The Parents' Handbook

Keeping Parents Well-Informed

Ringwood Waldorf School is fully committed to offering the best Waldorf Education that it can within the resources available and operate on the principle of continuous improvement.

The Parents' Handbook

The Parents’ Handbook, which is reviewed and updated on an annual basis, is distributed to current parents of Ringwood Waldorf School and represents part of the commitment of the school to keep parents well informed on aspects of school organisation and management policy by providing useful information. In turn, this is seen as deepening understanding and thereby enabling parents to offer their support to the school and the education it provides. This benefits the education of the children.

The Handbook

    “The purpose of education is to enable the mind, to fire the imagination, to fortify the will, and to quicken the initiative for life”.

    Rudolf Steiner

    About the Handbook

    The Parents’ Handbook, which is reviewed and updated on an annual basis, is distributed to current parents of Ringwood Waldorf School and represents part of the commitment of the school to keep parents well informed on aspects of school organisation and management policy by providing useful information.  In turn, this is seen as deepening understanding and thereby enabling parents to offer their support to the school and the education it provides. This benefits the education of the children.

    Feedback and suggestions for future editions are welcome and should be addressed to the Administrator.

    In these pages we hope you will find the answers to most of the common questions you may have.  Please be aware that this Handbook deals mainly with matters of organisation, policy and management. It does not seek to address questions of curriculum or pedagogy as it relates to child development or the deeper spiritual understanding that underlie and inform the education. The School Leadership and Management Teams encourages parents to take up their own study of child development as it relates to the curriculum and pedagogy so that they may share together the educational journey with their children and deepen their own understanding. The school supports this study in various ways which are outlined elsewhere in this Parents’ Handbook. In addition, relevant aspects of child development are presented at Parent Evenings. The Parents’ Library, situated in Reception, also has many books to assist parents.

    Ringwood Waldorf School is fully committed to offering the best Waldorf Education that it can within the resources that are available and operates on the principle of continuous improvement.

    Please see other pages on the school website for further information on the school curriculum and relevant school policies.

    Introduction and Overview

    Ringwood Waldorf School

    Ringwood Waldorf School is a company (no. 8645246) and registered charity (no. 1158673). The school has been in existence since 1974.

    The Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship

    Ringwood Waldorf School is a full member of Waldorf UK, formally the Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship, and it is also represented by that body on the European Council of Waldorf Schools. Waldorf UK forms part of an ever growing world-wide educational movement.

    Friends of Ringwood Waldorf School

    Three former Activities of the Sheiling Trust form part of the movement of intentional Camphill Communities: The Sheiling School offers residential, as well as day and weekly placements for children with special needs; The Lantern is a community for adults with diverse learning abilities, and Sturts Farm is a land-based community, also for adults with a learning disability, specialising in organic and biodynamic farming.

    Proprietor

    Ringwood Waldorf School

    Chair of Trustees - Sinead Wilson-Devane

    Sinead can be contacted via the school address.

    Please address correspondence to:

    Sinead Wilson-Devane
    c/o Ringwood Waldorf School
    Folly Farm Lane, Ashley, Ringwood
    Hants, BH24 2NN

    Telephone messages can also be left at the school and will be passed on. Telephone 01425 472 664

    General Information and Questions

    This section of the handbook is designed to answer many common questions you may have. It includes school dates and times as well as information on more specific subjects such as music, Learning Support, rest and sleep and electronic media. We hope you find it helpful.

    The School Rules

    Rules can be seen conceptually as common understandings and agreements that allow each individual to participate in the purpose of the school, which is the education of the children. 

    Having clear behavioural boundaries supports children in feeling secure. Rules at Ringwood Waldorf School are pedagogically based and are the result of many years of experience. In addition, rules support your own family by helping with the inevitable peer pressures that arise as part of growing up.

    Above all, rules are intended to support children on their educational journey towards freedom. (See ‘Education Towards Freedom’ by Frans Carlgren, Floris Books) by teaching them about responsibility, always, of course, in an age appropriate way.

    It is very important that the family and school work together with common and agreed values, and we earnestly seek your support in the application of the school rules. In particular school rules should not be questioned or discussed in the presence of younger children.

    How the School is Managed

    Ringwood Waldorf School reflects in its organisational structure the Threefold Social Order out of which the founding impulse for the Waldorf School movement arose. Parents can learn more about this by referring to the recommended reading list or by attending periodical talks that are offered on this subject. 

    The form of organisational structure can, in simple terms, be viewed as a flat republican management model. 

    Education is seen as a cultural deed within the Threefold Social Order and the organisational structure is arranged to serve this and, for this reason, is seen as an integral part of the education itself.

    The collaborative leadership and management structure consists of three groups:

    • The Board of Trustees
    • The School Leadership Team
    • The School Management Team

    Getting Involved

    We are a community school and ask families to take on additional tasks around the school with enthusiasm and goodwill. These are contagious qualities and we encourage parents to wholeheartedly be part of a positive and responsible parent body which, together with the teachers and staff, creates a warm, enthusiastic and empowering environment for the children. Your willing participation and support in the life of the school also supports the children in their own personal development.

    Communication

    Ringwood Waldorf School is committed to ensuring that the learning needs of each child are met and that their educational potential is fulfilled and supported.

    To be successful in this task requires the active and ongoing support of the family working with the school in positive and constructive ways. The importance of this cannot be overemphasised. Accordingly, the school places considerable emphasis on achieving a positive working relationship with each family and asks in return that parents respond to this by ensuring that the appropriate communication channels are used and school policies and procedures are followed.

    Financial Matters

    ‘Money is will made manifest’.

    Ringwood Waldorf School, as an independent school, is reliant on parents for its financial and material needs and the financial organisation of the school reflects this fact. The school endeavours to ensure that the education is available to all those parents who wish it for their children while at the same time recognising that the school needs to be financially viable and responsible. Financial Contributions are used to educate all the children in the community and are not applied on an individual basis. All financial contributions are received as a gift to the whole community.

    The school offers the highest quality Steiner Waldorf Education it can within the resources available, and the provision of those resources is the responsibility of each individual within the community.

    Health and Safety Matters

    Ringwood Waldorf School is committed to ensuring a safe physical and emotional learning environment for all pupils and ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of all who work in the school. This includes the principles of equality of access to educational opportunities for all. The general medical care of children is held to be primarily the responsibility of parents.

    Parent Code of Conduct

    We are very fortunate to have a supportive and friendly parent body. Adults in the community recognise that educating children is a process that involves a partnership between parents, carers, class teachers and the whole school community. As a partnership, our parents/carers will understand the importance of a good working relationship to equip children with the necessary skills for adulthood. For these reasons we continue to welcome and encourage parents/carers to participate fully in the life of our school.

    A Final Word

    Education can be likened to a journey full of wonder and adventure. This is so for both parents and children in that each is developing and learning. It is really quite a short journey as childhood is over in such a short time, and yet is important to the whole life of the individual.

    Waldorf Education seeks to work in partnership with the family to maximise the child’s education and it is therefore hoped that this handbook can make a contribution to that process.

    Waldorf Education seeks to open, reveal and release within each child what it is to be human in order that each may become a truly autonomous, self directed and purposeful human beings able to act in unique ways so as to contribute their gifts to the world. This is the meaning of ‘Education Towards Freedom’ which is the overall purpose of Waldorf Education. This is a priceless gift that will continue to reveal itself as each undertakes their individual journey through life. Journey well.

    We would like to share with you the verse we say together as a faculty before each Teachers Meeting.

    “May there reign here, spirit strength in love
    May there work here, spirit light in goodness
    Born from certainty of heart
    And from steadfastness of soul
    So that we may bring to the young human beings
    Bodily strength for work (willing)
    Inwardness of soul (feeling)
    and clarity of spirit. (thinking)
    May this place be consecrated to such a task
    May young hearts and minds find here
    Servers of the light endowed with strength
    Who will guard and cherish them.”

    Rudolf Steiner 1861 - 1925