Discover the Educational Foundation Years, 6-11 years old.

Each day begins with the two hour Main Lesson with the Class Teacher. The first part will involve movement and music and poetry as well as regular daily practice of mental arithmetic or spelling.

Then the Class will focus for a three or four week period on a particular subject, for example: Mathematics, English Language or Form Drawing. This extended lesson allows the Class to become absorbed in a particular subject and the Class Teacher is able to lead the children through specific learning stages in that subject.

Alongside the core curriculum delivered by the class teacher, a team of specialist teachers enrich the curriculum for the children with Music, Modern Language, Handwork, Form Drawing, Modelling, Eurythmy (an art form combining language, music and movement), and Woodwork.

After 3-4 weeks the Main Lesson changes and a new subject is taken up while the previous one is allowed to rest. When the Class returns to the first subject after a pause, the learning has been digested and the children are able to use their knowledge in new ways.

At this stage of the child’s development their relationship to the world around them is reflected in the curriculum we offer. There is a steady development in the curriculum and the children are challenged to learn and respond more independently.

New subjects such as Biology, Zoology, Geography, Geometry and History are gradually introduced. As before, the children create their own unique Main Lesson book for each subject and these books form one of the records of their achievement which the children can be proud of, and the school and parents can use to assess progress.

A developing self-awareness is responded to with practical lessons. For example Mathematics Main Lessons will include measurement of weight, volume, time and distance, also money. They will study housebuilding in the different regions of the world and there will be a practical house building project. Formal grammar appears for the first time as children learn to look at their own language in a more objective way.

A new Main Lesson provides an introduction to Biology. Individual project work is now introduced into the Main Lesson themes. This enables children to follow their own particular interests and to find ways to present their work and ideas to their peers.

The Main Lessons for this age group includes a study of the ancient civilisations of Mesopotamia, Persia, Ancient India, Egypt and Greece. The rich mythologies of these cultures provide the material for the English Language work in this year. Mathematics now includes the introduction of decimals and geometry, the latter developing naturally out of the Form Drawing work of the earlier years.

Other topics include botany and focus on the evolution of plants in their unique environments. Local Geography broadens out to encompass the British Isles. A highlight of this year is attending an ‘Olympiad’ where children of this age from many Steiner Schools both from the UK and often from Europe gather for a Camp and festival of Sports and Gymnastics.