Why Choose a Steiner School?
The goal of Steiner schooling is “to produce individuals who are able, in and of themselves, to impart meaning to their lives.” We aim to educate the whole child, their “head, heart and hands”. The curriculum places specific emphasis on the need to balance academic subjects with artistic and practical activities. The use of artistic activities within the syllabus supports children’s well being and engagement with their work.
Some distinctive features of Steiner education include:
- An emphasis on imaginative play in the early years of schooling
- The curriculum content, cognitive development and skill building are approached in a pictorial, imaginative way with an emphasis on experiential learning
- Teachers use narrative, creative writing, visual arts, music, drama and movement to foster the students’ feeling life, allowing them to engage fully in academic content
- Class teachers stay with their students throughout the primary years from Class 1 to Class 6
- Certain activities which are considered extras at mainstream schools are central to Steiner schools: Visual Arts, singing, Music, drama, dance, gardening and foreign language learning (French at Mumbulla School) to name a few
- All children learn practical skills in Craft, including knitting, sewing, crocheting, copper work and woodwork
- Steiner Schools usually have a strong Music programme. Children play the recorder from Class 2 and learn violin or cello from Class 3.
- Students are taught a Main Lesson which is an integrated, thematic block of work taking up the morning lesson of each day for a 2-4 week period. The Main Lesson allows children to study a subject in depth but also provides a fresh start several times a term
- All children have Main Lesson books which become their workbooks during the course of each Main Lesson. The children essentially produce their own textbooks which record their experiences and what they’ve learned in class
- The use of electronic media by younger children is strongly discouraged. The focus in a Steiner School is on direct experience and the transmission of knowledge from one human being to another. Parents at Steiner schools may be asked to limit their children’s screen time
- There is an emphasis on beautiful surroundings at Steiner Schools which is believed to enrich the children’s experience and support their learning. Landscaped and ecologically sustainable gardens, the rich cultural and aesthetic nature of the built environment, and the natural fibres and handmade toys in the Kindergarten are all a reflection of what is embedded within the education system.
Additionally, at Mumbulla School we:
- See learning as a non-competitive activity. There are no grades given in the younger years but the teachers write detailed Semester Reports for each child from Kindergarten to Class 6
- Have a strong Music programme which includes ensemble work from Class 4, the option for children to play brass, woodwind or percussion in Classes 5 & 6 or to continue with their stringed instrument (violin, viola or cello). Weekly Music lessons with a strong emphasis on rhythm from Class 1
- Use commercially produced textbooks for Maths (Class 2-6) and Spelling (Classes 4-6) to supplement their Main Lesson work
- Ask that parents limit their children’s screen time during their time at Mumbulla School.