Lower school

At the Cambridge Steiner School we strive to give children the gift of an education that will nourish the whole life of the child. To this end we educate not only the intellect, but also the child’s physical and emotional intelligence.

 

Through movement, coordination exercises, games, modelling, crafts and handwork, the children develop a connection to their bodies, and skill and dexterity in their hands and fingers.  Music, painting, drawing and stories are a key feature of the way children learn in a Steiner school, feeding their emotional, spiritual and moral capacities. Built on this foundation academic learning can find its place in a way that grows and develops with the child’s changing needs. 

 

Each teacher aims to stay with the class from Class 1 to (at present) 5.  This allows teacher and pupil and teacher and parents to grow together and deepen their understanding of each other’s educational needs as they progress through the school.  The day begins with a two-hour ‘main lesson’ in which the class can explore a particular theme every morning for 3 to 4 weeks.  The main lesson themes develop through the classes by addressing the changing needs of the growing child as expressed through Steiner’s research. 

 

The Class 1 child needs fantasy and imaginative pictures and so learning is addressed through fairy-tales. 

 

In Class 2 the children are growing aware of themselves and each other so they hear fables, where the characters encounter problems with others when their boastfulness, cunning or pride cloud right judgement.  These themes can be explored through drawing, writing, modelling and role-play.  They are then balanced by hearing legends of the Saints who use their skills and gifts to aid others. 

 

Class 3 sees the child’s awareness move further out into the world so we look at farming, building and trades to learn an appreciation for how the things we need for a comfortable life are produced for us by the hard work and effort of others.  This can be accompanied by practical projects involving growing vegetables, weaving baskets, grinding flour and baking bread. 

 

In Class 4 the children are ready for more of an academic challenge so they encounter Norse mythology, fractions and the relationship of mankind to the animal kingdom. 

 

By the time the child reaches Class 5 they have achieved as a kind of elegant balance in the proportions of their body and the ripeness of their intellect.  Thus they follow the journey of civilisation from Ancient Egypt through to Ancient Greece and take part, with other Steiner schools, in a re-enactment of some of the events from the ancient Olympic games. 

 

The main lesson work is supported by subject lessons, including French, German, music, painting, form drawing, handwork, games and religion.