Newcastle Waldorf School

Lovely school my children thrive on the creativity

This school is great ngl

We moved both of our boys from a mainstream school to Newcastle Waldorf School from around year 4 onwards. As at posting, our eldest finished up this year and our youngest is in Year 10. Thanks to the dedicated staff and authentic Steiner education, they have blossomed into intelligent, thoughtful, well-rounded young adults.I can't speak highly enough of our experience and the boys whole-heartedly agree that moving them was the best decision we could have made. Based on my own schooling experience, I thought students were either academic or creative... but my boys have been guided academically and had their creativity nurtured in a way where one compliments and supports the other.I strongly encourage parents considering a Steiner education to visit Newcastle Waldorf School and see for yourselves what a magical place it is.

I attended this school from grades 3 to 9 after my parents were impressed by the pretty school grounds, promises of more freedom, arts, music and supposedly high academic standards of teaching. They had also researched to a degree Anthroposophy, a sort of religion which Rudolf Steiner created and which the schools are based on and was promised they now distance themselves from that. The Waldorf name comes from the tobacco co Rudolf Steiner was affiliated with and who let him first start his own school for employees of its factory in 1921.At first coming from a local public school I thought it was great we didn’t have to wear a uniform, we only had 3 classes a day, no homework, no pressure for learning anything seriously but art and music. You get one class teacher that takes you all the way through to year 10 or 12 if you’re invited. Most teachers are ex students and it is not a requirement to have a teaching degree or any degree, they only want teachers who are ex students to teach the new generation. My sister unfortunately had a teacher that hardly taught the class how to read at all in primary school and had to catch up as an adult.Soon I realised there were a lot things that were very inappropriate going on. Many of the teachers were related to each other and we were aware of what teachers were dating each other and students. See the Sydney Morning Herald article No Class Act - it is true and barely scratches the surface. One of the many weird memories I have of this school was walking into an art exhibition at the school where one of the nude subjects was immediately recognisable as a student in the year above me.There was a very clear distinction between Steiner and the outside world, they have a big superiority complex and a very Us vs Them attitude to the world outside Steiner which is sadly very evident from a lot of past students, parents and teachers.They do not teach you about Anthroposophy, rather it is practiced on you. Art classes like wet on wet watercolour painting. This practice has nothing to do with art or expression and everything to do with Rudolf Steiner's occult beliefs. Not being allowed to draw with black (have a look online at Waldorf Watch about his racist beliefs).Instead of being taught any history we were taught about Greek mythology as if it was real and so much spiritual stuff with very strong overtures of light goddesses and gods it was totally bizarre and very much aligns with Steiner's occult beliefs. Then there was Eurythmy a kind of dance form we learned and the cherry on top of the cult cake here.Gender roles are enforced, girls are to be nurturing mothers and boys are to be macho men. When a couple of male visiting teachers came to be guest teachers I felt ill seeing the female teachers flirt with them in class it was so inappropriate.Then there was the violence. Everyone was terrified of certain teachers, who I witnessed at times screaming at and even shaking kids physically. Once there was a chair thrown at me and others, I witnessed a teacher throw a kid out of a window, a teacher who broke a kid's violin bow in a jealous rage and countless tantrums thrown at classmates who would get too many answers right.Bullying with zero repercussions.Kids hanging from trees throwing rocks at students. Kids getting heat exhaustion on hiking trips to the mountains because they had limited water and were told to deal with it.I would not be writing this review if i still lived in Newcastle because it’s such a small place but parents need to be warned.Do your research!

I am also an ex-student of this school and can attest to it's vileness. Although there's nothing I can really say that fellow reviewer 'J D' hasn't already laid out.Things may have changed since I attended years ago. But if you decide to send your child here, be sure to take the time to hear about their day in detail. It may take some time for the cracks to appear and you may just change your mind.

The most inspiring place to send your children to school. Our school covers all bases academics, music, art, deep learning, deep thinking, environment and kindness.

My brother and I attended this school from the day it opened back in the 80's. I left after year 6. To this day I still have bad memories of what went on there. Physical, emotional and verbal abuse. I would never send my children to a Steiner school after my own experiences with this one. I am a teacher now myself and would never want any of my students to have these kind of memories or fears about attending their school.

Very happy with the school. My granddaughter is blossoming there and can't wait to go in the mornings.