The Rudolf Steiner School exists to serve growing human beings by helping them to maintain and develop wholesome good health in physical, emotional and mental life throughout their education. The curriculum is designed to support these aims and parents are encouraged to participate in ensuring healthy nutrition, sleep rhythms, social interaction and age appropriate activities.

Alcohol and Substance Abuse Policy

The school considers the present age limits and the laws for obtaining and consuming cigarettes to be the minimum acceptable. We consider that the abuse of alcohol and use of illegal substances is incompatible with the schools pedagogical aims, damages personal health and undermines educational progress. The school actively seeks to inform parents and students of the policy in the parents handbook, parents evenings and pupil interviews, as well as to educate both parents and pupils about the context and effects of these substances, using external agencies when appropriate.

Rules

• No alcohol or drugs are allowed on site or at school events.

• No use of alcohol, tobacco or drugs allowed on site or at school events.

• Pupils must not come to school under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Discipline:

A) tobacco

• If an under-age student is found in possession of tobacco, it will be confiscated according to department guidelines, and the legal and health issues will be addressed. A letter will be sent to the parents.

• If this behaviour is repeated, an interview with parents and student will be arranged within three days to confirm commitment to the school's policy.

• If a student is found smoking on the school site or at school events they will be immediately suspended.

• An interview with student and parents will be arranged to confirm the school's policy and receive the students commitment to that policy before readmission.

• Help and advice about health and addiction will be offered.

• A second offence will follow the above process with the possible addition of a written contract.

• A third offence will lead to immediate expulsion. The parents and/or student can appeal to the college of teachers in writing.

B) Alcohol and Drugs Abuse.

The school recognises that it is unable to enforce rules outside school time and recognises the dangers of accepting second hand reports of students activities, and rumours of substance abuse. However, the teachers will assess all students engagement with work and progress in all subjects and social behaviour. If a student is judged to be underperforming or displaying signs of substance abuse they will arange an interview with the student and/or parents to discuss the situation and the issue of drug of alcohol abuse will be addressed.

• If any alcohol, illegal or dangerous drugs are found in the possession of a student; they will be confiscated and dealt with according to statutory guidelines.

• The student will be immediately suspended and an interview arranged with the parents and student to confirm the schools policy and rules and to receive the students commitment to this policy before readmission. The students attitude to work and lessons will be taken into account to assess the effects of behaviour and inform ongoing strategies. A personal sponsor may be appointed at this time to support and ensure strategies or written contract if required.

• The school intends to support and encourage students with admitted addictive behaviour, drug or alcohol abuse problems to develop strtegies to ensure a healthy life-style, including counselling, a personal sponsor and contract when appropriate. The involvement of Law Enforcement agencies will be considered according to D.E.F. guidelines, and C.P.O's will be consulted. Lack of progress or engagement with agreed strategies can result in expulsion, also if a student is considered a danger to others.

• Second offence: may result in immediate expulsion or the above, depending on agreed strategies.

• Third offence: Expulsion.

• Parents and/or the student may appeal to the school in writing.

The use of alcohol or drugs during school-time on or off site is considered an unacceptable breach of trust and commitment and will result in expulsion. Students and parents may appeal to the school in writing.

Personal, Social and Health Education Work

Nutrition

Educational input is underpinned by a parent-supported policy that all-school events serve only organic and biodynamic ingredients. Increasingly, the vegetables come from our own garden. In this way, the children experience how healthy soil creates healthier food.

In the classroom, nutrition begins in Class Three, when the children grow, and harvest cereals, and grind the harvest into flour, then make bread.

In Class Five, during their botany studies, they revisit the experience to consider the function of yeast. During the history study of India, the children cook an Indian meal, which allows for a brief introduction to the Ayuvedic approach to nutrition.

In Class Seven a whole Mainlesson is devoted to Nutrition. Typical content: the digestive sytem; protein, starch, fats what is a “balanced” diet? Nutrition is differentiated from food politics and animal rights questions, so that each can be discussed on its own merits.

In Class Eight the Industrial History and World Geography Mainlessons may well include topics further pertaining to nutritional health: food preservation: canning and refrigeration; the world fruit transportation system and intensive cultivation and spraying.

Upper School: Cl 9 Biology Main Lesson, blood, nerves and organ fuctions. A South Devon innovation of “Science of Agriculture” and a farm experience trip covers food produciton, practical skills, and ecological and moral issues with regular lessons over the two years.

Electronics

The school is as sparing as possible in its use and classroom embrace of electronics.

Mobile phones are not used on the school grounds, except the car park; personal entertainment devices are to be kept in bags if brought to school at all; IT is taught only in Upper School.

There are two aspects to the reasoning behind this, and neither represents any kind of rejection of technology:

• first, there are increasingly documented health implications to intensive use of all these devices, and the school exisits to promote a positively healthful learning environmnent.

• second, it is considered better for any young person to understand at least the basic principles of the technology s/he uses – and with electronics this can only begin as the children get older.

That said, teachers do encourage internet research from Class Seven onwards.

Class 9: an introduction to basic skills – typing, graphics, spreadsheets. Computer as “a tool”, with purpose. Issues about addiction, discerning good information and sources, “safe surfing”.

Clas 10: further work on research skills, desktop publishing.

Educational aspects of:

A) Sexuality

Class 6: A main lesson block (3-4 weeks intensive work) on “Life Cycles”: from insects up to human beings. This would best be viewed as a biology topic, although questions of life partnerships naturally arise.

Class 7: A main lesson block called “Nutritions” but it includes around a week's sustained work on Love and Sex.

Class 8: There may be opportunities to visit themes via questions of cultural anthropology in the World Geography main lesson block, and in Religion lessons.

Class 9: English lessons include work on media manipulation of images of desire and sexuality. Religion lessons respond to the needs of the individual class. Material about teenage sexuality, pregnancy and abortion are discussed in the light of relationship and responsibility. Greek tragedy main lesson offers further opportunities.

Class 10: A main lesson block on “Embryology” covers details of male and female biology, sexual diseases, contraception, and focus on responsibility, relationship, birth, parental roles and nurture of children. The Literature mainlesson includes sustained work on courtly love and the idealised image of the beloved.

B) Drugs

Class 7: the Nutrition main lesson includes sustained work on drugs and their effects on human, physical, mental, emotional, spiritual health. It includes input from outside agents (from a spectrum including some or all of: police, information and support agencies, drug casualties). The outside agency input includes sessions with parents.

Class 8: The World Geography main lesson may visit drug related themes as questions of cultural anthropology and the economic causes and social consequences of the world drug distribution network. Discussed in religion lessons.

Class 9: Main Lesson on “blood and nerves” offers the opportunity to study biological effects. Chemistry. Main Lesson on sugars and ethanoles and alcohol.

Class 10: religion and sponsor lessons attend to issues around drugs as they arise - individual conversations may be necessary and more appropriate. Chemistry main lesson.