Admissions

Applying to join the school

Welcome to Ringwood Waldorf School! We're glad you're here. Our admissions process is straightforward and you can apply online. The first step is to book a call with our Admissions Officer.

Please also contact Admissions if you would like to know more about our Open Mornings and school events.

Our Admissions Process

1

Book a Call and Visit

Please click on the link below to arrange an initial Zoom or phone call with our Admissions Office. This is an opportunity to ask any questions you may have, find out more about our school and to check the availability of spaces in your child’s class.  

Visit the School

We recommend a visit to our school and we can arrange a tour for you and your family during the initial call. During your visit, you will have the opportunity to tour the school grounds, see the classrooms, and if available, speak to the teachers.

Families are also encouraged to find out as much as possible about Waldorf education beforehand and there are a few short films about Waldorf Education on our website. Plus these short films entitled Why Waldorf? and What is Waldorf Education?

Please see our full Admissions Policy below:

Admissions Policy

2

Submit an Application

If you decide to apply for a place for your child, you can complete and submit an application online. 

To submit the application, you will need to provide:

  • A copy of your child's birth certificiate.
  • A copy of your child’s last school reports
  • A copy of any reports from educational psychologists or SEN coordinators (if applicable)
  • A completed financial contribution form

A £95 admissions registration fee is also applicable for each application.  (£50 for each subsequent application for any siblings).

Please note that we are unable to progress your application without these documents.

If the class is full, we will offer you a place on the waitlist for that class.

Please download the Financial Contribution Form, complete it and attach it to the Application Form.

3

Taster Days

Once we have received your application, there may be the option of your child attending some taster days in the class.  This is so that they can get a feel for the school and the education, as the rhythms and pace of the curriculum can seem quite different to other schools.  Taster days are only offered from Class 1 and above. 

The Admissions Office and relevant class teacher will advise you if this is appropriate for your child.  Taster days are only offered when there is space available in the class.  

4

Admissions Interview

If we are able to proceed with your application, the family will be invited for an interview at the school, normally within a month of their application or in the term before their ideal start date. This will also be after any taster days have taken place, if applicable.

This is an opportunity for us to get to know more about your child and your family, discuss your child's development and educational journey so far, and for you to meet the class teacher. The teacher will also give you more specific details about the class and curriculum and answer any questions you may have.

This meeting will be with two teachers and takes approximately 1 hour. One teacher will interview the parents and one teacher will talk to the child. 

Please note that being invited for an interview does not mean you will automatically be offered a place in the school.

5

Offer of a Place

If both the school and the family are in agreement, your child will be offered a place at the school.  You will be sent an Admission Agreement to sign as acceptance of the place, and be required to pay a £700 refundable family deposit.

The first half term is a trial basis for both the family and the school so that the best outcomes all around can be achieved. This allows for flexibility if things do not work out as expected, although this is the exception.

7

Join Us & Start

Shortly before joining the school, we will introduce you to the Class Parents for the class(es) you are joining so that they can support you as you settle in, introduce you to other families, and warmly welcome your family into the school community.

You will also receive a copy of our Parents’ Handbook which will give you all the information you need ahead of joining the school, and we will subscribe you to the school's internal weekly Newsletter so that you can start to get to know people and what is happening in school.

Frequent Questions

More Questions?

Admissions Enquiry Form
Please note - we have a call booking system here on the site where you can book a call with our Admissions Officer at a time which suits you.

International Students

Living and studying overseas at a young age is a very rich and rewarding experience both for you and for your British classmates. You will be fully integrated into our own classes of native English speaking children and together you will follow the Waldorf curriculum used worldwide.

It is a great environment to improve your English at your own speed and to help you, we offer EFL (English as a Foreign Language) lessons to all non-native speaker students. There are no compulsory formal exams, but there is an option to sit GCSEs in maths and English in class Ten.

We offer a wide ranging curriculum including arts, crafts, drama, music, physical activities, maths, science, languages and much more! Classes are small (15-20 on average) and have a caring, intimate and friendly atmosphere. You will acquire proficiency and competence in the English language very naturally by virtue of being in close contact with English speaking people.

Relocating

We have a wide 'catchment' area and many families move counties or countries to be able to attend the school. We can do a virtual visit and, if necessary, application interviews via zoom. If we can help ease your move, we will, so please just ask.

Financial Contributions

We are a community school which is funded almost entirely with the financial contributions of the families attending the school. This allows us to keep our independence and be able to offer the full Waldorf Curriculum right through the school to age 18.

Our School Prospectus

"Little thoughts get us nowhere, so we must pluck up the courage to think big thoughts."

Rudolf Steiner

"When I am asked what did Waldorf education do for you? I reply;
It encouraged me to always strive to become a better human being."

Jens Stoltenberg

13th secretary-general of NATO
& former Prime Minister of Norway

"We are hard-wired to be happiest when are part of a community..."

Charlotte Coward-Williams

Editor of Enki magazine

"Children must be taught how to think not what to think."

Rudolf Steiner

"Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist.
Children already know that dragons exist.
Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be beaten."

GK Chesterton

Author & literary and art critic

"Children learn more from being bored than by being entertained."

Douglas Gerwin

Executive director of the Research Institute for Waldorf education, USA

"You cannot teach people anything.
You can only help them discover it within themselves."

Galileo Galilei

Astronomer, physicist & engineer

"It was my experience at a Waldorf school that encouraged me to pursue acting as a career. It was a free-spirited school that encourage creativity and individualism.

Jennifer Aniston

Actor

"Playing outside should be a subject at school."

Johan Cruyff

Professional footballer & coach