For Choice in Education

Early Years

Learning through Imitation and Play

Through watching, listening and sensing with their whole being, then trying it out, young children gradually discover themselves and their place in the world.

The Early Years Programme

In our Early Years programme we work with children in the first phase of human development, which is primarily focused on building the physical body and strong healthy senses as a foundation for future learning. It is a time when the child learns best through imitation and play rather than instruction. In the first seven years of life, children are one with their surroundings.

The Parent and Child Groups

Ash Tree Parent and Child Group provides a warm and homely environment where families with young children, from birth to four years old, spend time together in a session led by a Parent and Child Group leader. We aim to nurture healthy child development through opportunities for free movement, imaginative child-led play, gentle sensory exploration and secure connections. Our two hour sessions run Monday to Friday during term time.

The Parent and Child Groups

The Kindergartens

The Kindergartens at Ringwood Waldorf School provide a secure, inspiring and nurturing learning environment for children aged 3 to 6 years old. Our educational principles, policy and practice are based on and informed by the Steiner Waldorf Early Years curriculum and framework. Each of the three main Kindergartens usually has around 15 children of mixed ages, from age 3 to 6, and is led by a specially trained Kindergarten teacher and at least one trained assistant.

The Kindergartens

Early Years Foundation Stage Exemption

Our school holds certain exemptions and modifications to the learning and development requirements, ELG's, and assessment regulations of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework, granted by the Department for Education from 1st September 2021.
The full rationale behind the exemptions and modifications can be found here:
Please read the full reply to our application:
"Parents carefully and deliberately choose Steiner Waldorf education to give their children a broad, rich and imaginative early childhood in mixed age groups for children from 2 to 6+ years, giving them an unpressured childhood experience. The education and care is holistic, play based, embeds the foundations of literacy, numeracy, science etc., and enables the children to fulfil their potential and a love of learning. The practitioners lead a range of age-appropriate activities without formal instruction so that the children can learn at their own pace in an enabling environment which offers effective and broad foundations for later formal learning. The children transition to Class 1 or primary schools socially competent, emotionally secure and resilient. They are good communicators and have excellent physical abilities and skills. The Steiner Waldorf early childhood experience encourages enthusiastic, creative, questioning, imaginative children who can give purpose and direction to their lifelong learning."