St Paul’s Steiner School

St. Paul’s Steiner School is an independent, non-selective and non-denominational school for children aged 3-14 years old.

Housed in a beautiful 19th century church in central London, St. Paul’s is a Steiner-Waldorf School. We provide an education that supports the development of well-rounded human beings who are resourceful, creative, responsible and curious; ready to meet the challenges of the 21st century with the problem-solving skills required for a sustainable future.

OUR MISSION: "To educate the whole child in a healthy and balanced manner and to address the physical, emotional, and intellectual capacities of the developing child through an age-appropriate curriculum".

OUR AIM: "We aim to educate today’s children so that they will be equipped to be creative authors of their own lives and sculptors of the planet’s future; free and able to pursue their chosen path in life".

The Steiner teaching methodology and curriculum are internationally recognised. They address many contemporary concerns, including respect for childhood, extended engagement of the adolescent in learning, sustainability, community building and social renewal.

In early years the Steiner kindergarten provides time and space for the development of pre-literacy skills, social and emotional competence in a warm and secure learning environment where the qualities of childhood are nurtured.

Formal learning begins as the child rises 7 years of age, and formative assessment rather than testing is practised throughout. GCSE and A level examinations can be taken alongside the full curriculum, sometimes a year later than in state schools and with less associated stress. Results compare favourably with national average passes at GCSE and A Level.

Steiner’s philosophical work, known as anthroposophy, is not taught as part of the curriculum, but underpins the vision for the education, which seeks to nurture equally the child and later young person’s capacities of thinking, feeling and volition, as well as fostering a sense of respect. At the centre of the school’s activities is a set of principles that recognises the integrated nature of mind, body and spirit set in a social or cultural context.

The project was founded in 1994, occupying the current site, St Paul’s, a previously derelict church, at the junction of Essex and St Paul’s Roads in Islington from 1995. The original intention was to restore the building as a home for a Steiner School and a resource committed to lifelong learning for the local community.

Each year a new classroom has been built and in 2007 the first students graduated from Class VIII to go on to complete their education at local state schools or other Steiner Schools around the country.

The School currently provides services to around 160 families through inclusive school, kindergarten and parent & child group schemes. St Paul’s has a unique location between some of the most exclusive homes in London and some of the most troubled and deprived estates. St Paul’s is situated on the borders of Hackney and Islington and 70% of the school’s users come from these boroughs.

The Community Resource has been developed in tandem with the school. The large and beautiful nave provides an outstanding space and has hosted a variety of activities. It has developed a programme of events and workshops that include fairs, markets, theatrical productions, dance and music. The building is also used for a variety of other community needs including evening classes and meetings.

We intend for the sessions to be a nourishing experience for both parent and child. Often it is the child’s first experience of being in a group; through this, they begin to learn social skills such as playing alongside others and sharing. Through their natural forces of imitation, they join in seasonal songs, verses and movement at circle time; they enjoy a social snack together around the table and they learn to sit and watch a little seasonal puppet story.

There is lots of time to play. We provide very simple toys that are hand crafted from natural materials, which feed the senses and nurture the imagination.

Alongside the Steiner Waldorf curriculum, we work with and integrate the Statutory Framework for the early years foundation stage (setting the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five.) This is commonly known as the EYFS. The EYFS covers seven areas of learning. Of these, the three prime areas are Physical Development, Personal, Social and Emotional Development and Communication and Language.) The four secondary areas of learning are Mathematics, Literacy, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design.

There are some areas of the EYFS that Steiner Waldorf Kindergartens have exemptions from or modifications to. There is complete exemption from the whole of the Literacy aspect plus modifications to Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design. These exemptions are because we do not actively teach Literacy and Numeracy in the Early Years, nor do we use computer technology in the Kindergarten.