education x

Xxx

Ah. OK. No research then.

Just scary, guilt inducing pseudoscience. Pah.

BeWorthy Actually she has had a low white blood cell count. I think they said they could see she was fighting something, but they weren't sure what it was.

I'll check my PMs this evening.

Three years is such a long time for your DS to be ill. I'm glad your boy seems to be getting a bit better now.

Guilt inducing? You really are showing yourself
To be quite Nasty, or maybe just bored but your bullying is getting a bit annoying now - I'm not sure you've had any positive input to this thread whatsoever, the research is there I won't do it for you - you haven't even asked nicely :-) good evening to you. I will not be responding to your childish ways again.

Ok mishmashof styles and thank you. X

I think a lot of the state primary schools in Bristol are good/outstanding. My DC are/were at a "good" Bristol primary, and I don't recognise much of what you are saying about state primary education. Our experience has been very good and our DC have very much enjoyed primary school.

I don't know much about the Bristol Steiner School, but am aware of the new Free Bristol Steiner school which I believe is opening next year. It will I think be All- through and I heard that they will be taking children at different entry points, possibly including your DS's year. It might be worth investigating further.

I do strongly disagree that most childhood cancers are preventable (where is the evidence) and think this view could be very seriously upsetting to parents whose child has died from cancer. A friend of mine died from cancer (an adult I know, so a bit different) and she only ate organic, and very healthy (often home - grown) food, so don't think this makes any difference (sadly).