Curriculum
The Australian Steiner Curriculum Framework was developed in response to the 2009 Federal Government’s proposal to create a mandatory Australian Curriculum for all schools. As Steiner education is internationally recognised, we were given the opportunity to put forward an alternate curriculum framework for recognition, in order to protect the integrity of Steiner education philosophy and pedagogy.
The documents were developed from Steiner’s indications, not only to support schools and teachers but for submission to government authorities, mapping the mandatory content, knowledge and skills of the Australian Curriculum in a Steiner rich context for recognition.
Teachers
Primary School children learn best through the authority of a person whom they know and trust. Ideally each Class Teacher stays with the class right through the Primary grades. The continuity of this important personal relationship provides a secure basis for the children to mature in later years, confident in their own independent judgement and action.
The Class Teacher is responsible for the Main Lesson period each day, with specialist teachers giving instruction in areas such as languages, crafts, music and eurythmy.
The Main Lesson is a thematic and integrated approach to a topic and stays with the same subject for a few weeks, allowing the children to explore issues in depth and from many different angles. The teacher works creatively, always seeking to find a fresh connection with his or her subject matter and to recognise readiness for learning.
The background to the lesson themes is drawn from the major epochs of history and, through the medium of stories, the children experience the development of mankind. The Primary School child lives and thinks in a world of pictures and all subjects are approached through the realm of art and imagination, in response to the child’s particular stage of development.
In Steiner schools, teachers are encouraged to take initiative and assume responsibility for their teaching. Knowledge of human temperament, personality formation, physiognomy and child psychology, based on soul/spiritual knowledge, help the teacher understand the most profound mystery of creation - the human being. Over the seven-year cycle, the teacher is able to artistically sequence the children's learning program and weave through it recognisable themes, images and stories.
To accompany a class through seven years of Primary School is a challenging, adventurous, sometimes daunting but always inspiring journey through the foundation years of education. At the end of seven years together, the Teacher and the Class truly experience a sense of completion and fulfillment.
We will advertise for trained and experience Waldorf/Steiner teaching staff. Assistants and specialists will also be trained and experienced in their special fields.
Teachers will participate in the College of Teachers with leadership rotating
Playgroup
The preschool years, the kindergarten, years, are the most important of all in education of the child … it is absolutely essential that before we begin to think, before we so much as begin to set our thinking in motion, we experience the condition of wonder
– Rudolf Steiner
Learning through imitation
Young children from birth to age seven learn primarily through imitation and purposeful play. Our aim is for children to work, play and learn in a sensory rich environment where educators strive to be worthy of imitation in all they do, nurturing the young child’s sense of wonder for the world. The first seven years lay a strong foundation for all further learning. We aim to provide a warm, respectful and caring Early Childhood environment where a sense of gratitude, love, reverence and a pervading mood of goodness in the work is cultivated.
The task of the education is to create a learning space where children can fully engage in the present and enrich the possibilities of creative, imaginative, self-directed play. The Early childhood environment educates and develops the sense of touch, wellbeing, movement and balance. Once confidence in their physical capacities has been established children are ready to commence the more formal learning of primary school.
Early Childhood
Playgroup is a special place where mothers and children come together and share the experience of being in a community filled with the elements of joy, wonder and learning through the senses. The morning rhythm arises through the creation of a loving space where song, rhymes, stories and bread-making are experienced together.
Heightened adult consciousness is encouraged enabling one to learn to read the child in their care before them. Parental support of the playgroup ‘leader’ to hold the rhythm of the morning is of value to all as this creates a living example to take home and follow through thus enabling parenting to flow through song, rhymes and stories, this way parents and children experience the joy of meaningful connections.
Any queries regarding Early Childhood please contact Nansi at sophiacottage@bigpond.com
Prep
children learn through playing and doing.
At the start of Prep is to provide an all-embracing family and home-like environment, to make the bridge between home and school life a secure and happy one.
In this natural, loving and creative environment, the children learn through “playing and doing”.
The child’s day is filled with a range of diverse activities creative play, sewing, beeswax modelling, drawing, baking, painting, music, story-telling, puppet shows, gardening and building. Regular bush-walks introduce the riches of nature to the children. Literacy and numeracy skills are grounded in a rich experience of oral and practical learning experiences. Pre-numeracy skills are practiced through sorting, sharing, naming, building and arranging the natural materials in the classroom and playground. Literacy and a love of language is built through speech, drama, story-telling and song.
Curriculum themes
Include seasonal moods, drawing, baking, painting, modelling, craft activities, festival celebrations
Songs, nursery rhymes, stories, puppet plays and the children’s own dramatic play nourish their feeling life, cultivate language skills and strengthen the power of imagination.
Counting games, finger plays, rhythmic movement games and active physical play, help build a strong foundation for mathematics and number skills and develop co-ordination and the ability to concentrate. Natural beautiful, materials, shells, seeds, stones, simple dolls, wooden toys, coloured cloths and play frames, encourage a rich fantasy life, creative thinking and opportunities for constructive, co-operative play.
Children are encouraged to feel at home in their body and the environment through building, swinging, climbing, balancing, digging, water play, gardening and exploring nature.
In their seventh year, when the physical body has developed and strengthened, students are ready for the more formal learning of Class One
Classes
Through the primary years a class group is led by a specially trained, multi-disciplinary teacher. The class teacher provides the Main Lesson and co-ordinates additional input from special subject instructors as required.
The class teacher’s continuity of leadership, understanding and interaction creates an exceptionally inviting classroom context, dependability, authority, personal relationship and trust. It is an intellectually and emotionally healthy environment, matching challenge with reassurance.
The benefit of this approach is the teacher’s thorough understanding of each student’s capabilities and interests, which also makes the home-school connection productive.