Steiner education offers a creative and holistic approach to learning, focusing on the development of the whole child – mind, body and spirit. Founded by Austrian philosopher Rudolph Steiner, the educational philosophy emphasises imagination, hands on experiences and a deep connection to nature, setting it apart from more traditional, test-driven educational pedagogy. Waldorf schools, based on Steiner’s principles, encourage learning through play, storytelling and artistic expression, particularly in the early years.

In this blog we will explore Steiner’s vision for education, the principles behind Steiner schools and what this might look like in practice. We will explore both the strengths and potential draw backs of Steiner Education and will reflect on whether this child-led approach remains relevant and valuable in today’s world.

Who was Rudolph Steiner?

What are Steiner Schools and Waldorf Schools?

One of Steiner’s lasting contributions was the development of Steiner Education; a pedagogical approach underpinned by the principles of holistic development.

Waldorf schools, (also known as, Steiner schools), follow the Steiner educational philosophy and seek to develop a child-centred approach which supports children’s academic, social, moral and creative development to facilitate children becoming well-rounded, independent learners.

Waldorf schools are founded on the belief in the importance of educating the ‘whole child’ – head (thinking), heart (feeling) and hands (doing). It was Steiner’s intent to create an educational environment, based on these principles, that was spiritual, but non-denominational.

The first Waldorf school was opened in Germany in 1919 when, following a lecture to the workers of the Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory, the owner, Emil Moult, asked him to set up a school for their children, hence the name Waldorf schools. Today there are over 1000 Waldorf schools and over 2000 early years settings worldwide.  

What is the Waldorf Programme or Waldorf Method?

The Waldorf method encourages creativity, hands-on learning, and personal development. Steiner Schools delay the start of formal academic development with the introduction of reading and writing at around the age of 7. There is a strong focus on the arts with music, painting and storytelling playing an essential part of children’s experiences. The Waldorf method limits the use of technology, instead focusing on encouraging imagination and creativity.  There are often no screens in early education, as they are seen as a distraction or obstacle to early learning.

The Waldorf method also highlights the interconnected nature of subjects through a holistic curriculum. As a consequence, the learning experience of children up to the age of 7 is not separated into subjects rather developed through an interconnected, experienced-based approach. Learning is developed through practical, real-life opportunities, for example, mathematics through cooking, or language for communication development through conversation at a meal table.

We can see very clear parallels with these core messages with much of the ongoing conversation surrounding the EYFS Statutory Framework, Ofsted’s Inspection Framework, and broader, more recent, early years research. It is interesting to note the very clear links between the interconnected nature of subjects the Steiner approach advocates and the clear reminders within the Best Start in Life series in relation to this same message. 

Waldorf education begins with the view that human development is made up of three stages:

• 0 to 7 years (early childhood)
• 7 to 14 years (middle childhood)
• 14 to 21 years (adolescence).

Steiner believed that each of these distinct stages shapes the way children learn and develop intellectually, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Steiner Education’s seven-year stages are broadly similar to those later described by Jean Piaget in which he suggests children move through four distinct stages of development.

When reflecting on how Steiner’s work has changed early childhood education, it’s important to consider how his approach was built upon by other influential theorists such as Jean Piaget. Jean Piaget was a pioneering Swiss psychologist known for his ground-breaking work in cognitive development. His theory of cognitive development, which explains how children construct knowledge through experiences, has had a lasting impact on early childhood education. Piaget’s work built on the philosophical foundations laid by Rudolf Steiner whose Steiner education approach emphasised holistic learning, creativity, and experiential understanding – key elements that align with Piaget’s theories of active learning. Piaget identified seven stages of cognitive development, beginning with reflex-based responses in infancy and culminating in abstract, logical thinking in adolescence. His insights have influenced teaching methods in Steiner schools, where a child-centred, developmentally appropriate approach is prioritised. By recognising how children think at different stages, Piaget’s research has shaped modern Steiner education, inspiring Waldorf school methodologies that focus on hands-on, discovery-based learning, ensuring that education aligns with a child’s natural cognitive growth. His legacy continues to shape classrooms worldwide, promoting a deeper understanding of how children learn best.

Steiner Education is based on a pedagogical approach which they suggest should be matched to these developmental stages. When exploring the early childhood phase, Steiner Education advocates the need for children to learn through concrete, real-life experiences and therefore, through an environment which facilitates this.

The Steiner Education Principles: Learning Though Play

In early childhood, play is an essential part of young children’s learning and development. Rudolph Steiner believed that children learn best through imaginative play, hands-on experiences and nature-based learning. As a consequence, Steiner Education and Steiner Schools provide opportunities for rich imaginative play through open-ended resources, first-hand experiences, such as woodwork, cooking, gardening and crafting as well as outdoor play and nature exploration.

Steiner Education theory recognises the importance of the environment in children’s development and very much reflects the principles for continuous provision in the Early Years. We know that carefully planned continuous provision will enable children to learn skills, will challenge their thinking and help them to embed concepts. When most effective, it also provides a rich context for a variety of learning conversations between children and adults with strong opportunities for modelling and extending speech and vocabulary. It is within this learning environment that the children will also develop the Characteristics of Effective Learning. A robustly planned, resourced and taught environment can significantly impact children’s engagement, independence, collaboration, self-confidence, resilience and curiosity.

The focus in Steiner Schools on developing thinking, building independence and encouraging children to carry out their own ideas, solve problems and make connections is clear and certainly resonates with the professional conversations and needs within schools today.

The Role of Teachers and the Environment in Waldorf Classrooms

The more we explore Steiner education, the more we can see similarities to the Characteristics of Effective Learning and our role as adults and the environment we provide in securing engagement and nurturing thinking.

The Steiner Education theory emphasises the importance of strong, positive relationships and advocates children having the same teacher for multiple years of their educational journey. This principle supports teachers in securing these strong relationships between children and their teacher to build and maintain an in-depth knowledge and understanding of each child. The role of the adult in building positive relationships and nurturing independence and confidence is clear. In Waldorf classrooms, teachers bring subjects to life through the use of story telling and provision for artistic activities. The Steiner approach sees teachers as mentors and guides on children’s educational journey, teaching by example rather than through direct instruction. Learning is very much led by children through creative, child-initiated play with adults facilitating the development of skills to support children in becoming independent, self-motivated learners.  

The importance of adults giving children the time and space to develop their knowledge, skills and learning behaviours at their own pace is central to the approach and recognises the critical adult role. It reminds us how skilled the adults in our Early Years need to be in their interactions in order to support, challenge, scaffold, inspire and, crucially, step back.

Steiner’s view that there is a danger in introducing learning challenges to children before they are developmentally ready feels very familiar today when we reflect on more recent research, particularly the messages within Strong Foundations in the First Years of School. Once again, the importance of skilled adults who are knowledgeable and sensitive to the developmental needs and interests of the children is absolutely key.

At Early Excellence we reflect on the core principles of effective learning and development; the importance of the adult and the environment whilst always underpinned by our knowledge of the child. The Steiner Waldorf early childhood approach talks about this in terms of the development of the whole child and the role a well-planned environment plays in ensuring children flourish. The method advocates a calm, carefully planned, predictable environment, with cosy spaces and the time and space afforded to exploring this through concrete experiences in their own creative ways.

The importance of this well-planned, carefully considered complete classroom environment is central to the Steiner approach with very clear purpose. Waldorf classroom environments are designed to be ‘home-like’, with scale and resource not designed to overwhelm. The approach outlines the need for key areas of provision, including, a nature table, home corner, areas of floor space for large constructions, a book corner, and a snack area with table and chairs.

Again, this feels very familiar when we think about the role of the environment for effective continuous provision, to encourage children’s independence and nurture a wide range of learning behaviours. We cannot underestimate the impact of a well-planned and carefully resourced environment in supporting the acquisition, development and progression of skills and competencies. As we talk about in our blog around the role of the early years environment, we need to create spaces that are appealing, continually available and familiar to young children to enable deeper learning as children return to, repeat and extend their ideas over time. This promotes mastery behaviour as children are introduced to and supported with the use of carefully selected high-quality resources. Each resource needs to be chosen to not only connect with children’s interests and their natural curiosity to investigate but also with its purpose in mind. 

Benefits of a Steiner Waldorf Education

Many parents/carers choose a Steiner Waldorf education because it encourages children’s creativity and imagination, supports emotional and social development, reduces stress by avoiding early academic pressure and promotes a love of learning through hands on experiences. It could be described as a refreshing step away from our world dominated by screens, tests and scheme-led approaches. The Waldorf method appears to place the child firmly at the centre of provision and practice and offers a more holistic view of education. The focus on teaching children how to think, the process of learning, has very strong parallels with the development of the Characteristics of Effective Learning through the recognition of the value of independence, creativity and problem solving. 

Steiner was not, however, without controversy and reportedly held some very challenging views which many of us would question and which many modern-day Steiner Schools have openly rejected, stating that their teaching remains focused on Steiner principles of holistic education but rejects his outdated world views.

Most recently, there were questions raised around the low vaccination rates in Steiner Schools, potentially linked to Steiner’s view that childhood illness strengthened immune systems.

Reflections around whether the decision to avoid all screen-based education in the early years still has a place in the world we live and is regularly discussed. The question whether this hinders, rather than supports, children’s engagement with, and understanding of, today’s digital world remains a point of contention.

Some critics also question whether delaying the teaching of reading and writing may leave children struggling to catch up in more traditional academic settings.

That said, the strong emphasis on creativity, play, and children’s holistic development, certainly has strong underpinning around what we know and understand today regarding early child development.

Steiner in Early Years Education

Steiner believed that early childhood education should be about play, imagination and exploring the world around us. The goal is to nurture curiosity, creativity and emotional well-being before introducing formal learning. Never before has conversation been so prominent around well-being and the emotional needs of our young children in this area.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development is, quite rightly, one of the prime areas of learning in the EYFS and, now more than ever, our practice should reflect this. With this in mind, in order to place children’s emotional wellbeing at the heart of all we do, we need to consider how we develop children’s sense of security, confidence and high levels of self-esteem by ensuring they feel that:

• Someone cares for them
• Their interests are recognised
• Their feelings are considered
• Their ways of doing things are valued and who they are is affirmed

When we reflect on early education, through the Steiner approach, we can see these considerations incorporated through the following key aspects:

• Imaginative Play – promoted through open-ended resources which are rich in learning possibilities.
• Rhythm and Routine – developed with a clear flow and consistent structure to the day which provides children with security, stability and balance.
• Practical Life Skills – children contribute and develop independence through real-life tasks and experiences such as cooking, gardening and cleaning.
• Minimal Technology – the focus is on real-life learning instead of through screens.
• Connection to Nature – a strong focus on outdoor play and real life exploration and experiences of seasons and the natural world.

“What a difference there is between…playthings that leave as much as possible to the power of imagination and giving finished toys that leave nothing for the child’s own inner activity.” Rudolf Steiner. The Roots of Education, 1924

 

A Need for Creative Curriculum: Why is Steiner Education Relevant Today?

Since 2014 the UK educational system has taken a far more traditionalist approach whereby education is focused on children knowing more and remembering knowledge. 

In a world dominated by screens, tests, scheme-led approaches and fast paced learning, the Waldorf programme offers a slower, more holistic approach to education. It teaches children how to think, not just what to think, the importance of creativity and problem solving and a deep connection to nature and first-hand experiences. It focuses on the knowledge, skills and understanding being developed alongside the attributes children need to become lifelong learners. There is a clear focus on ‘formal learning’ being introduced when, and only when, it is developmentally appropriate.

There have been clear calls, in more recent years, for greater breadth and balance in our curriculum alongside the need for children to develop the attributes and qualities which will develop them as learners such as resilience, determination and well-being. One can certainly see how a holistic approach such as this offers what is being consistently called for amongst educationalists today.

Once again, we can see parallels to the EYFS Statutory Framework, the underpinning Characteristics of Effective Learning, as well as the very current focus around executive function.

Steiner Education – Conclusion

Rudolph Steiner’s vision for education fosters creativity, independence and a deep connection to the world. Steiner schools aim to provide children with the time and space to learn through experience, develop critical thinking skills and grow into well-rounded individuals. In an age where high pressure and scheme-led approaches often take centre stage, Steiner’s approach reminds us of the value of imagination, hands on learning and a balanced childhood.

Whilst we will certainly challenge some of Steiner’s thinking around evolutionary doctrine, the educational vision with clear emphasis on holistic, child-centred learning certainly reflects an educational philosophy that speaks to many of us.

An approach which places children at the heart of it surely continues to offer a meaningful and relevant path forward in education today.

 

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1. Image of Rudolf Steiner By Otto Rietmann.  Source: Abbildung übernommen aus Wolfgang G. Vögele, Der andere Rudolf Steiner – Augenzeugenbrichte, Interviews, Karikaturen, 2005, S. 116, Public Domain. ↩︎