Our educational approach
About Steiner Education
A relevant educational approach today has to focus on different skills - the skills of the future - such as creativity, curiosity, lifelong learning, critical thinking, innovation, connectedness, positivity – all at the core of Steiner education.
Steiner education endeavours to educate the whole child. It addresses equally the areas of academia, artistic experience and practical skills, along with a nurturing of the human spirit. Educating the head, heart and hands is regarded as important so as to produce well-rounded, capable adults. Through this balanced approach, students develop clarity of thought, a sensitivity of feeling and a constructive strength of will.
Using the arts as a medium through which learning can take place, the lesson content, be it language work, maths, history, geography or science is enhanced by drawing, painting, modelling, drama, music or poetry, to deepen and strengthen the child’s connection to the content being offered.
Rudolf Steiner’s theory of human development divides childhood into three distinct seven year periods. Each period has its own work, needs, expressions and defining features. Teachers actively work to provide curriculum content, tasks and experiences that meets the stage of development of the children in their care.
Steiner education in Australia is delivered using the accredited Australian Steiner Curriculum Framework (ASCF) which is endorsed by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) ensuring it meets the standards of the National Curriculum outcomes.
At Cairns Hinterland Steiner School, our teachers use the Australian Steiner Curriculum Framework to deliver an enriching and diverse educational programme in-line with Steiner pedagogy.
Steiner/ Waldorf education is a unique and distinctive approach to educating children practiced in 75 countries and cultures around the world; currently it is one of the fastest growing international independent school movements. To learn more, visit Steiner Education Australia.
“Our highest endeavor must be to develop free human beings who are able of themselves to impart purpose and direction to their lives. The need for imagination, a sense of truth, and a feeling of responsibility—these three forces are the very nerve of education.”
— Rudolf Steiner