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Original poster

Steiner schools

55 replies

blacktaz · 21/01/2021 19:34

Hiya, I'm considering the local Steiner school as an option for my 8 year old daughter. She's ASD and although our local school is lovely she is just so stressed by it with a big class and standard learning styles which don't seem to be suiting her very well.... does anyone have any experience of Steiner who could comment? Are they any good for kids with SEN? Thanks x

OP posts:
FortunesFave · 22/01/2021 20:39

You don't have the same teacher throughout. They swap every few years. I think the small ones have the same one for 4 years and then it's every two...then secondary, a different one for each subject.

meditrina · 22/01/2021 20:44

Do not confuse the later start to reading with a liberal and child-centred curriculum.

They are quite rigid and undifferentiated in approach (things are done in a certain way and in a certain order)

Same4Walls · 22/01/2021 20:46

@FortunesFave

You don't have the same teacher throughout. They swap every few years. I think the small ones have the same one for 4 years and then it's every two...then secondary, a different one for each subject.
That's not true of the steiner school I know. It's a huge part of their ethos and one they highlight as a positive that the children keep the same teacher unless something major and unavoidable happens e.g. Staff illness or death.
FortunesFave · 22/01/2021 23:28

Same Well as this thread has highlighted, there is a huge variation in Steiner schools and the way they're managed. It's better not to make sweeping statements that aren't true in all cases.

My child's school certainly doesn't give the children one teacher and that's it.

saraclara · 22/01/2021 23:40

@meditrina

Do not confuse the later start to reading with a liberal and child-centred curriculum.

They are quite rigid and undifferentiated in approach (things are done in a certain way and in a certain order)

Yep. That's what I was trying to say. Really rigid, really controlling, but somehow sold as the opposite. It's quite bizarre.

But just as I wouldn't send my child to a fundamentalist religious school, I would never send a child to a Steiner school. The underlying philosophy is deeply disturbing.

saraclara · 22/01/2021 23:50

Apparently three of the Steiner schools in the UK are now state schools, so they have to conform. Maybe those are the ones being chief here as not having the same teacher throughout, and having normal exam classes.

The rest are at liberty to talk about karma and reincarnation as fact, and teach pseudo science based on spirituality.

saraclara · 22/01/2021 23:50

Chief= cited
Thanks autocorrect

Mollymalone123 · 23/01/2021 00:00

One local to where I work failed It’s Ofsted quite spectacularly- safeguarding was abysmal and young children managed to leave the school and go on a little trip and were discovered by a member of public.It’s now been takeover my an academy

Caramel81 · 23/01/2021 08:31

@saraclara the one I went to in Edinburgh was a private school at the time (think it still is). They did normally GCSE exams etc and there was one teacher per class for the primary school years but for the high school years we had a variety of different teachers for things like German, English, PE, art and science. I was there 6 years and never heard any of the teachers mention once about karma and reincarnation! This was 2000-2006 so maybe things were different before then but my experience (and I experienced two regular state schools beforehand too) was that it wasn’t much different to any other school other than a 3 or 4 unusual subjects we studied which weren’t part of the normal curriculum. There were also a lot of hippy/alternative children and parents (who were all lovely people) which made a nice change from the chavvy idiots I’d had to be around at my previous school.
I’m sure there have been a lot of disturbing things that have happened in Steiner schools in the past but my experience was (at the Edinburgh one) that it has completely moved on from anything like that and is a really happy environment for kids to be! I could slate the two state schools I went to all day long though. One of them was meant to be the best state school in Edinburgh too. The teachers had no control over the kids, terrible bullying went on, a lot of kids couldn’t be seen to be working hard or paying attention in class if they wanted to be popular and cool. When I was being badly bullied my mum spoke to the head teacher who couldn’t have been less interested or helpful if he tried.

Norestformrz · 24/01/2021 14:02

From Edinburgh Steiner School website ... they certainly have the same teacher now.

Steiner schools
FortunesFave · 25/01/2021 05:17

@Norestformrz

From Edinburgh Steiner School website ... they certainly have the same teacher now.
We've established that SOME schools do this. But not all.

What this thread illustrates is that some of the Steiner schools are terrible and some are good.

Bit like ordinary state schools really...

Norestformrz · 25/01/2021 07:04

FortunesFave perhaps you could read the previous post, the one I was replying to, then you'd see the poster specifically mentioned the Edinburgh Steiner School. Hence my reply.
Incidentally the website also says the school follows Anthroposophy

Norestformrz · 25/01/2021 07:10

You might also want to look at the SWFS who oversee all Steiner schools

Steiner schools
Steiner schools
RadGlags · 25/01/2021 07:38

Ooh @Mollymalone123 I think I know that school!
The ‘local’ Steiner has been taken over by an academy but I didn’t know why Shock

Mollymalone123 · 25/01/2021 09:09

@RadGlags yes I bet you know it-it was in the local paper- literally a member of the public stopped two children as they were walking along the road- they were able to just walk out of the school- when you consider how these days most schools are like Fort Knox. This wasn’t the only issue but serious safeguarding issue which had Ofsted in straightaway and were deemed inadequate.

Same4Walls · 25/01/2021 09:30

We've established that SOME schools do this. But not all.

What this thread illustrates is that some of the Steiner schools are terrible and some are good.

Bit like ordinary state schools really...

The difference is though that it actually appears the further away from the steiner philosophy a 'steiner' school is the better it is. Those schools that follow the philosophy most closely seem to be the ones failing children left right and centre and those that are basically a state school with steiner in the name seem to be doing great things in supporting all the children they teach.

If the philosophy was so great they would all be following it vehemently but it's very telling that the schools doing well are the ones whose learning and environment is furthest removed from the steiner philosophy.

CaraDuneRedux · 25/01/2021 09:38

[quote Mollymalone123]@RadGlags yes I bet you know it-it was in the local paper- literally a member of the public stopped two children as they were walking along the road- they were able to just walk out of the school- when you consider how these days most schools are like Fort Knox. This wasn’t the only issue but serious safeguarding issue which had Ofsted in straightaway and were deemed inadequate.[/quote]
I was about to mention that. Ofsted went for an emergency closure of the school for safeguarding reasons.

I've seen many schools marked inadequate by Ofsted over the years, but this is the only emergency, on the spot closure I've ever seen.

Girlwhowearsglasses · 25/01/2021 09:48

From personal experience: really bad for SEN. They let them sink or swim - so Sink. Bullying is rife

Nordicmom · 25/01/2021 09:53

If you are wondering about the level of academics ; my cousin in Finland went to one then to university to study law and has since worked as a judge and atm as a prosecutor. I’m sure some prepare children better than others for further education .

AnnaSW1 · 26/01/2021 14:58

The only experience I have is in managing people who went to Steiner schools. I know nothing about the schools but these three people were all ill equipped and ineffective in the same way. They just were almost awAy with the fairies and just not able to do an effective days work. It was strange.

FortunesFave · 27/01/2021 12:58

@AnnaSW1

The only experience I have is in managing people who went to Steiner schools. I know nothing about the schools but these three people were all ill equipped and ineffective in the same way. They just were almost awAy with the fairies and just not able to do an effective days work. It was strange.
This is very subjective - the people I know who went to Steiner schools are all very capable. One runs her own business, one is a successful writer and another has a lovely life running a winery with her husband.
AnnaSW1 · 27/01/2021 18:15

@FortunesFave so neither of your examples are employed externally either GrinGrinGrin

AnnaSW1 · 27/01/2021 18:15

Doesn't really disprove my point

Isawthathaggis · 27/01/2021 21:16

I looked at Steiner but felt their lack of governance was concerning.

FortunesFave · 27/01/2021 22:38

[quote AnnaSW1]@FortunesFave so neither of your examples are employed externally either GrinGrinGrin[/quote]
Well, no...because Steiner kids are often excellent leaders and entrepreneurs....but there are famous ex Steiner kids who are you know. Jennifer Aniston for instance.

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