St Michael Steiner School, Park Road, Hanworth Park, Hanworth, London TW13 6PN

Details

Accessibility

Brief description

https://www.stmichaelsteiner.hounslow.sch.uk/gallery

https://www.stmichaelsteiner.hounslow.sch.uk/our-school Registered charity number 1094960

Founded in 2001 we offer Parent and Child groups, Kindergarten and Classes 1 to 12, providing for children and students from birth to 18 years old.

https://www.stmichaelsteiner.hounslow.sch.uk/waldorf-education

"Waldorf education, also known as Steiner education, is an approach to learning which allows children to develop their unique capacities in response to an innovative, flexible and age-appropriate curriculum based on Rudolf Steiner's insights into child development. It was founded in Germany in 1919 and is now the largest independent school movement in the world. 

Waldorf education addresses the whole child, meeting the human need to develop physically, emotionally, socially and intellectually. The necessity of balancing the practical and artistic with the academic is embedded in everything we do. Arts and crafts are not an 'add-on' in Waldorf schools: the students learn through practical engagement and all subjects are taught with artistry by their teachers. By integrating the experiential and creative we enable our students to appreciate subjects from multiple points-of-view and to approach new and sometimes challenging experiences with openness and curiosity.  

A core feature of Waldorf education is the recognition that children relate and learn very differently at distinct stages of their development; our teaching methods and the structure of the schools reflect this.

In the Kindergarten, there is no formal classroom teaching. The children learn through activities, free play, imitation and gentle guidance. They are given the time and space to be children. Formal learning, including literacy and mathematics, is not introduced until the children are six or seven years old, when they enter the Lower School.

In the Lower School, as far as possible, they will be guided by the same class teacher for eight years, supported by subject teachers. Under the class teacher's consistent leadership, a close learning community is formed. Emphasis is not yet placed on intellectual understanding, but rather on building good working habits and a strong relationship to the world through joyful and meaningful encounters with every subject.

When the students graduate to the High School at fourteen years old, they will be instructed by specialists in each field and expected to take on a high degree of responsibility for their learning. In response to a broad and rich curriculum, our adolescents are encouraged to sharpen their powers of thought and imagination, take initiative and exercise judgement. In Class 10 they begin the process of formal assessment with the accredited Certificate of Steiner Education (see below) and by Class 12 they specialise in their chosen subjects as they stand on the threshold of adulthood.

Thus, from nurture and imitation, to discipleship, to independence and responsibility - this is the child's journey of learning as they progress through the school.

The question for us in the Steiner school is not so much 'what specific knowledge or skillset do the students require in order to fit into the current marketplace?', but rather, 'what experiences do they need, what encounters should they have, in order to develop into capable, confident and responsible human beings?' Specific lesson content, therefore, is chosen by the teacher for its ability to enthuse and inspire the students and to help them grow. Classes are small, teachers know their students well and can assess their progress through the year. There is no formal testing before the students are 15 years old.

Instead of GCSEs or A-Levels, we offer the New Zealand Certificate of Steiner Education (NZCSE). This qualification is recognised by universities in the UK, Europe and other countries that are signatories to the Lisbon Recognition Agreement. This allows us to continue to deliver a broad, rich and developmentally appropriate Waldorf curriculum right up until our students finish school. Our graduates with the NZCSE at Level 3 have so far been 100% successful in gaining places at the universities of their choice.

See below for more information and visit our High School section.

The way that we see the world and the people in it determines the way that we engage with it. In the Waldorf school, the human being is seen not as a programmable biological machine, but as a person of agency with a spiritual dimension, holding the potential to form a free, responsible and meaningful relationship to the world. This picture is informed by Rudolf Steiner's understanding of the human being, which he called Anthroposophy - literally 'wisdom of the human being'. Waldorf schools are not religious schools  -  communities across the globe have adapted this education to their own cultural contexts, recognising its potential to complement and enrich their heritage - but our lessons are imbued with a reverence for the natural world and the moral accomplishments of humanity."

Address

St Michael Steiner School, Park Road, Hanworth Park, Hanworth, London TW13 6PN

Email

info@stmichaelsteiner.com

Phone

+44 (0) 20 8893 1299

Website

https://www.stmichaelsteiner.hounslow.sch.uk/ 

https://www.facebook.com/TheStMichaelSteinerSchoolLondon    

Directions

Opening Times

Always check with the venue directly for up-to-date information including opening times and admission charges as they may be subject to change

2026: "Hours: Monday–Friday 8.30am - 3pm"

Transport

Amenities

Parking

Toilets