Information for prospective parents
Welcome!
Over the last decade a group of people have been working to establish Steiner Waldorf Education in
Manchester. We are now opening a kindergarten for children aged three to six year olds at the St
Margaret’s Community Centre in Chorlton. We offer between three and five mornings per week,
depending on the age of the child. The kindergarten day is from 9 am to 1pm, during term time only
with afternoon care until 4pm. From September 2016 we aim to open a lower school beginning with
class one, for six and seven Year olds, adding one class academic year.
We are a limited company and are becoming a registered charity. Our organisation is an association
called Manchester Steiner Ltd and is open to all who support the aims and ideals of Steiner
Education. All parents and friends become members when they join Beautiful Beginnings Parent and
Child groups and kindergarten.
Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship
We are an Independent School and a member of the Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship, which
represents Steiner Waldorf Education in the U.K. and Ireland. The Council of the Fellowship consists
of representatives from each of the established member schools and is in contact with schools such
as ours.
About the kindergarten
The kindergarten is a beautiful, homely, safe space free from the pressure of so-called “early
learning". In kindergarten we nourish the whole child through their senses with openness,
simplicity, care, and a familiar environment and people. There are no tests or formal assessments of
children in our kindergarten. Each child is given the opportunity to develop the learning and
confidence that comes from time given to freely chosen play, artistic activity and belonging to a
happy community. It has been observed that children leaving the kindergarten at age six are
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thoroughly prepared for learning the more intellectual aspects of learning such as writing and
reading when they go on to classroom setting (in Steiner Schools, as in most continental countries,
this is at the age of 6 or 7).
During this early phase of a child’s education, the primary tasks of a Steiner education are to provide
an environment in which good habits of behaviour, such as memory, reverence, orderliness,
listening and enjoyment of the natural world can be established. The young child’s innate sense of
wonder is nurtured throughout their time at kindergarten, alongside trust and co-operation. Three
of the principal pillars of the Steiner Kindergarten by which the kindergarten teacher achieves this
are: the establishment of good rhythm throughout the day, week and year; repetition, by which the
child has the chance to learn through imitation; and reverence, by which the child establishes for
themselves a secure and trust-filled place in the world.
Some Guiding Principles of Steiner Waldorf Early Childhood Education
“The small child exerts unconscious energies never again equalled. He/she is a being of will and
imitation, identifying himself with each gesture, intonation, mood and thought in his
environment, and making these his own free activity of creative, imitative play.”
Henry Barnes and Nick Lyons, Education as an Art: The Rudolf Steiner Method
We provide a secure, caring, homely environment where your child can grow through play and
imitation.
Play
Time for freely chosen play is a fundamental part of the Steiner Kindergarten. Adults process new
information through thinking where as the young child process through doing. Young children
naturally play as a way of assimilating and exploring all the new concepts they are meeting in the
world around them. In this respect play can be seen as therapeutic. The kindergarten environment is
conducive to spontaneous child initiated play. Simple toys made of natural materials such as stones,
shells and coloured cloths can be endlessly transformed by the imagination of the young child.
Imitation
Kindergarten-age children have an impulse to absorb all that is round them and imitate all that they
experience. The kindergarten teacher continually works positively with the young child’s impulse to
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imitate so that every aspect of the child’s growth and development is nourished. Rudolf Steiner
gave a wealth of guidance to teachers and parents and said that the moral sense of the future adult
is nourished by these early experiences i.e. we become what we see, hear, do, sing etc.
The importance of rhythm
Just as we can nourish the growing children spiritually and physically by providing appropriate
surroundings, stories and activities, so too we can strengthen them further by bringing rhythm and
order into the activities of each morning, week and season throughout the year.
We all know how young children love rhythm and routine and how they thrive from an appropriate
rhythm of eating and sleeping. So our pedagogy is embedded in bringing to the children a healthy
rhythm of activity and rest which is repeated each day. Instructions are often not needed and a
kindergarten rhythm flows from familiarity. All of this helps to build strong healthy bodies and
socially coherent groups. The children gain more and more stamina for both mental and physical
activity. They begin to own the space which is their classroom and feel completely at home.
The Kindergarten Day
The kindergarten morning has a ‘breathing rhythm’. Free play is balanced with art and craft; time
outside is followed by the closeness of ring time or storytelling.
This is the morning rhythm of our kindergarten
Outdoor play and activities
Ring time
Meal time
Indoor play and activities
Story time
Outdoor Play and Activities
The morning begins with time in the garden for the children to experience the fresh air, weather and
the mood of each season. We are working in partnership with St Margaret’s Centre and the local
community to develop a beautiful school garden with community orchard, vegetable and fruit
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growing, mud kitchen, sand pit and digging area. The children can play or get involved in outdoor
tasks such as gardening, food preparation and crafts. There is always something new to see and the
children experience the joy of movement, stretching limbs and developing new skills. We then come
back inside for some the rest of the morning.
Ring time
Now it is ring time. This is a time for the children to use their bodies and voices in movement and
singing and listening to celebrate the seasons, the animals, and people in the world around them
through songs, ring games, poems and finger rhymes. This is a time when the children develop the
foundations of numeracy and a love of language.
Meal Time
Each morning we provide a shared simple, nutritious, vegetarian meal. When possible, we use
organic and fair-trade ingredients. The meal begins with a verse and the table is beautifully prepared
with a candle and flowers to remind us of the gifts of nature and to create a mood of reverence. This
all helps to enhance the social aspect of eating together. We say a “thank you for the meal” and
thereby both speak and are listened to in a social gathering. The children have a real sense of
wonder and of being part of a whole.
Indoor Play and Activities
Creative play is child initiated. The children use natural toys, logs, coloured cloths, dolls and many
other simple objects. Alongside play each weekday has its own special activity such as baking, water
colour painting day, handwork crafts or drawing. After this the toys are put away until tomorrow and
all the children participate in tidying the room. This is a good example of where the children follow
the intentions of the kindergarten teacher so much more readily and happily through example
rather than through being given instructions.
Story Time
The morning ends with a story told by the teacher. The children listen and fill their imaginations
with pictures of the seasonal story, folk or fairy tale. This is a very special time and the "story house"
is carefully prepared. The stories are repeated so that at first they are an adventure, then become a
friend and companion; a gift for the child's growing soul.
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Kindergarten Festivals
The children experience the rhythm of the changing seasons and this is acknowledged by festivals.
Each year we can rediscover ancient seasonal festivals of the year such as autumn harvest, winter
and spring solstices and mayday connecting them with the beauty of the changing world of nature,
free of modern commercialism and sentimentality. Steiner Waldorf education is rooted in this
tradition but we embrace the diversity within our community of families by celebrating their
festivals if possible too. We like to have a special Kindergarten celebration for the children’s
birthdays where the child, their birth and place in the world is honoured and celebrated for the day
Monitoring Children's Progress
We pay careful attention to each child's progress in order to be aware of his or her needs and
provide continuous support whilst they are with us. We are always available to discuss any concerns
that you may have about your child. Confidential records are kept noting observations of each child
in various situations (no tests are carried out). The assessment methods and criteria reflect the
philosophy and educational approach of Steiner Waldorf education. These are available to parents
to discuss at any time with the teacher. All parents will receive a full end-of-year report and a
portfolio of the child’s work.
Parent Participation and Support
• We like to include the parents as well as the children in our work. Manchester Steiner Ltd is
registered as a limited company and we are seeking charitable status. All parents automatically
become members of the Manchester Steiner School Association (though they may choose to opt
out) with voting rights. Regular meetings take place between the trustees, staff and parents in order
to update and exchange information.
• Parents are encouraged to join in activities that include: fundraising, social events, producing
newsletters, publicity, participating in festivals, organising seasonal fairs, helping to maintain the
school building and the garden, and joining the business planning and management committee
teams. All the ways in which parents may help with the running of our organization will be discussed
at interview. Without parents giving freely of their time, we would not be able to exist in the way
that we do. We also believe it is highly beneficial for children to see their parents involved in
supporting their school.
• Because we rely so greatly on parental help, we invite all parents to try to commit to a minimum of
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4 hours per month (1 hour per week) help towards running the kindergarten/school. There are
many ways in which parents may fulfil this, but it is usually through being active at the monthly
Steiner Sunday Social or in one of the School Support Groups. For parents in receipt of the NEF, this
scheme is entirely voluntary.
• All the term dates are available on the website and on our Facebook page, as well as dates of
major festivals and other events. Parents are always encouraged to attend these. Some events are
for the school only, but many, such as our Advent and Summer Fairs, are major events that are both
fundraisers for the school, and important ways in which we make ourselves known to the wider
community.
• For those wishing to deepen their understanding of all which lies behind this way of working, we
also organise talks on various subjects relating to childhood. We occasionally perform Puppet Plays
and have craft sessions for both pleasure and fundraising.
• There are regular Parents’ Meetings when parents can meet with teachers for discussion,
questions and to share news on what the children have been doing.
• Library. We have a number of books on Steiner Education, Crafts, Seasonal activities, Child health
etc. to loan out. These are kept in the school office
• There is a regular e-newsletter detailing all these events and other news. We also have a Notice
Board with information and dates for your diary. We hope that we can grow as a community around
this work providing a strengthening experience for the children and for each other.
• The school currently operates a parent school cleaning rota to which all parents are expected to
contribute. In order to keep our overheads as low as possible, we ask parents to help with the
cleaning of the school on a Friday afternoon (or over the weekend if they prefer). On average,
parents are on the cleaning rota about once a term. The rota is published at the beginning of each
term, and parents have the opportunity to swap their slot if need be. There is a parent cleaning rota
co-ordinator.
Parental Support in the home
In keeping with our philosophy of supporting positive behaviour, we ask that parents support us by
considering the appropriateness of toys and clothing available to your child. Ready-made plastic
toys, for example those depicting TV characters, tend to produce a more rigid thinking in a child
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because they cannot readily be transformed into anything else. Electronic games, weapons, cartoon
or superhero images and their actions are not considered helpful in social integration and may work
actively against what we are doing in the Kindergarten. We ask parents to encourage us in this
attitude, not in a dogmatic way, but beginning to think about the effects of TV.
We acknowledge that all children learn from their environment through the sense impressions they
receive from their imitation of what they experience around them. We feel that watching television
is not an appropriate experience for the kindergarten aged child. It does not encourage meaningful
movement, nourish a child's need for a variety of rich sense impressions, or provide appropriate role
models. At an age when play is all-important, it restricts the child's life experiences, some of which
may be irreplaceable. We find that television does not support positive behaviour in the
Kindergarten and ask for your thoughtful consideration
We prefer children not to bring toys from home or, if they do, to put them in a special basket in the
Kindergarten where they will be carefully be looked after.
Supporting Positive Behaviour in the Kindergarten
All children learn and grow in their understanding of socially appropriate and desirable behaviour. In
the Kindergarten the teachers continually work with social behaviour by endeavouring to be role
models worthy of imitation. The variety and sequencing of our daily activities build a rhythm into our
mornings that provides a comfortable knowing of what to expect that further contributes to our
intention to support positive behaviour.
As children work and play, the teachers will always seek to encourage reverence, respect and care of
self, others, and the environment. However, most children experience some social difficulties at
some time in their development and each situation is unique. There are many ways the teachers
may help children to integrate better into the Kindergarten group. They might:
1. Redirect the child to a new focus or activity.
2. Gain the child's attention with a look, gesture or word to make him or her aware of their
observations.
3. Remove the child from the situation and engage him or her with an adult led task. This stops
the inappropriate behaviour, refocuses the child's attention, and enables them to calm down.
When appropriate the child returns to the group.
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4. If the disruption continues, the child may be kept inside for a short time to help tidy or
prepare for story while the others go out to play. After a while they may join the others outside.
5. If the child misbehaves, for example during story time, on several days and the above steps
have not been helpful, ask the parent to attend on the next day. If during the next story time the
child is still disruptive, the parent will be there to take her home, and she will miss story. This
may continue until the child stops disrupting the story time.
If the behaviour of a child requires more attention than can be achieved by the daily efforts
described above, other means may be implemented to ensure the most positive kindergarten
experience for the child, classmates, and group as a whole. Approaches for consideration when
behaviour of a child is disruptive and/or there is a cause for general concern, might be:
1. Parent notification.
2. Teacher review on a regular basis (daily and/or weekly).
3. Discussion with parents, teachers and child where appropriate.
4. Begin a "child study" in weekly teachers’ meetings.
5. Implementation of an action plan to target a particular problem or concern.
6. Recommendation to consult with other professionals for help and support.
Each new child comes to the Kindergarten on the basis of half a term’s trial. If at the end of this time
the child has not settled, they may be asked to leave. It is also possible that a half term’s trial may be
extended if the teachers deem it appropriate. If the child has been at the Kindergarten longer and a
problem arises, every effort will be made with parent support to reintegrate the child into the group.
However, if necessary, the child may be asked to leave.
Practical Matters
Admissions
Our Kindergarten is open to children aged three and over whose parents feel they are ready to take
the next step towards independence. Admission is by written application including email to
manchestersteinerschool@gmail.com followed by an initial interview usually with a kindergarten
teacher. At interview, the member of staff will speak with the parents to discuss the child's
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readiness and individual needs and explain in more detail the education we offer. The member of
staff will communicate the decision to accept the application or not to kindergarten and reasons
explained if not possible at that time.
Once at Kindergarten, we expect children to start with a minimum of three days at 3 years old,
which increases to at least four days by the time they are 4 years old. There is then an expectation
that children aged 5 and over will attend full time. This can be discussed with the Kindergarten
teacher. There will also be interviews with a member of the finance group and a parent
representative.
We like to take a child history to enable us to become more familiar with your child. At a later date
in the year we like to visit the child at home. This helps to bridge the gap between Kindergarten and
home and bring more understanding by the teacher of the child.
All new children will have a 6 week “Settling–In” period. This is a trial period for both the child and
the Kindergarten group.
Applications should be made to the school’s administrator, Kate Gray,
manchestersteinerschool@gmail.com
Attendance
Our guidance is that children aged 3 years attend the kindergarten 3 days a week; children aged 4
years attend 4 days a week; and children aged 5 and older attend, wherever practicable, 5 days a
week. We live in a fragmented world where we are all called upon to involve ourselves in a myriad
of different activities and social groups. That is how the world is and we can indeed feel that we are
only touching the surface of so much that we do with no time for real deep experience. However,
our resilience and ability to manage this without burnout depends upon our inner bodily and
emotional strength. This is what we are so concerned to enable the child to develop and bringing
rhythm and an experience of wholeness into their lives in the way described is fundamental to
unfolding these capacities for life.
We know as adults how tiring it is if we are doing say 3 different jobs in 3 different places with no
real opportunity to establish ourselves in 1 place and 1 social group. A child attending Kindergarten
for only a couple of days during the week will be slightly outside the group dynamic which has grown
amongst the children who have been together all week. They will be on the periphery as it were (just
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as we would be as adults in a similar social situation) and it takes time and energy to forge a way in
only to find there is another gap of time before we are altogether with our friends again. It is true
that some children deal with this better than others, but deep meaningful involvement in an activity
with our peers is so important. For example for the older child of 5 or 6 whose play is now carried on
more in the realm of ideas which might carry over days there will be frustration (conscious or
unconscious) at lack of continuity and opportunity to really explore imaginatively with friends.
Free Entitlements, Voluntary Contributions and Fees
We are a validated setting and therefore eligible for the Nursery Education Funding for 3 and 4 year
olds. All 3 and 4 year olds are entitled to this from the beginning of the term after their 3rd birthday
until the term after their 5th birthday.
Daily fees are £25-£35 per day at kindergarten income dependant. Afternoon care is additional.
For full details, see the separate document: “Manchester Steiner School Funding Structure”
available by emailing manchestersteinerschool@gmail.com
Equal Opportunities Statement
Our School recognises and has regard for each child's religious persuasion, ethnic origins and cultural
and linguistic background, so that each child is valued as an individual without racial or gender
stereotyping. Our children will be helped to develop positive self- identity and to value and accept all
cultural and ethnic groups through our resources and activities such as celebrating festivals from
different cultures.
Special Educational Needs
Manchester Steiner School considers all children to be special and that every child has individual
needs. Manchester Steiner School admits children with special educational needs whenever this is
possible given the nature of the building we are in at the moment and the needs of the whole group.
Every endeavour will be made to accommodate the physical, emotional, social, intellectual and
spiritual needs of each child. The teachers are committed to developing their expertise in this area
by attending training courses and seeking help to improve their practice.
Safeguarding Children
The well-being of the child is of paramount consideration in all protective action. Suitable
procedures will be followed to ensure prompt and effective help to children who may be in danger
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of abuse or neglect. The School follows procedures contained in the local LEA area Safeguarding
Children Board’s interagency procedure and the Local Safeguarding Children Board’s document
Guidance for Registered Childcare Providers on Safeguarding Children and Child Protection- a
guide to procedure and practice for all professional staff who work with children. This can be
accessed on the LSCB’s website www.manchestersteinerschool.wordpress.org & will be updated on
a regular basis. The designated trustee/director & member of staff will consult it as part of the
annual review.
The School has a designated teacher for child protection, Tom Pope, and works with the Manchester
Local Safeguarding Children Board Child Protection Designated Officer:
Local Authority Designated Officer: Majella O’Hagan who can be contacted on 0161 274
6555 or in writing at Ground Floor - R&D Block, Wenlock Way Offices, Wenlock Way, West
Gorton, Manchester M12 5DH
The school has DFCS documents relating to safeguarding available for teaching staff, visitors and
parents.
Our Child Safeguarding policy is available as a download from our website:
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All policies are available for parents to look at in the school office at all times.
Some more formal things
Parental Responsibility
Under the Education Act 1996/Children’s Act 1989, the teachers need to be aware of changes in the
status between parents/carers and who is responsible on a day-to-day basis for each child. We
therefore ask to be kept informed of any changes in the home situation of the child.
Our Staff
There is one Kindergarten teacher and two assistants. The Kindergarten teacher is trained as a
Steiner Waldorf teacher. As a staff team they undertake other on-going training and keep up to date
with courses on subjects such as Paediatric First Aid and Health and Safety, Multiculturalism,
Safeguarding Children and Special Needs.
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Contact Information
You can e-mail the school via the website: www.manchestersteinerschool.wordpress.com
Directors:
Kate Gray manchestersteinerschool@gmail.com
Clare Green manchestersteinerschool@gmail.com
Website
Our web site is www.manchestersteinerschool.org.uk
Our website is being redeveloped. Please bear with us!
Some Recommended Reading
The Genius of Play. Celebrating the spirit of childhood by Sally Jenkinson (Hawthorne Press)
Free to Learn. Introducing Steiner Waldorf early childhood education, by Lynne Oldfield (Hawthorne
Press)
Well, I wonder, by Sally Schweizer (Rudolf Steiner Press)
Associated Activities
Parent and Child Groups
For many parents, their first contact with the school and Steiner Education is through the Beautiful
Beginnings Parent and Child playgroups. These meet on Monday and Tuesday mornings and
afternoons at the Scout Hut, Buckingham Road, Chorlton, Manchester. Taster sessions are
available.
Sunday Socials
There are monthly Steiner Sunday Socials 2-5pm in Chorlton and regular seasonal festivals and
celebrations. All of these are communicated on our Facebook page Manchester Steiner School
Project and in our emailed newsletters for over 370 households on our mailing list. Please email
manchestersteinerschool@gmail for further details or to be added to our mailing list. All parents of
Kindergarten children and Parent and Child groups are included on our mailing list.
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