INADEQUATE 2: 

BRISTOL, FROME, &...

Here are more Waldorf Watch News items about subpar Steiner schools in the U.K. 

This page is a continuation of "Inadequate: Bristol. Frome, &..."

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October 23, 2019

CHANGED STEINER SCHOOLS — 

NO LONGER STEINER AT ALL? 

The crisis among Steiner schools in the United Kingdom (UK) is apparently deepening [1].

Three failing Steiner schools in the UK had turned to the Avanti Schools Trust [2] for rescue. The schools hoped Avanti would allow them to continue operating much as they had before, using a Steiner curriculum and Steiner methods [3].

But now Avanti has revealed that it intends to change these schools to such an extent that they may no longer be genuine Steiner institutions [4].

Here are excerpts from a new report in Devon Live [Devonshire, UK]:

Exeter is losing its only Steiner school

The trust is also changing the names of the schools to remove any reference to Steiner, and is reviewing a previous suggestion that the new names carry the tagline 'inspired by Waldorf principles'

By Anita Merritt

Exeter’s Steiner school [5], which had to be shut down for a week a year ago after serious failings were found by inspectors, will no longer be run with a Steiner ethos.

In June it was announced Avanti Schools Trust (AST) was taking over three state Steiner academies in the south west – Exeter, Bristol and Frome [6] – after all three were placed in special measures [7] by Ofsted [8].

At the time, Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship [9], the umbrella body for Steiner schools, said the schools would remain Steiner under the new trust, and “carry forward our philosophy of Waldorf education, which sits at the heart of our ethos”.

However, with the transfer due to be completed in the coming weeks, Avanti has insisted it never intended to keep the schools Steiner, according to Schools Week [10]...

Avanti is running a curriculum review to determine what influence, if any, the Waldorf principles [will continue to have at these schools]...

The trust is also changing the names of the schools to remove any reference to Steiner...

Exeter's 442-pupil Steiner school was shut down for more than a week following a visit from inspectors in October 2018 who discovered a catalogue of failings at the school including leadership being 'dysfunctional at every level' [11]...

[The school's] Ofsted inspection last October highlighted serious inadequacies in leadership, quality of teaching and safeguarding [12]...

A spokesperson for Avanti told Schools Week: “We have made it clear from the beginning, they will first and foremost be Avanti schools. This is not Avanti joining the Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship, this is Steiner schools joining Avanti.”

Avanti is also facing complaints from parents and pupils about plans to change the age range of two of the schools from all-through [13] next year.

More than 100 parents and pupils held a protest outside Department for Education offices in Bristol yesterday over proposals to make Steiner Academy Bristol a primary school and Steiner Academy Frome a...middle school [14]. Both currently teach pupils up to age 16.

The [Avanti] spokesperson said Avanti was having to make the change due to concerns about low pupil numbers, a lack of need for places [15] and concerns the [previous] entry model was not “financially sustainable”.

Avanti also said an agreement that exempts all key stage 1 pupils [16] from testing at Steiner schools [17] will no longer be in place once they join the trust....

[10/23/2019     https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/exeter-losing-only-steiner-school-3457456]

.Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] See "The Steiner School Crisis".

[2] Avanti is a multi-academy trust, an educational organization that runs multiple schools under a single board of trustees. [See https://avanti.org.uk.] Until now, Avanti has exclusively run Hindu schools in the UK.

[3] For background, see "The Waldorf Curriculum" and "Methods".

[4] If Avanti changes the schools so completely that they are no longer real Steiner schools, then the three schools would have to be added to the list of Steiner/Waldorf failures — Steiner or Waldorf schools that were unable to fulfill their original vision. [For other instances, see "Failure".]

[5] This is Steiner Academy Exeter. [See https://steineracademyexeter.org.uk.] The academy is a Steiner "free school" — comparable to a Steiner charter school in the USA.

Exeter is a city in the county of Devonshire (also called Devon), in southwestern England.

[6] See "Inadequate: Bristol, Frome, &..."

[7] "Special measures" are emergency procedures implemented with the goal of quickly improving a subpar school.

[8] See https://www.steinerwaldorf.org.

[9] Ofsted is the UK government's Office for Standards in Education. [See https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted.] The inspectors who found problems in the three Steiner schools work for Ofsted.

[10] See "Saving Themselves by Losing Themselves?", October 22, 2019.

[11] See, e.g., "Devastating Inspection Report on U.K. Steiner Academy - Part 2", November 18, 2018.

[12] "Safeguarding," in the context of school operations, consists of provisions to ensure the safety of students. Ofsted has faulted several Steiner schools for inadequate safeguarding. [See, again, "The Steiner School Crisis".]

[13] I.e., a school offering classes for students of all age levels prior to college. In the USA, these are often called K-12 schools (schools spanning kindergarten through 12th grade).

[14] I.e., the Steiner Academies in Bristol and Frome would both be partially shut down. Steiner Academy Bristol would shut down its classes above the primary level, and Steiner Academy Frome would shut down its classes below and above the middle-school level.

[15] I.e., Steiner Academy Exeter currently offers classes at levels for which there is little if any demand.

[16] In the UK, these are generally students in the 1st and 2nd grades — kids between the ages of 5 and 7.

[17] For esoteric reasons, Steiner schools generally postpone instruction in reading, writing, and basic math until children are about 7 years old. [See "Most Significant". The schools are waiting for the kids' "etheric bodies" to incarnate. See "Incarnation".] For this reason, Steiner schools seek exemption from requirements to test students on these subjects until after stage 1.

This issue bears on the general question of academic standards at Steiner or Waldorf schools. Historically, these standards have been low. [See "Academic Standards at Waldorf".]

— R.R.

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October 24, 2019

AVANTI AND STEINER -

HOW FAR WILL THEY GO?

Three failing Steiner schools in the United Kingdom (UK) have been taken over by the Avanti Schools Trust [1], which is reportedly planning to change the schools profoundly. The key change would be reducing or even severing the schools' ties to the Steiner/Waldorf educational movement [2]. While the extent of the planned reforms remains to be worked out, the schools could end up losing their distinctive Steiner character — they would no longer follow the Steiner/Waldorf curriculum nor would they use Steiner/Waldorf methods [3].

But at least some officials at the three schools reportedly hope that Avanti's changes will not be so extensive. They profess hope that the underlying Steiner approach will continue to prevail at the schools.

Meanwhile, pro-Steiner protestors have gathered to push back against changes that they fear will be too sweeping.

Here are excerpts from two news reports.

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From Devon Live [Devonshire, England]:

Head of Exeter Steiner school remains hopeful 

its principles will be upheld by new trust

The school, which had to be shut down for a week a year ago after serious failings were found by inspectors [4], publicly announced in June it is being taken over by Avanti Schools Trust (AST)

By Anita Merritt

The acting principal of Exeter’s Steiner school [5] has told how he remains hopeful that the Steiner ethos within its curriculum will continue, despite changes announced by the trust who have taken over the school.

The school, which had to be shut down for a week a year ago after serious failings were found by inspectors, publicly announced in June it is being taken over by Avanti Schools Trust (AST).

[Avanti] is also taking over state Steiner academies in Bristol and Frome [6] which like Exeter’s Steiner school were also placed in special measures by Ofsted [7]...

[W]ith the transfer due to be completed in the coming weeks, Avanti has insisted it never intended to keep the schools Steiner, according to Schools Week [8].

Avanti is running a curriculum review to determine what influence, if any, the Waldorf principles which underpin Steiner education will have. It is due to be completed in March...

Paul Hougham, acting principal of Steiner Academy Exeter, said: “The ‘if any’ qualification...doesn’t convey my understanding of Avanti’s commitments to these schools.

“There remains a tremendous opportunity for the renewal of Steiner Waldorf pedagogy, within the Avanti way...”

[A] statement on the Avanti website [said, in part] “The aim of the planned curriculum review is to investigate how the curriculum in the three re-brokered schools can be aligned with aspects of Waldorf principles which are in synergy with the ‘Avanti Way’...”

Avanti currently runs seven Hindu schools which provide yoga and mindfulness lessons. The “Avanti Way” underpins the school’s focus on character formation and spiritual insight [9].

[10/24/2019    https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/head-exeter-steiner-school-remains-3458269    This article originally appeared on October 23.]

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From Bristol Live [Bristol, England]:

Protests over plans to shut Bristol's 

second highest-ranking school 

Parents have been warned they will find it very hard to get a place at another secondary school for in [sic] September 2020 start date

By Emma Grimshaw

Hundreds of campaigners protested outside of the Department for Education's regional office after it was announced Steiner Academy Bristol could be forced to close its secondary school [10].

Plans to shut the upper section of the...school were announced earlier this year despite pupils achieving some of the best results in our city for GCSES [11]...

In August, the academy's first cohort of pupils received their GCSE results and the school ranked the second highest in Bristol based on English and maths results [12]...

[T]he academy came under fire after being thrown into special measures by a damning Ofsted report at the beginning of last year.

Inspectors said pupils were being put at avoidable risk of harm [13] and school leaders were issued with a "termination warning notice" [14] forcing it to join a multi-academy trust or face being closed down.

Before the school shut for the summer holidays, bosses [15] announced they were teaming up with Avanti Schools Trust...

A spokesperson for parent campaigners said..."[W]e are parents who believe in Steiner education who are fighting for our own children right here, right now, but this is bigger than Steiner and bigger than our own children.

"We are fighting for the right to alternative education in England for all parents and children now and in the future..."

The Steiner academies in Bristol and Frome are two of three state Steiner schools in England which were deemed inadequate [16] and put into special measures by Ofsted in 2018.

Parents from both Frome and Bristol were at the protest....

[10/24/2019    https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/protests-over-plans-shut-bristols-3452390    This article originally appeared on October 23.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] Avanti is a multi-academy trust, an educational organization that runs multiple schools under a single board of trustees. [See https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/multi-academy-trusts-establishing-and-developing-your-trust and https://avanti.org.uk.] 

[2] See "Saving Themselves by Losing Themselves?", October 22, 2019.

[3] For background, see "The Waldorf Curriculum" and "Methods".

[4] See "Inadequate: Bristol, Frome, &..."

[5] This is Steiner Academy Exeter. [See https://steineracademyexeter.org.uk.] 

[6] These are Steiner Academy Bristol [https://steineracademybristol.org.uk] and Steiner Academy Frome [https://www.steineracademyfrome.co.uk].

[7] "Special measures" are emergency procedures implemented with the goal of quickly improving a subpar school. Ofsted is the UK government's Office for Standards in Education [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted.]

[8] See https://schoolsweek.co.uk/rebrokered-free-schools-wont-keep-steiner-ethos-says-new-trust/.

[9] Avanti is now in charge. The key question is whether Avanti will find commonalities between its approach and the Steiner/Waldorf approach. Where no commonality is found, the Avanti approach will presumably prevail.

[10] Avanti has elected to convert Steiner Academy Bristol into a primary school. Among other things, this means students who were in upper grades at Steiner Academy Bristol, or who were planning on entering those grades, must now — at somewhat short notice — find others schools to attend. 

[11] This is the General Certificate of Secondary Education — an examination taken by students aged 15-16.

[12] Ranking second in the city of Bristol may or may not mean much, depending on how well the others schools in the city did. Steiner/Waldorf schools have generally had low academic standards. [See "Academic Standards at Waldorf".] These schools have generally had their focus elsewhere, not on academics. [See, e.g., "Waldorf's Spiritual Agenda" and "Holistic Education".]

[13] One major finding by Ofsted inspectors has been that Steiner schools in the UK often fail to safeguard their students adequately. [See, e.g., "More Inspections, More Failures", January 17, 2019.] But safeguarding has been just one area of concern for the inspectors, who have often faulted Steiner schools for several other shortcomings, including poor teaching and dysfunctional management. [See "The Steiner School Crisis".]

[14] See "Steiner Academy Bristol Girds for a Fight", February 16, 2019.

[15] I.e., leaders of the school.

[16] "Inadeqaute" is the lowest of four evaluations issued by Ofsted — it is a failing grade, indicating that a school has numerous, severe problems.

— R.R.

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NOVEMBER 6, 2019

PRO-STEINER PROTESTORS 

AWAIT CONSULTATION OUTCOME 

The turmoil at and around failing Steiner schools in the United Kingdom (UK) continues [1]. Steiner academies in the cities of Bristol, Exeter, and Frome have been judged "inadequate" by school inspectors [2].The schools may be shut down, or they may be significantly restructured.

A protest was held recently by friends and proponents of Steiner education. Here is a new report published in The Frome Times. (The report focuses primarily on the Steiner academy in Frome, but its import generally applies to other failing Steiner academies.)

Steiner Academy parents and pupils 

wait for news of ‘short-sighted’ 

upper school closure 

PARENTS and pupils of Steiner Academy in Frome [3] are waiting to hear the result of the consultation [4] about changes to the age range at the school from 3 to 16 to 3 to 13 – which would end the school’s GCSE offer [5].

During the consultation, which ended last week, over 100 parents, carers and children from the Frome and Bristol Steiner Academy, which is also facing a similar change, came together to protest outside the Department for Education (DfE) office in Bristol [6]...

Parents say that the change would have a ‘huge impact on the emotional wellbeing’ of children forced to move schools to continue their education.

The change has also been labelled as ‘short-sighted thinking’ by parents, who say Frome could run out of secondary school places by 2026...

The change to the school, which was placed into ‘special measures’ [7] by Ofsted following an inspection last year that rated the school as ‘Inadequate’ [8], could come into effect from September 2020 if given the go-ahead. 

It has been proposed by the Avanti Schools Trust’s board of trustees, the multi-academy trust [9] who are taking over management of the school, and the Steiner Academy Frome Academy management committee [10]...

Both Steiner Academy Frome and Avanti Schools Trust were also approached for comment – the academy said it was unable to respond as they were on their half-term break, and no response was received from the trust before going to press.

[November 6, 2019    http://www.frometimes.co.uk/2019/11/05/steiner-academy-parents-and-pupils-wait-for-news-of-short-sighted-upper-school-closure/    This article originally appeared on November 5.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] See "The Steiner School Crisis".

[2] See "Inadeqate: Bristol, Frime, &..." and "S. A. Exeter". The inspections have been conducted by the UK government's Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted), an arm of the government's Department for Education.

[3] In the UK, Steiner "academies" are "free schools" — similar to American charter schools. Free schools follow their own curricula using their own methods, but they are financed by the government and thus they may come under close scrutiny by education officials. Private Steiner schools in the UK are generally called "schools," not "academies" — they finance themselves and thus are generally more free to go their own way.

[4] "Consultations" hosted by the UK Department for Education are meeting between interested parties meant to resolve educational issues. [See https://consult.education.gov.uk.]

[5] The school would no longer be and "all-through school" taking students to the completion of their secondary education. One consequence would be that the school would not prepare students for General Certificate of Secondary Education examinations (GCSE), which are generally taken by students aged 15-16 to assess their attainments at the end of secondary education.

[6] The proposed changes at these schools result indirectly from the inspections conducted by Ofsted. However, the changes have been conceived by the Avanti Schools Trust, which has taken control of the schools in an effort to improve them. [See, e.g., "The Steiner School Crisis - 2".]

[7] "Special measures" are emergency steps taken with the intention of rapidly improving subpar schools.

[8] This is the lowest of the four evaluations issued by Ofsted — it indicates a school is failing in its role as an educational institution.

[9] Multi-academy trusts are educational organizations that run two or more schools in coordination, under a single board of trustess. Avanti Schools Trust has, until now, exclusively run Hindu schools in the UK.

[10] This is, generally speaking, an internal committee charged with administering the school. But under the new situation caused by the school's failed inspections, the committee's authority is significantly reduced. The committee should now be working under Avanti to meet standards enforced by Ofsted.

— R.R.

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NOVEMBER 20, 2019

STEINER NAME CHANGED - 

OTHER CHANGES TO COME 

Steiner schools in the United Kingdom (UK) are under a lot of pressure these days. Some have shut down, or geared back, or cast their lot with non-Steiner institutions that may (or may not) protect them [1].

Here's the latest dispatch concerning one of the most troubled UK Steiner schools, the Steiner "free school" [2] in the city of Frome. Steiner Academy Frome had received the lowest possible evaluation [3] issued by UK education inspectors [4]. Hoping to find a way forward, the academy turned to the Avanti Schools Trust [5], which would undertake to improve the academy.

The central question is whether Avanati will allow the academy to remain true to its Steiner philosophy. The signals from Avanti have been mixed so far, but there are signs that Avanti intends to implement significant changes at the academy.

The first such change has already occurred. Avanti has changed the academy's name.

The following is from The Frome Times [Somerset, UK]:

New name for ‘troubled’ Steiner Academy

Steiner Academy in Frome has been renamed Avanti Park School after its management was formally taken over by Avanti Schools Trust.

The multi-academy trust has vowed to ‘raise standards’ at the school, which was placed into ‘Special Measures’ [6] after it was rated as ‘Inadequate’ by Ofsted in January this year.

The trust will also be undertaking a review of the school’s curriculum to align the school with the ‘Avanti Way’ – the trust’s own education philosophy [7].

News of the formal transfer comes as parents and pupils await news of the outcome of a recent consultation to change the age range at the school from 3 to 16 to 3 to 13 [8] – which would end the school’s GCSE offer [9]... 

Mike Younger, the chair of Avanti Schools Trust board of trustees said..."Central to Waldorf education (also known as Steiner education) and to the Avanti Way is developing a teaching methodology which strives to develop pupils’ intellectual, artistic and practical skills in an integrated and holistic way [10]..." 

A spokesperson for the trust continues..."The aim of the planned curriculum review is to investigate how the curriculum in the three re-brokered schools [11] can be aligned with aspects of Waldorf principles which are in synergy with the Avanti Way....[12]" 

[11/20/2019    http://www.frometimes.co.uk/2019/11/19/new-name-for-troubled-steiner-academy/    This article originally appeared on November 19.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] See "The Steiner School Crisis".

[2] UK free schools are analogous to US charter schools — they are, in effect, private schools that follow their own curriculums and use their own methods, but they receive government financing (in exchange for which they may come under intensified scrutiny).

[3] The school was judged to be "Inadequate" — meaning it was failing in its role as an educational institution.

[4] The inspectors came from the UK government's Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted).

[5] Avanti Schools Trust is a "multi-academy trust" — an educational organization that runs several schools under a single board of directors. Avanti has taken charge of Steiner academies in Frome, Bristol and Exeter. Previously, Avanti had managed only Hindu schools. [See "Inadequate — Bristol, Frome, and...".]

[6] Special measures are emergency procedures meant to produce rapid improvements at failing schools.

[7] This is the key question — to what extent will the Steiner way at these schools be found consistent with the "Avanti way"? If Avanti officials find the Steiner way inconsistent with Avanti's preferences, presumably Avanti will decree changes at the three schools.

[8] See "Pro-Steiner Protestors Await Consultation Outcome", November 6, 2019.

[9] GCSE is the General Certificate of Secondary Education, a certificate students earn after taking examinations at around the age of 16. The reformed academy in Frome would no longer enable students to get the certificate, since it would offer no instruction for students above the age of 13.

[10] The Steiner way and the Avanti Way may seem compatible, in broad outline. But note how abstract and vague the wording in the statement is. What is meant by "holistic," for instance? The Avanti conception may be quite different from the Steiner conception. [For the Steiner conception, see "Holistic Education".]

[11] These are the Steiner academies in Frome, Bristol, and Exeter. They became "rebrokered" when they came under the control of a new sponsor or broker — the Avanti Trust.

[12] Again, the wording here is quite vague. What "aspects" of Waldorf "principles" are we talking about? What does "aligned" mean in this context (small changes, or enormous changes)? What is "synergy," in this vague context (cooperation, mutual reinforcement, or a tug-of-war)? 

The clear danger is that, in their effort to save themselves, the Steiner academies have created the possibility that they will be altered so much that they will no longer be real Steiner schools. The new name of the Frome academy suggests that "Steiner" is dropping out of the picture. [Other UK Steiner schools have also been given new names. See, e.g., "Langley Hill".]

For an outline of the Avanti Way, see https://avanti.org.uk/about/ethos/.

— R.R.

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DECEMBER 6, 2019

SOME STEINER PARENTS

REBEL OVER CHANGES

Efforts to rescue failing Steiner schools in the United Kingdom [1] may be foundering.

Three inadequate Steiner academies — in Bristol, Exeter, and Frome [2] — have been taken over by Avanti Schools Trust, an educational organization that has specialized in administering Hindu schools [3]. There have been doubts about whether the marriage of Steiner and Hindu institutions would work out. Crucial, from the Steiner perspective, is the question whether Avanti would allow the Steiner schools to remain true to their Anthroposophical roots [4].

Today there are indications that at least some parents who want Steiner schooling for their kids are dissatisfied with changes that have occurred under Avanti [5]. These parents are reportedly removing their children from the Avanti/Steiner schools and, in some instances, turning to home schooling instead.

The following is from Bristol Live [Bristol, UK]:

Parents turning to homeschooling 

after Steiner Academy Bristol taken over

By Emma Grimshaw

At least 27 families have decided to homeschool their children after Steiner Academy Bristol was taken over by a trust which sponsors state-funded Hindu schools, this year.

Fred Ehresmann is one of a cohort of parents whose families have left the academy during the first half of the autumn term after it was transferred to Avanti Schools Trust.

The senior university lecturer [6] said he noticed a worrying change in his daughter's confidence and happiness since Avanti took over at the beginning of this academic year [7]...

Fred...has teamed up with 11 other families, who all left the Fishponds academy [8], to homeschool their children.

They pay two Steiner teachers to tutor their kids three days a week between 9am to 3pm at their home...

Although he is enjoying the new arrangement, Fred said he did feel frustrated it had come to this.

"We all wanted the Steiner school to stay how it was [9]," said Fred. "It was a very slow and painful process watching it all unravel. Ella had had a wonderful Kindie experience [10] and we were really happy with the school [11]."

Avanti Trust took over the academy following a damning Ofsted report last year [12] which said pupils at the school 'were not safe' [13].

The school was graded as inadequate in every area of inspection [14], meaning Ofsted put it into special measures [15]...

[12/6/2019    https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/parents-turning-homeschooling-after-steiner-3606244]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes

[1] See "The Steiner School Crisis".

[2] See "Inadequate: Bristol, Frome, and...".

[3] Avanti describes itself at its website https://avanti.org.uk.

[4] See, e.g., "Steiner Name Changed — Other Changes to Come", November 20, 2019.

[5] Other parents have appreciated the changes made by Avanti. [See, e.g., "Some Parents Pleased by Avanti's Changes", November 8, 2019.]

[6] In UK colleges and universities, the rank of senior lecturer stands above that of lecturer and below that of associate professor. (The rank of professor stands above that of associate professor, and above professor is that rank of dean.) 

[7] Fred Ehresmann is identified elsewhere in the article as a "specialist in child development," which would seem to give his views particular weight. At the University of the West of England, Bristol, he is described as specializing in "mental health." According to the University, "There are no publications available for [i.e., written by] Mr Fred Ehresmann" [https://people.uwe.ac.uk/Person/FredEhresmann]. Ehresmann has, however, published some writings in nonacademic media [e.g., https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/parenting/parenting-the-teenage-brain-a-user-s-guide-1.3582136]. Ehresmann is an active proponent of Steiner schooling [see https://www.fishpondsvoice.co.uk/outcry-from-parents-as-ofsted-says-steiner-academy-is-failing], and he served as class representative for Class 2 at Steiner Academy Bristol [https://steineracademybristol.org.uk/files/5215/1240/7057/Parents_Bulletin_19.11.17_1.pdf]. He has a website: The Barefoot Parent [http://barefootparent.com/about-barefoot-parent/].

[8] The school is located in Fishponds, a suburb of the city of Bristol.

[9] Of course, parents who like what Avanti has done were presumably less satisfied with the school as it had been.

[10] I.e., experiences in the Steiner kindergarten.

[11] Some students thrive in Steiner schools, at least at the emotional level. There is often a warm, nurturing atmosphere in these schools, with an emphasis on artistic activities and free play. Academic pressures are usually low, which may especially benefit students who have learning difficulties or emotional difficulties. On the other hand, critics say that academic standards at Steiner school are too low, meaning the education provided in substandard. [See "Academic Standards at Waldorf".]

[12] School inspectors found that several Steiner schools in the UK failed to protect or safeguard their students adequately. [See "child safety" in the Waldorf Watch Annex Index.]

[13] Ofsted is the UK government's Office for Standards in Education. Ofsted has sent inspectors to Steiner schools throughout the UK and issued reports on their findings.

[14] "Inadequate" is the lowest evaluation issued by Ofsted — it is a failing grade. Finding a school inadequate "in every area of inspection" is genuinely — as the article says — a "damning" result. A school could not do worse.

[15] "Special measures" are emergency provisions meant to produce rapid improvements in failing schools.

— R.R.

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JANUARY 27, 2020

STEINER SCHOOL CRISIS: 

AN EFFORT TO REASSURE 

In an ongoing drama that may have grave implications for the Waldorf school movement worldwide, Steiner schools in the United Kingdom (UK) have been taking a beating. A dire atmosphere has been churned up as government inspectors unearthed severe and evidently systemic failings in many of these schools. Some UK Steiner schools have closed or are trembling on the brink; others are struggling to make changes that may appease the inspectors; and some have grasped a dubious lifeline thrown to them by an organization that specializes in running Hindu schools. [1]

The Avanti Schools Trust [2], which operates seven "Hindu faith" schools in the UK, has taken charge of Steiner schools in Bristol, Exeter, and Frome [3]. Faculty and trustees at these schools evidently hoped Avanti would shield the schools while enabling them to continue operating more or less as they had done previously: as committed Steiner schools. But Avanti evidently has other plans. The price exacted by Avanti may mean changing these schools beyond recognition. In brief: The "saved" Steiner schools may become something quite different from genuine, Anthroposophy-based Steiner institutions [4].

An article today at DevonLive [Devonshire, UK] reports on the situation at the "saved" Steiner school in Exeter. Here are excerpts:

Former Steiner school reassures parents 

after pupil losses following takeover 

By Anita Merritt

Reassurances have been given to parents whose children remain at Exeter’s former Steiner School after an unknown number of children have moved to other schools following its takeover.

Last June it was announced the school, which was rated ‘inadequate’ [5] in October 2018 after serious failings were highlighted, was being taken over by Avanti Schools Trust (AST) and it would no longer be run with a Steiner ethos [6].

Avanti is running a curriculum review to determine what influence, if any, the Waldorf principles which underpin Steiner education will have. It is due to be completed in March.

In the meantime, an unconfirmed number of pupils and staff have left the school, prompting its new acting principal Jason Wood to write to concerned parents [7]...

In the letter he said: "Uncertainty can create a range of negative emotions and thoughts and anxieties can be transmitted collectively. Thank you to the parents who have contacted me to express their concern...

"We too are concerned that some of our community of parents and students has left, but we respect their decisions and wish them all the best...

"I hope the [curriculum review] process inspires you and all our parents, staff and students that we can create together, a unique and rich curriculum [8]....”

ATS [sic: AST] has taken over three state Steiner academies in the south west – Exeter, Bristol and Frome – after all three were placed in special measures by Ofsted [9].

The trust said it would change the names of the schools to remove any reference to Steiner, and is reviewing a previous suggestion that the new names carry the tagline 'inspired by Waldorf principles'. This will be decided after the curriculum review is complete...

The former Steiner school [in Exeter] was shut down for more than a week following a visit from inspectors in October 2018 who discovered a catalogue of failings at the school including leadership being 'dysfunctional at every level', kindergarten pupils being physically restrained by teachers, and a lack of support for vulnerable children.

Its Ofsted inspection highlighted serious inadequacies in leadership, quality of teaching and safeguarding. The school was found to be 'inadequate' in every area inspected [10].

Other concerns raised by the watchdog included teachers being subjected to regular physical assaults by pupils, the needs of children with special educational needs not being met and a lack of evidence that safeguarding checks have been made when employing new members of staff....

[1/27/2020    https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/former-steiner-school-reassures-parents-3776370]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes

[1] See "The Steiner School Crisis".

[2] Avanti's website is https://avanti.org.uk.

[3] See "Inadequate: Bristol, Frome, and..."

[4] See "Avanti and Steiner — How Far Will They Go?", October 24, 2019 — scroll down to this article.

[5] "Inadequate" is the lowest grade assigned by official UK education inspectors — it is a failing grade.

[6] At least some Steiner representatives seem to have been surprised by Avanti's professed intention to change the Steiner schools significantly. [See "Changed Steiner Schools — No Longer Steiner at All?", October 23, 2019.]

[7] The number of departures is not stated, but it has evidently been large enough to trigger widespread concern.

[8] Full-bore Steiner schools generally adhere closely to the standard Steiner/Waldorf curriculum. [See "The Waldorf Curriculum".] If the "saved" Steiner school In Exeter winds up with a significantly changed curriculum, it may indeed no longer be a genuine Steiner school.

[9] Ofsted is the UK government's Office for Standards in Education. The inspectors who have found fault with many Steiner schools are Ofsted officials. "Special measures" are emergency steps instituted with the goal of making rapid improvements at failing schools.

[10] The school was thus found to be failing in virtually every way a school could possibly fail: The school's management ("leadership") was inadequate, the teaching was inadequate, and the protection of students ("safeguarding") was inadequate.

— R.R.

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JANUARY 31, 2020

"SAVED" STEINER SCHOOL

MAY NOT GROW AFTER ALL

Failed Waldorf schools don't give up the ghost easily [1]. They struggle to survive, or to rise from the grave. They reincarnate. They change their names. They change their locations. They change their masks. But they don't die.

Until they do. (Sometimes.) [2]

Waldorf or Steiner schools are typically run by zealous devotees of Rudolf Steiner. And, like their leader, these devotees tend to believe that matters of supreme importance — including the spiritual survival of humanity — hang in the balance. Steiner put it this way:

"The Waldorf school must succeed; much depends on its success. Its success will bring a kind of proof of many things in the spiritual evolution of humankind that we must represent ... Let us especially keep before us the thought, which will truly fill our hearts and minds, that connected with the present-day spiritual movement [i.e., Anthroposophy] are also the spiritual powers [i.e., the gods] that guide the cosmos." — Rudolf Steiner, PRACTICAL ADVICE TO TEACHERS, Foundations of Waldorf Education, II (Anthroposophic Press, 2000), p. 189.

Waldorf schools promote mankind's "spiritual evolution." They work to prove the truths of Anthroposophy ("the present-day spiritual movement"). They do this in service to "the spiritual powers that guide the cosmos." Letting a Waldorf school die would be virtually an act of sacrilege — it would be a betrayal of the gods whom Waldorf teachers serve [3]. 

As described by Steiner, Waldorf schools are holy institutions that advance the divine plan and majestic intentions of the gods:

“Among the faculty, we must certainly carry within us the knowledge that we are not here for our own sakes, but to carry out the divine cosmic plan. We should always remember that when we do something, we are actually carrying out the intentions of the gods, that we are, in a certain sense, the means by which that streaming down from above will go out into the world.” — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER, Foundations of Waldorf Education, VIII (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 55.

In their determination to survive, some failing Waldorf/Steiner schools in the United Kingdom have cast their lot with an educational organization that, up to the present, has specialized in running Hindu schools: the Avanti Schools Trust [4]. This may or may not prove to be a shrewd strategy. Avanti may succeed in salvaging these schools, but it may do this in part by ditching the Steiner curriculum and methods [5]. The remaining Steiner staffs at these schools are likely to fight fervently against such changes, but they may lack to power to prevail. Avanti is now in charge [6].

Energized by its own spiritual impetus, Avanti has big plans. It aims to greatly increase its presence in British education. Avanti runs seven "Hindu faith" schools in the UK, and it has now added four "community" or "non-denominational' schools to its roster [7]. Three of these latter schools are Steiner academies that Avanti seeks to rescue and remold.

But even Avanti, despite its vision and resources, may yet stumble. As reported here recently, there has been a significant exodus of students and staff from the Steiner school Avanti acquired in Exeter [8]. That school had previously been called Steiner Academy Exeter; it is now named Avanti Hall Exeter. 

Regardless of the departure of so many students and teachers, Avanti had planned to expand the school. But now this plan has been put on hold, at least temporarily.

Here are excerpts from an article in today's Devon Live [Devonshire, England]:

Decision deferred over plans for 

former Steiner School to expand 

despite drop in pupil numbers 

By Anita Merritt

A final decision on plans to expand what was Exeter's failing Steiner School, despite a drop a recent drop in pupil numbers, has been deferred.

Last June it was announced the school, which was rated ‘inadequate’ in October 2018 after serious failings were highlighted [9], was being taken over by Avanti Schools Trust (AST) and it would no longer be run with a Steiner ethos...

[T]he trust has been consulting with parents to increase pupil numbers from 720 to 1,020.

However, it is believed the school is under subscribed at the moment as pupils and staff have left the school for a variety of reasons.

The trust has not confirmed to Devon Live how many pupil and staff members have left...

Today the trust has confirmed its expansion plans, which have been met with a mixed reaction, have not been given the go ahead yet.

Mike Younger, chair of Avanti Schools Trust Board, said: "...[P]roposed changes to the school were put to the Regional School Commissioner (RSC) for the South West for decision ... The RSC SW office has decided to defer a final decision on the proposed changes"... 

The trust has previously stated in its expansion consultation report that it is hoped improvement to the school will see numbers will rise again..

The response from the [RSC] said: "The proposal looks to expand a school that has been judged inadequate and...there is insufficient evidence of improvement. The Department for Education are clear that their aspiration is that only good or outstanding schools are expanded [10]"....

[1/31/2020    https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/decision-deferred-over-plans-former-3786350]

The nub of the issue is that the Steiner/Avanti school in Exeter has not yet shown that it has improved. Rudolf Steiner Academy Exeter was judged to be a failing school, and Avanti Hall Exeter still staggers under that dismal legacy.

Waldorf Watch Footnotes

[1] See, e.g., "RSSKL".

[2] See "Failure".

[3] See "Here's the Answer".

[4] See https://avanti.org.uk.

[5] See "The Waldorf Curriculum" and "Methods".

[6] See "Rebrokered free schools won't keep Steiner ethos, says new trust" — Schools Week, October 22, 2019.

[7] See https://avanti.org.uk/our-schools/.

[8] See "Steiner School Crisis: An Effort to Reassure", January 27, 2020 — scroll down.

[9] "Inadequate" is a failing grade — it is the lowest evaluation issued by inspectors from the UK government's Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted).

Devon Live previously gave this summary of the problems at Steiner Academy Exeter:

"The former Steiner school [in Exeter] was shut down for more than a week following a visit from inspectors in October 2018 who discovered a catalogue of failings at the school including leadership being 'dysfunctional at every level', kindergarten pupils being physically restrained by teachers, and a lack of support for vulnerable children.

"Its Ofsted inspection highlighted serious inadequacies in leadership, quality of teaching and safeguarding. The school was found to be 'inadequate' in every area inspected.

"Other concerns raised by the watchdog included teachers being subjected to regular physical assaults by pupils, the needs of children with special educational needs not being met and a lack of evidence that safeguarding checks have been made when employing new members of staff...." — "Former Steiner school reassures parents after pupil losses following takeover", Devon Live, January 27, 2020.

[10] "Outstanding" is the highest evaluation awarded by Ofsted; "Good" is the next-highest evaluation. 

The UK Department for Education aims to allow schools to expand only if they have been judged good or better. Reports indicate that no inspected Steiner school in the UK meets this standard. So, for instance:

"[According to] Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman...six of the nine [Steiner] schools inspected — across the state and private sector — were judged to be ‘inadequate’ and three were ‘requires improvement’, with none as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’." — "Ofsted demands investigation into Steiner education following failures", Schools Week, January 31, 2019; reprinted in Heart Teaching. 

The Schools Week article was updated, and it then included the following:

"Amanda Spielman wrote to Damian Hinds, the education secretary, on Thursday after snap inspections of nine Steiner schools – state and private – found six were 'inadequate' and three 'requires improvement' ... Spielman demanded an investigation into whether the Steiner philosophy – which advocates a holistic approach to education based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner – is contributing to the failures." — "Ofsted handed power to inspect all Steiner schools following failures", Schools Week, January 31, 2019.

— R.R.

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FEBRUARY 7, 2020

STEINER SCHOOL CRISIS:

BAD MOVE IN BRISTOL?

Steiner Academy Bristol is one of the UK Steiner schools that, after being hammered by highly critical inspection reports [1], was taken over by the Avanti Schools Trust. 

An educational organization that has specialized in running Hindu schools, Avanti plans to reform and improve the three Steiner schools [2]. However, Avanti decided that one part of the Bristol Steiner school should be shut down: It has shuttered the higher or secondary grades, those for children aged 11 and higher. 

Ironically, children in this part of the school recently performed well on standardized tests, raising questions about Avanti's decision [3].

Today a reporter for the Bristol Post has published an opinion piece in which she decries the closing of "one of Bristol's top secondary schools." Here are excerpts:

OPINION: Why has one of Bristol's top secondary schools 

been closed just as the city faces a crisis for spaces?

The move just reeks of ill-thought-out planning by everyone involved

By Emma Grimshaw

There are lots of decisions made by both central and local government [4] which makes me want to pull my hair out with frustration.

But none have been quite so shocking as recently seeing one of Bristol's top-performing secondary schools being closed down as a crisis for places looms.

A shortage of about 200 secondary school places [5] is projected for the east and central area of the city from September 2021...

That is despite the school achieving the second highest GCSE [6] results in the city...

Here at Bristol Live we have well documented problems at the school started after [7] Ofsted awarded it the lowest possible ranking during an inspection in 2018 and ruled 'pupil's were not safe'...

But...given the backdrop of our looming crisis for spaces, to me the most sensible solution would have been to work with the school and [its] community — which has desperately attempted to keep the upper section open — rather than shutting it down...

In the end it was the new bosses of Avanti...who decided to close the upper school but this came after mounting pressure [from education officials]...

[2/7/2020    https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/one-bristols-top-secondary-schools-3819756   This item originally appeared on February 6.]

Waldorf Watch Response

Emma Grimshaw raises many questions that deserve careful thought.

Perhaps we should begin here: Was the secondary-school portion of the Steiner Academy Bristol really one of the best secondary schools in Bristol? Steiner schools generally have a reputation for low academic standards [8]. If the students at that the Bristol Steiner school scored well on their GCSEs, they should be congratulated. But we might doubt whether these results mean a lot. Indeed, Steiner schools usually decry standardized tests, especially after their students do poorly on such tests. It would be ironic if one batch of good test results [9] suddenly were used as justification for saving a Steiner school that otherwise was deemed severely dysfunctional [10].

Ms. Grimshaw argues that the city of Bristol needs spaces for all the children who become ready to begin their secondary education. This is undoubtedly true. But this leaves open the question whether any of these spaces should be in a Steiner school that is in the process of being rescued by a Hindu educational group. Steiner education is based on Anthroposophy, the esoteric religion concocted by Rudolf Steiner [11]. Presumably Avanti will attempt to weed out at least some of the Anthroposophical influences at the Bristol school. But how successful will Avanti be in this attempt, given the likely resistance from teachers held over from the school's prior incarnation? And how much Hindu influence will be injected into the school, now that Avanti is in charge? Will the school still be, effectively, a religious institution? And what will the caliber of the school's academic offerings be in the upshot?

Avanti is running an experiment at the three Steiner schools it has adopted. We probably should be patient, waiting to see the results of this experiment. Perhaps the resulting schools will be half-Anthroposophical and half-Hindu. Or perhaps they will be mostly Hindu with just a smidgen of Anthroposophy left. Or they might remain heavily Anthroposophical with a faint veneer of Hinduish spirituality added on the surface. Let's wait and see.

I'd suggest we look at the matter this way: Imagine there is a school founded upon a bizarre, esoteric, secretive religion. Imagine, further, that — despite denials — the school aims to lure students into that religion. Finally, imagine that the children at that school managed to do well on some exams. Would you send your child to such a school? Would the danger of occult indoctrination be offset by the possibility that your child might get good test scores? 

I would argue that my imaginary scenario is actually a fairly accurate description of Steiner schools generally (with the possible exception of the good test results). I would argue further that the danger of occult initiation far outweighs any academic benefits these schools might — occasionally — offer.

But that's not the whole story. Let's continue our thought experiment. Imagine that the school we are discussing received a devastating evaluation from educational experts. Imagine that the evaluation stated, among other things, that the school failed to protect its students adequately [12]. Imagine, in other words, that far from being one of the best schools in the region, this school might possibly be one of the worst — and one of the most dangerous. And now let's imagine that adherents of a different religion take charge of the school and set about making changes, the results of which are far from clear. Would you send your child to that school?

Perhaps the decision to close part of the former Steiner Academy Bristol is a mistake. But, despite Ms. Grimshaw's hair-pulling, perhaps the decision is actually a cause for celebration.

Waldorf Watch Footnotes

[1] See "Inadequate: Bristol, Frome, and..."

[2] See "Avanti and Steiner - How Far Will The Go?", October 24, 2019 - scroll down.

[3] See "Protests over plans to shut Bristol's second highest-ranking school", https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/protests-over-plans-shut-bristols-3452390.

[4] This decision was actually made by Avanti. Government education officials were disturbed by evidence that the school had serious problems, but they did not order it — or any part of it — to shut down. 

For Avanti's description of itself, see https://avanti.org.uk.

[5] I.e., there will likely be too few openings for all of the children who want to attend secondary schools.

[6] GCSE is the General Certificate of Secondary Education — a standardized examination taken by students aged 15-16, to determine whether they have received a satisfactory secondary education.

[7]  The school was rated "Inadequate", a failing grade. 

It is strange to say that the problems started after the inspections, as if the inspections caused the problems. (Can this really be what Ms. Grimshaw means?) In fact, it seems far more probable that the inspections uncovered problems that already existed. Inspectors found the school to have severe problems of several kinds. [See, e.g., "Ofsted inspections find three Steiner schools to be inadequate", https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/jan/17/ofsted-inspections-find-three-steiner-schools-to-be-inadequate.] 

Ofsted is the UK government's Office for Standards in Education. [See https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted.]

[8] See "Academic Standards at Waldorf".

[9] Note that some Steiner schools coach kids for such exams. [See, e.g., "Exam help bought by private schools under review by watchdog", https://theferret.scot/performance-reports-exam-private-schools/.]

[10] "Steiner Academy Bristol, one of two Steiner schools placed in special measures following unannounced inspections in November, was warned by inspectors over ineffective safeguarding policies, weak teaching and low expectations." — https://schoolsweek.co.uk/steiner-free-school-vows-to-fight-inadequate-ofsted-rating-in-court/. The school chose to fight these findings.

[11] See "Anthroposophy" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.

[12] See "'Pupils are not safe' - damning Ofsted report reveals concerns about 'inadequate' Bristol Steiner Academy", https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/pupils-not-safe-damning-ofsted-2447330.

— R.R.

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July 15, 2020

FAILED STEINER SCHOOL 

NOW AN AVANTI GARDEN 

The former Steiner Academy Bristol,

now Avanti Gardens School

[Bristol Post] 

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As reported here previously, the Avanti Schools Trust has ridden to the rescue of three failing Steiner academies in the United Kingdom [1]. But the rescue is turning out to be a disappointment to fans of Steiner education. Avanti is changing the schools in ways that may greatly reduce, or even eliminate, the Steiner influence.

Avanti is a "multi-academy trust," an educational organization that operates multiple schools under a single board of directors. In the past, Avanti specialized in running Hindu schools in the UK. The trust currently aims to broaden its portfolio, but most of the schools currently under its control retain a Hindu orientation [2]. 

The rescued Steiner academies — like other Avanti schools — will emphasize spirituality, but evidently Rudolf Steiner's spiritual system, Anthroposophy [3], will no longer provide the foundation for the educational approach at the three schools. The extent of Hindu influence at these institutions remains to be seen.

Here are excerpts from a news report touching on some of these matters. The report, in The Bristol Post, focuses on the former Steiner academy in Bristol, England:

New headteacher hopes for 'fresh start' 

for formerly 'inadequate' school

There will be changes in place come September

By Sophie Grubb

A Bristol school has appointed a new principal to help restore its reputation and win back the community's trust after past troubles.

Ashley Milum is set to take up post at the helm of Avanti Gardens School in Fishponds [4], which opened last year in place of the former Steiner Academy School.

Its predecessor closed down after being rated 'inadequate' by Ofsted and placed in special measures [5], but Mr Milum is confident of a turnaround after the takeover.

He will officially become principal in September, and will bring in a new curriculum...

The Steiner school was all-through, educating children aged from four-16 [6], but it became a primary school when it reopened as Avanti Gardens [7]...

[Mr Milum] said: "The school has previously had negative connotations and we want to break that down and start fresh..."

The school, which is run by the Avanti Schools Trust, is not of a designated religious character but it does have a focus on spirituality.

Children have lessons from a yoga teacher once a week and learn about wellbeing, and have access to facilities including a large sports hall and pottery workshop...

He said he wants educational excellence, character formation and spiritual insight to be apparent in all that the school teaches.

[Mr Milum] added: "...We will ensure a safe environment for all pupils to learn and grow [8]. Our new curriculum follows the National Curriculum [9], whilst being underpinned by the Avanti Way with a richly holistic approach [10]..."

The school opened in November but has not yet been inspected by Ofsted.

[7/15/2020    https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/new-headteacher-hopes-fresh-start-4315251    This article originally appeared on July 13.]

Multiple Steiner schools in the UK have received harsh inspection reports, and some have closed as a result. The implications for Steiner/Waldorf education worldwide may be dire. To delve into the matter, see "The Steiner School Crisis".

Waldorf Watch Footnotes 

[1] See "Inadequate: Bristol, Frome, &...". 

Steiner academies are "free schools" — analogous to charter schools in the USA. Most Steiner schools in the UK are private institutions, having responsibility for their own fundraising. Steiner academies generally follow a Steiner curriculum but they receive funding from the government.

[2] For background, see the Avanti website: https://avanti.org.uk.

[3] See "Anthroposophy" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia. 

[4] Fishponds is a suburb of Bristol.

[5] Ofsted is the UK government's Office for Standards in Education. "Inadequate" is the lowest evaluation issued by Ofsted — it is a failing grade, indicating that a school has severe problems. "Special measures" are emergency procedures meant to rapidly improve a failing school.

[6] I.e., it was a K-12 school, offering instruction from kindergarten through the end of secondary education.

[7] See "Bristol Steiner School Will Shelter Under a Hindu Wing", June 17, 2019, and "Troubled Steiner School in the U.K. Will Retrench", September 11, 2019.

[8] Ofsted has faulted several Steiner schools for failing to adequately safeguard their students. [See entries under "child safety" in the Waldorf Watch Annex Index: search especially for the term "safeguarding".]

[9] This is the curriculum specified by the UK government's Department for Education. [See https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-curriculum.]

[10] The "Avanti Way" may prove to be somewhat compatible with the Steiner way. While Anthroposophy draws heavily from gnostic Christianity, it also incorporates some central Hindu beliefs (polytheism, karma, reincarnation, etc). Steiner said Yoga has been a valid spiritual path, and Steiner/Waldorf education is (by its own definition) "holistic." [See "Polytheism", "Karma", "Reincarnation", "Yoga", and "Holistic Education".]

— R.R.

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To Be Continued (?)

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[R.R.]

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