Cautionary Tales
Part 2
Here is an item from the Waldorf Watch "news" page.
Alicia Hamberg was a student at a Waldorf school;
Diana Winters sent her child to a Waldorf school.
Posted at The Ethereal Kiosk: a discussion
about reasons parents have for keeping mum
about their Waldorf experiences
[http://zooey.wordpress.com/2013/01/27/waldorf-and-the-media-i/]:
By Alicia Hamberg:
If people really are disappointed by waldorf education and feel deceived about the role of anthroposophy, why are they not calling attention to this matter in the mass media? Why do we hear so little about it, if it is such a problem?
...I think the number one reason is that after exiting a waldorf school, people are too occupied with something more important than the recent past, namely the present and the imminent future. The children might be academically behind, they need lots of help, sometimes the social and psychological situation has been so detrimental that the children need extra support on that account...
...Often, people have tried to effect changes [before deciding to leave]. They have talked to teachers, talked to other parents. Perhaps some were mildly sympathetic but noncommittal, brushing it all off, and nothing changed. Perhaps they were treated as ignoramuses, who could not possibly understand all the supposedly important things going on. Before they leave, it’s not unlikely they have been made to understand that their problems or complaints are unique, never happened before or to anyone else, perhaps it has been insinuated that it’s their fault or that they have not adapted, are not open enough or that the school doesn’t suit them, but everyone else is happy, thank you very much....
...In short, the atmosphere prevents the occurrence of rightful and healthy misgivings. Parents attempt to remain enthusiastic, against the odds, strive to have hope, to believe in the promise for far [too] long, for so long that more difficulties are added. Among them guilt and shame. People do feel ashamed for having been gullible, for having failed to do their homework [i.e., failing to inform themselves about the real nature of Waldorf education]. They feel guilty that they didn’t understand the needs of their own children. To stand up and reveal your weaknesses, to lay bare your faults and failings, in the media, and open yourself up for counter-accusations based upon shaming and guilt-tripping, maybe this is not such an appealing prospect...
By Diana Winters:
I believe that most people (by far) who leave Waldorf disappointed do not ever realize (it does not even occur to them) that what happened had anything to do systematicallywith Waldorf or Rudolf Steiner. They [mistakenly] believe they just happened to have a bad experience at a bad school. Fairly often, they assert that the problem was that the school wasn’t actually Waldorfy enough – the problems came from a teacher who wasn’t completely Waldorf-trained or who wasn’t Waldorf-experienced enough or maybe she/he just wasn’t the best Waldorf teacher. They think they picked a dud Waldorf school, or drew straws and got the short [straw] in terms of teachers. They often remain convinced that there are many good Waldorf schools, and that they just had the bad luck to run into a bad one, or just to some bad teachers.
It wouldn’t occur to most people to go to the media after their child has a bad experience in school. Most who come and go never suspect there are larger issues or patterns across schools, or that their story is anything more than a story of personal misfortune.
For more on the disturbing experiences families have had
in Waldorf schools, see, e.g., "Our Experience",
"Coming Undone", "Moms", "Pops", and "Slaps".
The similarities in these accounts suggest that, indeed,
there are systemic problems in the Waldorf movement.
[R.R.]
MISSING REVIEWS,
FRAUDULENT REVIEWS
Where are the positive reviews of Waldorf education? Where are the testimonials in Waldorf’s favor?
You can find many easily enough on the Internet. But be cautious; they may be uninformed or bogus. Some positive Waldorf reviews were written by people still caught up in the enthusiasm so often felt by Waldorf newcomers — individuals who have not yet penetrated beyond the lovely Waldorf facade.
And some positive reviews are outright fabrications — fake reviews written by Waldorf insiders trying to mislead the public.
Here are a few posted comments that point to such problems; these are critical reviews written about various Waldorf or Steiner schools by parents and teachers. [See, e.g.. Complaints 3. I have eliminated the names of the schools, designating each school as "Waldorf School X." To see critical reviews of Waldorf schools listed by name, go to The Waldorf Review.]
Posted May 13, 2013
- a community member
Why are so many of the [good] reviews from Jan 18-20th? I smell a rat. It seems very much as though there is a serious problem in the administration at this school and they're trying to cover it up by soliciting good reviews.
Posted 9/3/2013
- R.S.
This Waldorf school is a disaster, and you should all know that the [Waldorf School X] leadership has REQUIRED the entire faculty (I, being a former faculty member) to pose as parents and students and post (bogus) positive reviews on the online school review websites. Everything about this school is a charade — the learning (there isn't much); the administration, board and teachers (more infighting than a WWF match); the parents (most judgmental and hostile group of human beings I've ever seen, posing to be “spiritual"); and the kids (totally out of control bullies and children with major unchecked behavioral issues). These children and parents have such a lack of decorum that they cause solid, caring teachers to lose their jobs by trying to get these spoiled kids to behave. Please save your money and go public... Anything would be better for your child than this school! While some Waldorfs are amazing, this one is not! They are a disgrace to the Waldorf national and international community. — Submitted by a longstanding Waldorf teacher
Posted April 26, 2011
- a parent
Wow, where do I begin? I will start out on the positive. I think the idea of how [Waldorf School X] says they are going to teach children is great (if it worked, and they were doing what they said they would do! i.e.: see the school's test scores: SCARY!) Umm..the school has a great music program. The positive comments on here have to be from the administration or parents that sadly just don't have a clue. There is no accountability or organization at [Waldorf School X], this is what they call the Waldorf way. Kids need structure or there is chaos. [Waldorf School X]'s name should be CHAOS. The administration is constantly putting out fires that never seem to stop. It is sad and scary to me that this school is able to stay open and be responsible for children learning or lack there of in this case. There are also no textbooks at this school, the kids write there own, no computers, and they ask all the parents to donate $100.00 a month. I will be shocked if this school is still open in the next 5 years. If you have very low standards for your child's education, this is the school for you! [Waldorf School X], where education is not a race — it's a joke!
Posted May 17, 2012
- a parent
My children have had to repeat a grade this past year [in their new school] due to the lack of teaching core subjects while at [Waldorf School X] for several years. The positive reviews one sees after negative reviews are written by the marketing dept that trolls the internet. As if by wanting my child to learn, I'm wanting them to be 'burnt out.' Pathetic excuse for the poor academics. It was a waste of time but a lot of fun for sure. Developmental approach is a respectable way if only there were consistency in the teaching, discipline policies and administration. After 12 yrs, this school should be rock-solid, and it's not. The school needs an Administration that will be there for 10 years to really build the school. This one will be gone in a year or so... and then, starting over once again... Reality: the school has a poor reputation out in the larger community from all the families who have left because of problems encountered. — Submitted by a parent on May 17, 2012
Posted August 21, 2010
- a parent
Most of [the positive] reviews are written by board members and parent council. If you choose this school, make sure you get answers often and check on your child's progress. I strongly suggest observing in the classroom, I was truly shocked when I did that. The children in 8th grade cannot spell or write a complete sentence, they cannot do even the basics. They can however draw a great picture and most of them can knit and play recorder if they watch the teacher’s fingers, can't read words well, music not at all.
OFFICIAL REVIEWS
School inspectors have sometimes issued blistering reports about Waldorf or Steiner schools.
Here are some Waldorf Watch News items about extremely critical reports issued by
British school inspectors who examined four Steiner academies in the United Kingdom.
[For the results of previous inspections of UK Steiner schools, see, e.g., "RSSKL" and "S. A. Exeter".]
January 17, 2019
MORE INSPECTIONS,
MORE FAILURES
School inspectors in the United Kingdom continue to find fault with Steiner schools — they have issued a series of highly critical inspection reports. The damage to the Steiner education movement as a whole may become severe.
The following is from The Guardian [London, UK]:
Ofsted inspections find
three Steiner schools
to be inadequate
Concerns raised about safeguarding,
bullying and high exclusion rates
The future of state-funded Steiner education has been thrown into doubt after a series of snap Ofsted inspections [1] found that three of the four such schools set up under the Conservatives’ free schools programme [2] were inadequate.
The four have been inspected in recent weeks — alongside private Steiner schools, a number of which have also been found to be inadequate [3] — following an intervention by the education secretary, Damian Hinds... [4]
Ofsted reports for the Frome and Bristol Steiner academies are due to be published later this week and have been shared with parents. Copies seen by the Guardian
reveal inspectors’ concerns about a wide range of issues including safeguarding, bullying and lack of support for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
The Frome report accuses leaders and governors of failing to provide pupils with a safe and effective education...
It says the school failed to address serious issues that “put pupils at risk of harm” ... The inspection team...also raised concerns about a high number of exclusions [5]...
The report for Bristol similarly details concerns about safeguarding ... It adds that bullying incidents [6] are too frequent, and disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs make insufficient progress.
The damning assessments follow similar findings at the Exeter Steiner academy [7] ... The fourth state-funded Steiner school, in Hereford, was judged good...
...At Bristol, parents have been told that the governors [8] have sent a legal letter to Ofsted challenging its report and the inspection process...
Frome is also planning to challenge its report and the inspection process...
Both schools will go into special measures [9] and multi-academy trusts will be sought to take over [10]. Parents fear that the Steiner ethos – the very reason they chose those schools for their children – will be lost in the process [11].
Hinds called in November for additional scrutiny of Steiner schools by Ofsted after the chief inspector of schools in England, Amanda Spielman, raised concerns about safeguarding in the sector on the back of two earlier inspections [12]....
[1/17/2019 https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/jan/17/ofsted-inspections-find-three-steiner-schools-to-be-inadequate]
◊
Waldorf Watch Footnotes:
[1] Oftsed is the UK government's Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills.
[2] Free schools are independent schools that receive government funding. While held accountable by the government, they implement curriculums of their own choosing. In the USA, such schools are call charter schools.
[3] See, e.g., "RSSKL", recounting the situation at Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley. The government ordered this school to close.
[4] See the Waldorf Watch news items for December 10 and 11, 2018: "U.K. Steiner Schools to Receive Special Scrutiny".
[5] I.e., rejected applications for admission.
[6] Complaints about bullying have frequently arisen at Steiner or Waldorf schools. It has often been alleged that Steiner or Waldorf teachers tolerate bullying among their students. [See "Slaps".] One explanation is that Steiner/Waldorf teachers believe students must be free to enact their karmas, such as a karma to bully others or a karma to be bullied. Karma is a key Steiner/Waldorf belief. [See "Karma".]
[7] See "S. A. Exeter", recounting the situation at Steiner Academy Exeter.
[8] I.e., the governors of the school.
[9] I.e., urgent or emergency measures are being taken.
[10] I.e., the government has indicated that these schools should be taken over and administered by experienced educational trusts (multi-academy trusts that operate at least two schools).
[11] The chief advantage a Steiner school receives by being designated a free school is the financing provided by the government. The chief potential disadvantage is that the government may hold the school to standards that run contrary to Steiner educational principles. [For an overview of these principles, see "Oh Humanity".] Parents who select Steiner or Waldorf schools for their children may or may not have knowledge of these principles. A widespread complaint about Steiner/Waldorf schools is that they do not honestly explain their nature and purposes. [See, e.g., "Secrets" and "Our Experience".]
[12] Failure to adequately protect students has been the most publicized fault identified by Ofsted representatives who have inspected Steiner schools. However, many other serious faults — ranging from bad teaching to dysfunctional management — have also been found. [See, again, "RSSKL" and "S. A. Exeter".]
◊
January 18, 2019
MORE INSPECTIONS,
MORE FAILURES - Part 2
Inspectors have found serious problems in several Steiner schools operating in the UK. The implications for the overall Steiner or Waldorf educational movement are potentially severe.
The most recent inspections have focused on Steiner free schools — schools that, in the USA, would be called charter schools. One of the Steiner free schools recently inspected is located in the city of Bristol. Here are excerpts from a report in The Bristol Post:
Bristol Steiner Academy
one of three free schools
to face uncertainty after
being rated ‘inadequate'
By Sarah Turnnidge
Three state-funded Steiner Academies in the South West — of which one is in Bristol — have been plunged into uncertainty after snap Ofsted inspections found them to be ‘inadequate' [1].
Bristol Steiner Academy was inspected on November 26 and 27 and is now in special measures [2].
It is one of just four state-funded Steiner schools set up under the free school programme [3], with the other academies based in Frome, Exeter, and Hereford.
All four schools were inspected alongside private Steiner schools — of which a number were also found to be inadequate [4]. The education minister Damien Hinds had ordered an intervention into the group after concerns about safeguarding [5]…
The Bristol school, which is an all-through school for children aged four to 16, was opened in 2014 and currently educates 377 pupils — set to rise to 622 by 2021. It has a higher proportion of pupils with special educational needs and eligible for free school meals than the national average [6]…
When the school was last inspected, in May 2017, it was judged to 'require improvement’…
The school said that they were unable to comment on leaked reports, and thus were not able to discuss Ofsted's [most recent] findings in detail…
Steiner Academy Bristol is now working with an Academy Management Committee [7] which will be responsible for the operational management of the school, appointed by the South West regional schools commissioner.…
[1/18/2019 https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/bristol-steiner-academy-one-three-2439696 This article originally appeared on January 17.]
◊
Waldorf Watch Footnotes:
[1] Bristol is in the southwest of England. Oftsed is the UK government's Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills.
[2] Because of the problems found at the school, urgent or emergency measures are being implemented.
[3] This program, instituted under the UK’s Conservative government, allows for the formation of independent schools that receive public financing. These “free schools” charge no tuition fees, and they serve as competitors or alternatives to traditional public schools. Like charter schools in the US, free schools in the UK establish their own curriculums.
[4] See, e.g., coverage of Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley ["RSSKL"].
[5] Inspections have found that Steiner schools often fail to adequately protect their students. The same inspections have also sometimes found various other shortcomings at Steiner schools, including poor teaching and ineffective management. [See, e.g., “Remembering RSSKL - The Faults Found”, July 7, 2018.]
[6] The Steiner Academy Bristol may be unusual in this regard. Reports have indicated that at least some Steiner schools do a poor job providing for students having special needs, and occasionally these schools allegedly refuse to admit some students having such needs. [See, e.g., “More Inspections, More Failures”, January 17, 2019.] The Anthroposophical movement often attempts to serve disadvantaged individuals not at Steiner schools but at residential institutions called Camphill communities. [See the entry for “Camphill” in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.]
[7] An Academy Management Committee (AMC) is, usually, an administrative group that serves temporarily to oversee a school until a new, potentially permanent sponsor for the school is selected.
◊
January 19, 2019
MORE INSPECTIONS,
MORE FAILURES - Part 3
As reported here during the last few days, inspectors from the UK government’s Office for Standards in Education have determined that three of four Steiner free schools in the UK — those in Bristol, Exeter, and Frome — are “inadequate.” In other words, the inspectors have found serious problems at these schools.
On January 17, we considered a report in The Guardian that summarized the information available at that time about the inspections at all four Steiner free schools. On January 18, we looked at a report in The Bristol Post about the Steiner free school in Bristol.
Here are excerpts from a BBC report about the Steiner free school in Frome:
Ofsted rates Frome
Steiner school
‘inadequate'
A school where pupils did not learn "British values" and were unprepared for "life in modern Britain" has been rated inadequate by inspectors.
Ofsted [1] said the Steiner Academy Frome, Somerset, failed to provide pupils with a "safe and effective education”.
The free school [2], which opened in 2012, received the worst Ofsted rating in all four categories including "quality of teaching" and "pupils' outcomes"…
In the report, school leaders and governors were accused of failing to provide pupils with a "safe and effective education" because their own knowledge of current statutory requirements was “limited” [3].
It said the school had failed to address "serious issues that put pupils at risk of harm”…
Inspectors found [that]…in the kindergarten, "inappropriate physical restraint" was being used [4]…
The report also said teachers' expectations of pupils were "too low”…
In addition, the inspector noted: "Pupils do not learn about British values and cannot discuss these.
"They are not well prepared for life in modern Britain [5].”
But Emily Edwards, a spokeswoman for the school, said Ofsted was comparing "a banana to an orange”.
"Steiner schools are obviously run in a certain way and I feel you can't really compare them to mainstream schools and that's what Ofsted go by," she said [6]….
[1/19/2019 https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-somerset-46921639 This report originally appeared on January 18.]
◊
Recent news stories have focused primarily on the Steiner free schools in Bristol and Frome. For extensive coverage of the problems identified at the Steiner free school in Exeter, see "S. A. Exeter".
The problems at these three Steiner free schools are much alike. Indeed, they are similar to problems found at private Steiner or Waldorf schools. They seem to reflect systemic flaws in the Steiner/Waldorf education movement overall. [See, e.g., "RSSKL", "Mistreating Kids Lovingly", and "Complaints".]
◊
Waldorf Watch Footnotes:
[1] Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills.
[2] Free schools (known in the US as charter schools) are independent schools that have been accepted into the public school system. They receive public financing, but they establish their own curriculums and implement their own methods. Despite their independence, they are subject to inspection and are expected to meet at least basic educational standards.
[3] Teachers at Steiner or Waldorf schools may often be only minimally qualified, as judged by outsiders. Often, teachers at these schools are primarily interested in the Steiner/Waldorf worldview, virtually to the exclusion of everything else, and much of their training is likely to have been acquired in special Steiner/Waldorf teacher education programs. [See "Teacher Training".] Thus, their conception of a “safe and effective education" may be quite different from the conception found in other schools, and they may consider “current statutory requirements” largely irrelevant to their own practices and objectives.
[4] Failure to adequately protect or safeguard their students is a criticism that has frequently been leveled at various Steiner/Waldorf schools. [See, e.g., "RSSKL" and "S. A. Exeter".] But the schools have also been faulted for a wide array of other shortcomings. Note that Steiner Academy Frome was given low marks for "quality of teaching" and "pupils' outcomes." As has been found concerning other Steiner/Waldorf schools, the Frome school seems to be deficient in almost all the ways a school could possibly be deficient.
[5] Free, universal education in democratic societies should, generally speaking, enable students to become empowered citizens who can exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Public education is thus meant to benefit the students as individuals and it is also meant to benefit the society as a whole. (British public schools should equip students for productive, successful lives in Britain, just as American public schools should prepare American kids for life in the USA. The students will benefit, and the societies will benefit.) This is not to say, of course, that schools should be benightedly provincial or nationalistic. Seen at a deeper level, public education should convey verifiable knowledge to the students — it should accurately inform students about reality, and it should prepare students for productive lives in the real world.
[6] Steiner or Waldorf schools generally employ their own methods as they implement their own curriculum. [See “Methods” and “The Waldorf Curriculum”.] This is entirely permissible under the free school program in the UK and the charter school program in the US. But the ultimate objective of all schools should be essentially the same: It should be to educate children, providing them with the knowledge and skills they will need in order to lead productive and, we should all hope, happy lives in the real world. The crucial difference between Steiner/Waldorf schools and conventional secular schools lies in that final term: “the real world.” The Steiner/Waldorf conception of reality is ultimately at issue. Steiner/Waldorf education is rooted in Anthroposophy, which — despite denials — is a gnostic or cryptic religion. [See “Is Anthroposophy a Religion?”] Any parents who embrace Anthroposophy should be free to send their children to Anthroposophical schools — that is, Steiner or Waldorf schools. But all other parents, along with education officials and school inspectors, are likely to find Steiner/Waldorf thinking very strange, and they may develop profound misgivings about schools that are based on this thinking. [See, e.g., "Oh Humanity", “Foundations”, “Spiritual Agenda”, and “Serving the Gods”.] The question becomes whether Steiner/Waldorf schools, shaped and guided by Anthroposophy, can ever truly deliver a good education, as this concept is usually understood in democratic societies. [See, e.g., "Soul School", "Incarnation", and "Academic Standards at Waldorf".]
◊
January 21, 2019
MORE INSPECTIONS,
MORE FAILURES - Part 4
In recent days, news articles in the British media indicated that inspectors have found severe problems in several Steiner schools operating in Britain. These articles referred to reports written by the inspectors, but they were generally unable to quote directly from the reports, which had not yet been officially released.
This is now changing; the reports are being released to the public. The following item is from The Bristol Post, and it focuses chiefly on the Steiner Academy Bristol. But the problems found there seem to be typical of those that have been unearthed at other Steiner schools, both public and private. [1] The defensive responses of Steiner supporters in Bristol also seem typical.
The inspectors were sent to the schools by Ofsted, the UK government’s Office for Standards in Education.
"Pupils are not safe" -
damning Ofsted report reveals
concerns about 'inadequate'
Bristol Steiner Academy
But parents are fighting for a fairer assessment after being outraged by Ofsted's findings
By Sarah Turnnidge
Details of an Ofsted report, which have threatened the future of state-funded Steiner education in Bristol [2], have been published — revealing that the school has been graded as inadequate in every area of inspection…
Fellow Steiner Academies in Frome and Exeter also received 'inadequate' ratings, while the fourth school in Hereford was rated as ‘good'.
The report, which was released to parents on Monday before being published on Friday, lists a number of observed failings.
The first of these concerns regards safeguarding [3] …
"The school's work to promote pupil's [sic] personal development and welfare is inadequate," the report [says]. "Pupils are not safe.”
Although the report states that a rise in records of bullying incidents [4] could be due to the implementation of a more effective system of record-keeping, incidents are still acknowledged to be 'too frequent’…
The Ofsted report details five areas of inspection; effectiveness of leadership and management; quality of teaching, learning, and assessment; personal development, behaviour, and welfare; outcomes for pupils; and early years provision — each of which have been rated as inadequate… [5]
Despite the damning report, a large number of parents with children at the academy have rallied around the school, claiming that the report is unfair and does not accurately reflect the experiences of their children…
More than 850 people have signed a petition entitled 'Demand a Fair Ofsted Inspection of Steiner Academy Bristol', started by parents of children at the school, which alleges that the inspection process itself was "unfair and biased”… [6]
[1/21/2019 https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/pupils-not-safe-damning-ofsted-2447330]
◊
Waldorf Watch Footnotes:
[1] See, e.g., “Failure”, “Complaints”, "RSSKL", and "S. A. Exeter".
[2] Steiner Academy Bristol and its sister schools — Steiner academies in Exeter, Frome, and Hereford — are "free schools." That is, they are independent schools that receive public financing. (In the USA, these would be called charter schools.) The fate of Steiner free schools — and perhaps the fate of all British Steiner schools, public and private — may be significantly affected by the current controversy. In addition, the fate of the overall free school program in the UK may also be impacted.
[3] Steiner schools and Waldorf schools have often been accused of lax oversight of students. The Steiner/Waldorf attitude toward the protection of students is tied to belief in karma and guardian angels. Rudolf Steiner taught that children arrive on Earth with karmas that must be enacted. And, he said, children have guardian angels who accompany them at all times. Steiner/Waldorf teachers may deduce from these doctrines that they should not interfere in the children’s behavior, even violent behavior, since it reflects their karmas; and the kids’ guardian angels can be relied on to prevent any serious harm. [See the entries for “karma” and “guardian angels” in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.]
[4] Bullying has allegedly been a serious problem in Steiner/Waldorf schools. [See “Slaps”.] Tolerance for bullying may arise from belief in karma and guardian angels. But other forms of abuse have also been reported in Steiner/Waldorf schools. [See, e.g., “Extremity”.]
[5] This, clearly, is the most important finding in the report: The school failed to meet required standards in every part of its operations, including management of the school, quality of teaching, and outcomes for students.
[6] Many people love Steiner/Waldorf education, and they will often defend it vigorously. Whether this affection and support are based on a clear-eyed understanding of the Steiner/Waldorf system may be questionable, however. [See, e.g., “The Upside”, “Glory”, and “Oh Humanity”.]
It is certainly true that judging Steiner/Waldorf schools by ordinary standards may be miss many crucial points about these schools. Steiner/Waldorf schools have different aims and different practices from those found in ordinary schools. Here are a few in indications of this. The following statements were made by knowledgeable followers of Rudolf Steiner:
◊ “[Waldorf] education is essentially grounded on the recognition of the child as a spiritual being, with a varying number of incarnations behind him….” — Anthroposophist Stewart C. Easton, MAN AND WORLD IN THE LIGHT OF ANTHROPOSOPHY (Anthroposophic Press, 1989), pp. 388-389.
◊ “Waldorf education strives to create a place in which the highest beings [i.e., the gods]…can find their home....” — Waldorf teacher Joan Almon, WHAT IS A WALDORF KINDERGARTEN? (SteinerBooks, 2007), p. 53.
◊ "Waldorf education is based upon the recognition that the four bodies of the human being [the physical, etheric, astral, and ego bodies] develop and mature at different times.” — Waldorf teacher Roberto Trostli, RHYTHMS OF LEARNING: What Waldorf Education Offers Children, Parents, and Teachers (SteinerBooks, 2017), p. 4.
◊ “[T]he purpose of [Waldorf] education is to help the individual fulfill his karma.” — Waldorf teacher Roy Wilkinson, THE SPIRITUAL BASIS OF STEINER EDUCATION (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1996), p. 52.
[For more such statements, see, e.g., “Here’s the Answer” and “Who Says?”]
◊
January 22, 2018
DEFENDERS PUSH BACK
AGAINST “DAMNING REPORTS”
In recent days, news articles have described “damning” reports about Steiner schools written by inspectors working for the UK’s Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted).
As was to be expected, the schools and their proponents are responding vigorously. Here are excerpts from two articles outlining these responses.
1.
From Somerset Live [county of Somerset, UK]:
Steiner Academy in Frome
has responded to
damning report from Ofsted
which rated it 'inadequate'
School leaders have said
they are already taking steps
to improve the situation
by Max Baker
Leaders at the Steiner Academy in Frome [1] have responded to the damning Ofsted report which grades it 'inadequate' in every area [2].
The school has said that steps are already being taken to ensure improvements are made after concerns [about] safeguarding and leadership were raised by Ofsted.
A statement from acting principal Nikki Doughty and Suzanne Flack, chairperson of the new academy management sub-committee, said: "Following a two-day inspection at the school in November 2018, the report outlines serious concerns in leadership, teaching and learning and safeguarding.
"A detailed plan addressing these concerns has been completed with many actions, especially around improvements in safeguarding, having already taken place [3]…."
Lead inspector Caroline Dulon said in the report: "There is no consistent approach to managing pupils’ behaviour and this places pupils at risk. In some instances, staff do not address misbehaviour at all. At other times, responses to challenging behaviour have been disproportionate.
"There has been a recent and significant increase in the number of fixed term exclusions [4]. This is particularly the case for pupils with SEND [5].
"Low level disruption in classes is common. Pupils report that this often inhibits their learning. Leaders and staff have not tackled this behaviour.
"Consequently, pupils’ education has suffered.”
Other criticisms included early-year provision for children [6]…
Several people criticised the school for the poor report, but many have got behind Steiner Academy and are confident that it can improve.
[1/22/2018 https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/from-steiner-school-responds-ofsted-2443278 This article originally appeared on January 18.]
◊
2.
From The Bristol Post [city of Bristol, UK]:
Why Steiner Academy Bristol
is planning to take Ofsted
to the High Court [7]
after latest inspection
The unprecedented move is being taken
by a community which feels it
has been unfairly targeted
by Emma Grimshaw
Parents and teachers plan to take Ofsted to court after its latest inspection at Steiner Academy Bristol [8].
During an unannounced inspection in November, the watchdog said pupils at the school 'are not safe'.
The school was graded as inadequate in every area of inspection, meaning Ofsted put it into special measures [9].
But the report has angered many parents who have children at the academy, as they claim Ofsted's findings do not represent their child's experience. [10]
Now bosses [11] have launched a crowdfunder to raise £15,000 to start legal proceedings against Ofsted [12].
They wrote on the fundraising page: "The legal claim will argue that the Ofsted inspection was flawed, that they failed to follow guidance and the code of conduct relating to inspections, and the inspectors lacked a proper evidential basis for their conclusions.
"It will also argue that we believe that there was apparent bias in the way that Ofsted carried out their inspection"…
Parents have also launched a petition calling for another 'fair' inspection to take place at the academy. It has already gathered 1,113 signatures in less than one week…
An Ofsted spokesperson said: “We take all complaints about our inspections seriously, and deal with them as quickly as possible.
"Our inspection judgements are never made lightly. They can have a significant impact on a school, its pupils and parents, and the community. However, the safety, well-being and educational achievement of pupils is paramount.
"All schools judged inadequate are subject to additional scrutiny and an extended quality assurance process before being finalised. All such judgments have to be authorised by Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, and schools have the opportunity to challenge our inspection findings before the report is published"….
[1/22/2019 https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/steiner-academy-bristol-planning-take-2454021]
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Waldorf Watch Footnotes:
[1] Frome is a town 13 miles south of the city of Bath, England. Frome is the site of Steiner Academy Frome, one of four Steiner “free schools” (charter schools) currently operating in the United Kingdom (UK).
[2] I.e., in every part of the school’s practices examined by the inspectors.
[3] The school implicitly accepts that Ofsted's criticisms have merit, and it claims to be implementing the needed improvements. (By contrast, Steiner Academy Bristol effectively rejects criticisms made by Ofsted. See footnote 12, below.)
[4] I.e., rejected applications for admission.
[5] I.e., students with special educational needs and disabilities.
[6] I.e., care and instruction of the youngest children at the school.
[7] One of several types of court in the UK, the High Court is meant to consider cases of high importance.
[8] Bristol is a city in southwestern England. It is the site of Steiner Academy Bristol.
[9] I.e., education authorities will now direct special attention to the school, aiming to improve the institution. Teachers and others may be dismissed. The school itself may ultimately be closed if it does not improve adequately.
[10] Some people love Steiner/Waldorf education. The schools are often lovely, filled with pleasing artwork; the teachers usually seem caring and devoted; there is often a sweet spiritual ambiance; academic pressures on the students are low; attractive values such as environmentalism are stressed; etc. Parents may become disillusioned eventually [see, e.g., “Our Experience”], and problems may develop when the esoteric belief system underlying the schools (Anthroposophy) comes into view [see, e.g., “Coming Undone”]. But especially in a young school such as Steiner Academy Bristol — which opened in the autumn of 2014 — little of this disillusionment may yet have developed.
[11] I.e., leaders of the school.
[12] While Steiner Academy Frome appears to be attempting to work with, and satisfy, Ofsted, Steiner Academy Bristol is taking a more combative stance. This may prove dangerous. Following a series of critical inspection reports, Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley (RSSKL) tried to defend itself through legal action, but this effort failed and the school was ultimately ordered to close. [See "RSSKL".]"
— R.R.
Use this link to go to the
previous sections of
You may also want to examine
"Complaints 1",
"Complaints 2",
and/or
"Complaints 3".
For a discussion of anecdotal evidence,
see "The First Person".
Emulations of Waldorf-style art by R.R.