STATEMENT FROM THE STEINER WALDORF SCHOOLS FELLOWSHIP
The Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship (SWSF), which has operated in the UK and Ireland since 1953, acknowledges the important role Ofsted fulfils and welcomes its honest, informed feedback to guide school improvement.
Steiner Waldorf schools across the UK and Ireland are run independently from SWSF, each with their own governing body. SWSF instils a shared responsibility across its network of 31 Steiner Waldorf schools and 14 independent early years’ settings.
The executive at SWSF said: “It is a matter of deep regret when individual schools fail in their duties. There is no compromise where the welfare of pupils is concerned. Our role is to provide guidance to schools in order for them to ensure all standards are in-line with the requirements set out by the Department for Education (DfE).
“Whilst we celebrate the good outcome for Steiner Academy Hereford, we are disappointed that six schools have been judged as inadequate and have taken immediate action to ensure that standards rapidly improve as per Ms Spielman’s recommendations.
“SWSF proactively sought and agreed to meetings with both DfE officials and Ofsted prior to Ms Spielman’s findings and will continue to make the vital changes required.
“We have appointed a team of four quality care advisers to complete our own independent compliance checks so that all schools continue to uphold DfE regulations and requirements.”
SWSF welcomes regular and robust inspection to ensure that its schools are both adequately safeguarded and providing high-quality teaching built on the internationally valued principles of Waldorf education.
ENDS

Notes to editors:
The underlying values that SWSF is built upon have driven success for over a century. As part of the largest independent school movement in the world, with over 1,100 Waldorf schools and almost 2,000 Waldorf kindergartens in some 80 countries around the globe, SWSF has found no common pitfalls in its method of teaching.

You may be aware of media reports concerning a Steiner teacher handbook. The contents quoted are part of a paragraph outlining behaviour to be avoided by all Steiner teachers which has been taken out of context.  In order to prevent any future misinterpretations we are working with the publishers on a new version. Safeguarding pupil’s welfare is the top priority of the Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship.  We apologise for any offence caused by the original handbook

Teachers and parents interested in the principles of Steiner early childhood education and the value of play-based learning are invited to attend the Steiner Waldorf Early Childhood Introductory Course at Elmfield Steiner School in Stourbridge.
The course provides an opportunity for those interested in Steiner education to take part in practical sessions and talk to Steiner students and tutors.
The two-day taster weekend on Friday 2nd – Saturday 3rd June acts as an introduction to the North of England Steiner Waldorf Early Childhood Studies Programme (NESWEC), a three-year course offering a foundation in the principles and practice of Steiner early childhood education and care.
Throughout the taster weekend, participants will take part in experiential sessions on painting, musical circle time and toy-making. In addition to practical workshops and discussion groups, there will also be an opportunity to tour the school and talk to students and tutors in a relaxed, informal environment.
Jill Taplin, Course Coordinator for NESWEC, said: “The taster weekend will give participants a glimpse into the unique characteristics of Steiner education, designed to reach the whole child, physically, emotionally and spiritually as well as intellectually.
“The course is the perfect introduction for those interested in becoming a Steiner practitioner or simply those who want to learn more about Steiner’s holistic approach to early childhood education. We look forward to welcoming participants to Elmfield school and we’re sure it will be a great success.”
The course will cost £85 and all meals will be provided. Attendees will receive a CPD certificate on completion. For more information about the course or to book a place, please contact Jill Taplin on 01782504567 or email jill@neswec.org.uk

 
Happy International Women’s Day 
What do actress Carey Mulligan, poet Caroline Bird, model Veronica Webb and Winter Olympian Nicolien Sauerbreij have in common?  They were all Steiner educated.
Education plays a vital role in empowering women and girls around the world as well as being instrumental in helping to create a more gender equal society.
At Steiner Waldorf Schools we aim to offer all children the tools they need to flourish as resourceful, considerate, honest, successful and socially responsible adults, regardless of their gender.
In celebration of International Women’s Day, we would like to pay homage to some of our most fantastic female alumni and their achievements.
 

 European Parent Meeting

Dear Waldorf Steiner friends! We proudly announce the annual meeting of European Steiner Waldorf parents in Latvia, May 5-8, 2017.
Here is the program and registration form. (If you have friends whose e-mail address is not on the recipient list, please, forward this message to them as well.) We in Latvia hope very much you will accept our invitation to visit the Waldorf schools in Latvia.
We offer 2 hotels in the surroundings of the Waldorf school where the conference will take place. You can choose between the more democratic option, www.baltvilla.lv  and the more luxurious option, www.porthotel.lv . The transportation to school from both hotels will be provided every day. Both the hotels are informed and will give a little discount if you mention WALDORF CONFERENCE. Notice, that this will only work if you book by email, not if you book via their website.
Useful tips, such as how to get to the hotels from airport etc., will be send to those of you who have registered at a later date.  Again, you can find the program and the online registration at our website www.enswap.org and feel free to forward this message.
NB! A parallel program for youngsters will be prepared, so your teenagers are also welcome!
Dear friends, we would be very very grateful if you could register before the end of March, 2017! It will help a lot, allowing us to organize the conference according to the highest standards.
If you have any questions concerning the conference, please, do not hesitate to ask them! Here is the link again: https://enswap.org/conferences/2017-adazi/
Anita Legzdiņa, Coordinator, European Network of Steiner Waldorf Parents (ENSWaP) conference in Latvia
 

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Delegates from the UK and Nordic Steiner Waldorf Schools Associations have concluded the first phase of transnational conferences around the curricular design of a groundbreaking, Europe-wide 14-19 diploma, aimed at developing creative thinking skills.
The ‘Acknowledging Creative Thinking Skills (ACTS)’ project brings together teachers and the Steiner Waldorf associations of the UK, Demark, Finland and Norway with registered awarding body, Crossfields Institute. The partners are working collaboratively in developing the diploma, which is due to launch in 2018. The Ofqual regulated qualification will be available to any school that wishes to take it up.
The qualification will be offered as an alternative to GCSE and A-Level. Combining highly focused, analytical thinking with non-verbal, creative methods, and cross-curricular activities, the qualification will be the first of its kind in the UK.
The meeting this autumn in Brighton was the fourth and final of four transnational conferences involving around 50 experienced educationalists from participating countries. Each meeting has focused on the curricular approach for a specific range of projects. The Brighton conference looked at crafts and practical subjects, following previous meetings held in Norway, Denmark and Finland to examine language, literature, maths, science and humanities.
Across the four meetings, which began in September 2015, representatives researched and explored ways of enhancing and accrediting creative thinking skills, and the best ways to integrate formal and non-formal learning into the more formal elements of the diplomas, The core content of each main curriculum has now been agreed.
The next year of the project will focus on the design of assessment procedures, and the nomination of moderators to oversee the process in their home countries. Over the next 12 months, specialists at the Crossfields Institute will draft the content of the qualification.
The three-year project was awarded EU Erasmus+ funding last year.
Kevin Avison, senior adviser at the Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship, said: “We are designing this diploma due to a recognised need within schools to offer an alternative approach to education, that develops creative thinking skills and is valid across Europe.
“I’m delighted with the progress made during this first year of the project. It is attracting growing interest across Europe and globally, and we have had expressions of interest from as far as South Africa and South America.
“A representative from the American Association of Steiner Waldorf Schools attended the Brighton event and left very enthusiastic about exploring ways of incorporating ideas from the project in schools in America, Canada and Mexico. We have completed a very exciting and successful first phase of the project and are looking forward to progressing it further in 2017.”
The Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship will be hosting a conference in autumn 2017 where it will be discussing the need for a change of emphasis away from test-driven education towards a more creative method. The event will feature presentations from world-renowned educationalists.
If you would like to interview Kevin Avison, please contact Leila Taleb at Liquid: Leila@weareliquid.com or call 0121 285 3767.
ENDS
For more information, contact Jon Perks or Leila Taleb at Liquid – jon@weareliquid.com or Leila@weareliquid.com
0121 285 3760

We are pleased to announce that Alder Bridge Steiner Waldorf School near Reading has completed the accreditation necessary to become a fully accredited Steiner school and were welcomed as such by the Trustees at their meeting on November 4th 2016

see article here

Class 6 students at South Devon Steiner School practised the art of gratitude last week, creating a beautiful mandala in the school gardens from plants, flowers and produce collected from the grounds.
The project which was led by Art teacher Sandy Smith, was a lesson for the 11-12 year old students in cooperative working, inspired by the recent trend in Turner prizes for collaborative art. Sandy said “The experience of working together was as much an art as the Mandala itself, allowing students to draw their attention to, and feel gratitude for the natural school environment and all the beautiful things they get to do, to help them to become more useful adults to the world, particularly their ability to work together”.
Sandy developed the multi-faceted lesson after learning of a friends’ tradition of walking her land each year and creating a Mandala out of gratitude. The students approached the task sensitively, aiming to ‘take kindly’ from the plants and only what they needed. Sandy said “They worked so enthusiastically and harmoniously, thinking about colour schemes and the names of the plants they used”.
Nearing the completion of the Mandala, the class enjoyed their Music lesson outside, where they sang in a four part harmony for a while, then said a verse around their creation to bless it.

Contact: Kaycee Fordham
South Devon Steiner School
Hood Manor
Dartington
Devon. TQ9 6AB
Tel: 01803-897377 ext 2
 

First published in JUNO Magazine, Issue 44, Summer 2016
https://www.junomagazine.com/
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see article here