Steiner Academy Frome crazy or creative?!

[TiredMummy3000]

My husband and I are planning to move to Frome this year specifically to enroll our two girls in the Steiner Academy there. My husband went to the Steiner school in Hereford in the first few years of it opening, so we have a good understanding of what Steiner education can entail.

What i'm looking for is some opinion specific to the Frome school. My husband had a positive experience in Hereford, based on the caring and nurturing principles in place there and this what we are seeking. There was very little anthposophy and not too much of what i personally think of as the "crazy stuff". I've read plenty of things on here that make my blood curdle... gnomes, imperfect souls, reincarnation etc. But when i ask my husband about that he has no clue what i'm on about, it played no part in his education at Hereford.

Are there any parents or teachers or otherwise in the Mumsnet community that can give me some idea whereabouts on this scale the Frome Academy sits?

No disrespect intended but please no general Steiner bashing. I'm aware it can be a divisive subject, but i'm looking for comments from those with real life experience of Frome Steiner school - especially from present an previous parents

As a teacher who works in a different school in Frome, I have seen the fall out of the way in which the Steiner education has failed many local students. We often have students join us part way through their education as their parents become concerned about their lack of ability and understand of basic literacy and numeracy. They are often very behind their peers and often don't cope well moving in to a traditional school environment as they've had little to no structure up until the point they join us.

We also have had several SEND students move from our school to the Steiner with their parents hoping that a different approach to education might help their children. More often or not these students come back to our school within a term or two once parents discover there is practically no SEND support.

There are many good and outstanding First and Middle schools in Frome, Steiner is not one of them.

Hi,
I've read a few of these responses and the rumour mill has done a good job of mixing fact and fantasy. I can give you the facts.
I'm one of the whistleblowers who sparked the unannounced inspection at SAF. I'm the one who had the police called on me.

The unannounced inspection was as a result of the complaint a group of parents came together to make. Yes, there had been calls for scrutiny of all Steiners after Kings Langley and Exeter and yes, SAF was due an inspection. However, it was the complaints that led to the inspection being unannounced.
The OFSTED report, which i'm sure you've read by now, is 100% accurate. It absolutely reflects the experience of many parents at SAF.

Now is a very insecure time to be enrolling your children at SAF. There is huge potential for the school to turn itself around but it's not guaranteed.
Currently, those responsible for the failings are clinging on to power and challenging OFSTED, which is frankly insane. We are doing our best to shake free of these people but they still have a lot of support from the parent body, who are largely unaware of, or in denial about, the shocking things that have gone on and the utter lack of professionalism in response.
Right now, the parent body are angry, scared, defiant, in shock....etc, so the atmosphere is a bit on the interesting side.
The new head and new SENDCo are both brilliant and are turning things around fast.

There is much more i could say, but i don't wish to add to the gossip and rumour already flying around.
If i were you, i'd be keeping a close eye on the school over the next few weeks. If you hear of senior staff leaving, then it's probably fair to say things are looking hopeful. If too many teachers leave, then we're in trouble. If the old senior leadership team and governors manage to cling to power, then i will be taking my son out.

My friend told me at the weekend that she knows of 2 families removing their children from this school. They feel that being taken over by a MAT will change the organisation and ethos of the school that it will not be worth keeping them there. They are now looking to get their children into good mainstream schools so at least they know what the expectations are and they can work with their children to adapt. They are just sad that they fell for the line that a school accepting state funding could be free from the restrictions inherent in such a relationship and maintain the Steiner ethos.

I know a child who was deeply unhappy at this school. But I don't know the school personally. Though having a quick, nosy look at that inspection report... fukcing hell. You'd be mad to move acroass the country for that school, OP!

As a point of fact; Steiner Frome Academy has an excellent SENDCO who took up post in September 2018. She holds a Phd; is a fellow of Oxford University; a qualified teacher who holds a PGCE and she has also completed a Masters in Special Needs Education. You would have to go a long way in any school to find a SENDCO more qualified or experienced.

The website list their SENDCO's qualifications as Diploma Curative Kindergarten education (Heilerziehungspflegerin), BA (Hons), PG Cert, Dip Psy(Open) Thrive Training (on-going)
No PhD. No Oxford Fellowship. And no Masters in SEN.

"The website list their SENDCO's qualifications as Diploma Curative Kindergarten education (Heilerziehungspflegerin), BA (Hons), PG Cert, Dip Psy(Open) Thrive Training (on-going)
No PhD. No Oxford Fellowship. And no Masters in SEN."

Website needs updating, that's the old SENDCo, who is now a KG teacher. New SENDCo is as described above - very well qualified and doing an excellent job.

That is because the staff list is out of date. Admittedly the school really does need to update this - in fact the entire website is less than current. I can assure you that the current SENDCo holds all the above qualifications as well as an Oxford Fellowship - she is a former colleague. I would suggest contacting the school to verify this.

They’ve had someone highly qualified in post since September and yet their website still lists someone with dubious qualifications in the role? Not exactly working hard at trying to reassure or recruit parents of children with SEN, are they?
I hope their whole staff list has had an, erm..., refresh, because they had/have a hell of a lot of unqualified teachers.
(It doesn’t actually matter to me. I’m not local but if I were I wouldn’t send my children to a school with an inspection report like that.)

Second Somerville. You can have a Senco Superman but if the school leadership and ethos are not in sinc, the poor new Senco person will feel the frustration very soon. It looks like this school has bigger issues that a great Senco alone cannot solve. So don't be fooled by that, although good, far from sufficient comfort.

Hello, I have many friends who have left Frome Steiner, please dm me for more information should you wish. There has been a further Financial notice in March 2019. In whole many of Frome occupants are exasperated at the total waste of funds (other schools here are fantastic and could use with the funding for site maintenance and resources), the first hand horrible accounts that are at last being aired and the constant changing of Steiner institution which will have an incredible effect of Frome resources (Avanti stopping the all through education - due to not financially viable) this will burden heavily on Frome College who shall have to accept Steiner children as ther own school has shortened their education time frame. Steiner to myself and many people, seem to have the arrogant thought process of they will do what they want, disregarding the rest of the population. Its v frustrating.

I realise this is a zombie thread but I'm wondering if any previous posters have any experience or knowledge of this school now? This thread has been an eye opener but is obviously dated now.

@User543211 It's all so long ago that I think you'd be better off starting a new thread. And it is now run by Avanti, nothing to do with Steiner.

My impression (bearing in mind that my children are now at the far end of secondary) is that it is the preferred choice of middle-class incomers into Frome. Which is kind of OK if you want to be in a bubble. And there are good reasons for going too, because it does mean that children skip the middle schools, which are not great.

But you still then have the problem of what to do afterwards. Frome College is a very mixed bag, depending on your child and I have friends who regret sending their child there, as well as others who are very happy.

Frome Steiner is no more. It is now run by Avanti - a stealth Hari Krishna cult school.