WALDORF PROGRAMME
“Receive the children in reverence, educate
them in love, and send them forth in freedom.”
— Rudolf Steiner
The Waldorf programme at The Island is a deeply human, academically rigorous, and artistically fuelled journey designed to nurture the whole child - head, heart, and hands. Our approach prioritises the seamless integration of physical, emotional, and intellectual growth, ensuring that every lesson addresses the complete development and spiritual well-being of the student.
Waldorf Early Years Programme
3-6 y.o
Why Study the Waldorf with Us?
We provide the education that protects the wonder of childhood while preparing adolescents to meet the world with resilience and clarity. Centred on a child’s specific developmental stages, our curriculum utilises myths, moral lessons, and imaginative play to foster a strong sense of ethics and a deep-seated ability for creative thinking. This balanced environment allows children to explore their unique perspectives while building the emotional, social, and cognitive foundations necessary for a purposeful and value-driven life.
  • A Century of Proven Insight
    Developed by Rudolf Steiner in 1919, Waldorf education is one of the fastest-growing independent school movements globally. We apply a time-tested understanding of human development that respects the distinct needs of the child.
  • The Class Teacher Relationship
    Uniquely to Waldorf, a Class Teacher often stays with their cohort of students for several years. This continuity fosters a profound pedagogical relationship. The teacher comes to know the child’s temperament, struggles, and gifts intimately, allowing for an education that is personalised by deep human connection.
  • Academic Rigour through Artistic Experience
    Our students engage with the subject matter artistically through drawing, drama, movement, and narrative. This "feeling" approach to thinking ensures that knowledge sinks deeply into the memory and becomes a living part of the student.
  • Protecting the Senses
    We prioritise natural materials — wood, wool, beeswax, and paper—and limit technology in the primary years. This stewardship of the senses allows children to develop acute powers of observation and sustained attention spans, unfragmented by screens.
How Children Learn?
  • The Main Lesson Block
    We start each morning with a 'Main Lesson' - a two-hour immersion into a single academic subject. This allows students to fully inhabit a subject and achieve deep comprehension.
  • Rhythm and Breathing
    We alternate between periods of concentration and expansion. This rhythmic approach prevents fatigue and aligns with the child’s natural physiological needs, ensuring they remain refreshed and receptive.
  • Narrative as a Vehicle
    We teach through the art of storytelling. From fairy tales in the early years to biographies of great inventors in the middle school, stories engage the child’s emotional life, providing the "hook" upon which intellectual concepts hang.
  • Hands-On Learning
    Cognitive development is supported by the work of the hands: knitting, wood carving, gardening, and modelling.
  • Movement and Eurythmy
    We recognise that a child thinks with their whole body. Recitation is often accompanied by rhythmic movement, and we employ Eurythmy to make speech and musical tones visible. This helps children navigate their spatial awareness and social cooperation.
  • Seasonal Rhythms
    Our teaching follows natural seasonal rhythms, celebrating festivals and seasonal changes to connect children with the world around them.
This curriculum is well-suited to:
  • Students who perceive the world in pictures and thrive when given the freedom to explore "why" and "how".
  • Parents who are willing to delay the introduction of smartphones and social media to allow their child’s social and emotional intelligence to mature naturally.
  • Students who may feel lost in large, impersonal settings and who require a safe, predictable emotional environment to take academic risks.
  • Those who believe that character development, kindness, and reverence for nature are as important on the report card as academic grades.
Admission
The academic year begins in September and concludes in June. Prospective students can apply now for all academic programmes. Admission into the school depends on the student's overall tests/interview results as well as place availability in a particular programme and grade. Please note that the school begins accepting children who are a full 3 years of age by 1st September.
Apply Admission Process
Gallery