Forest House Waldorf School nurtures the physical, emotional, and intellectual capacities of the growing child through a developmentally appropriate curriculum inspired by the teachings of Rudolf Steiner.

Our curriculum distinguishes itself by teaching children when they are ready to learn – initially when they are six turning seven, and, as they progress through the grades, when they are ready to grasp new concepts and material. Our teaching methods foster life-long learning by arousing a child’s natural curiosity. This lays a solid foundation for our young, enquiring minds to develop their critical and analytical thinking skills.

The natural environment, in which our school is so beautifully situated, plays an important role in Waldorf education. Being in nature gives students the opportunity to play with natural materials, breathe fresh air, witness the marvels of the natural world, and increase their powers of observation. It also helps the children to find calmness and work out any excessive energy.

The curriculum is focused on the age-appropriate development of the growing child. It is designed and implemented in a way that supports and guides the healthy development of each individual student, each class of students and the school community as a whole. It cultivates a love of learning, creative thinking, a sympathetic interest and trust in the world.

The Forest House curriculum not only ensures that your child develops academically, but that they grow physically, emotionally and intellectually. This well-rounded development will give them the solid foundation on which to build later in life. The curriculum is academically vigorous and prepares your child to graduate with a love of learning and an ability to think flexibly and creatively.

Each grade has a class teacher who continues with the same class for a number of years, ideally through the entire six-year primary cycle. The teacher and the child develop a special bond based on a deep trust forged over the years. The teacher and the parents work together to support the child, and the parents within the class develop a social relationship focused on the children.

The other benefit of having the same class teacher is that because our teachers know their children so well, they will ensure the child learns at a pace that he can manage. This also means that our children do not have the pressure of needing to know something by a certain time or by a certain grade.
This supports the continuity of the curriculum from one year to the next in pursuit of our vision and mission to nurture and inspire children to become inquisitive, creative, compassionate, independent and responsible individuals.

The main lesson period is one of Waldorf education’s distinguishing and most successful features. It is a dedicated two-hour lesson that happens first thing in the morning. All academic subjects – such as English, maths, history, geography and science – are introduced through main lessons over three to four weeks. We then build on this knowledge throughout the year and children get a chance to practise and deepen their understanding of the material.

The class teacher employs various creative activities such as music, drawing, movement, stories and painting as she guides the children in exploring a topic from many different perspectives. This imaginative teaching style encourages an immersive exploration of each subject. Textbooks and worksheets are rarely used. Instead, students spend a considerable amount of time to create a main lesson book, which acts as an illustrated record of their own learning and progress.

After the main lesson period, shorter 45-minute lessons begin. These lessons are ongoing lessons that supplement the main lessons and continue throughout the year. Teachers provide instruction in various topics such as Chinese, mathematics, English, music, painting, and Eurythmy (a form of body movement that incorporates elements of dance, balance and poise).Students are engaged in hands-on activities, which link thematically with the morning studies, such as beeswax modelling, woodwork, clay work, handwork and gardening.

Festivals are an integral part of school life at Forest House. Our festivals celebrate seasonal changes, cultural events, and acknowledge human values and virtues. The festivals and celebrations are brought into the classroom through decoration, storytelling, song, movement, and drama. In addition, individual classes may also mark certain occasions as part of their syllabus, for example, Indian celebrations during the study of Ancient India, or dress up like Romans and re-enact scenes from historical events as part of their studies.

Assemblies and community gatherings throughout the year add to the richness that bring our community together.