Alternative education encompasses educational philosophy differing from mainstream pedagogy and evidence-based education. Such alternative learning environments may be found within state, charter, and independent schools as well as home-based learning environments. Many educational alternatives emphasize small class sizes, close relationships between students and teachers and a sense of community.
Hillcrest is a town in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa that forms part of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality and is situated approximately 32 km north-west of Durban and 53 km south-east of Pietermaritzburg.
Waldorf School of New Orleans is a private school based on the Waldorf philosophy. Founded in 2000, Waldorf School of New Orleans offers a developmentally appropriate, experiential approach to education, integrating the arts and academics for children from preschool through 8th grade. In 2005, the school's buildings were flooded in Hurricane Katrina.
Kloof High School is a public, English medium co-educational high school located in Kloof, a small town between the provincial capital of Pietermaritzburg and Durban in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.
Colegio San Agustin – Biñan, is a private, Catholic coeducational basic and higher education institution run by the Augustinian Province of Santo Niño de Cebu, Philippines of the Order of Saint Augustine in Biñan, Laguna, Philippines. It was founded by the Augustinians 1985.
Raphael House Rudolf Steiner School is a coeducational, state integrated composite school in Tirohanga, Lower Hutt. It provides a Waldorf education for Years 1 to 13. Matriculation starts when children are 7 years of age.
This article on the history of Waldorf schools includes descriptions of the schools' historical foundations, geographical distribution and internal governance structures.
Waldorf education, also known as Steiner education, is based on the educational philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, the founder of anthroposophy. Its educational style is holistic, intended to develop pupils' intellectual, artistic, and practical skills, with a focus on imagination and creativity. Individual teachers have a great deal of autonomy in curriculum content, teaching methods, and governance. Qualitative assessments of student work are integrated into the daily life of the classroom, with standardized testing limited to what is required to enter post-secondary education.
In the curriculum of the Waldorf schools, much of the education in academic subjects takes place in blocks, usually of 3–5 weeks duration. Each pupil generally writes and illustrates a self-created textbook representing the material learned in the block. These blocks are supported by on-going classes in subjects such as music, art and crafts, and foreign languages that continue throughout the year.
The Santa Cruz Waldorf High School was a private, non-denominational grade 9-12 educational institution. The school closed in 2009, due to a drop in enrollment.
Founded in 1942, High Mowing School is an independent private, co-educational, day and boarding school, located in Wilton, New Hampshire, in the United States. High Mowing serves students in early childhood through grade 12. It is the oldest Waldorf high school in Canada or the United States and the only Waldorf boarding school in the United States.
Sophia Mundi Steiner School is a private school located in Abbotsford, Victoria, Australia, that follows Rudolf Steiner's educational philosophy. Schools which follow Rudolf Steiner's theories are known as Steiner schools, or Waldorf schools. Sophia Mundi was founded in 1985 by a group of parents. Classes Prep to Year 12 are based in the St. Mary's building of the Abbotsford Convent complex. A Playgroup is also offered on site.
Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley was a Steiner School located in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, England, formed in 1949.
The Brooklyn Waldorf School is a coeducational, independent, non-sectarian day preschool and elementary Waldorf school located in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. The school operates on the principles of Waldorf Education and adapts the traditional methods of Rudolf Steiner. The school was founded in 2005 and currently has a Preschool/Kindergarten and Grades 1–8. In 2011, the Brooklyn Waldorf School moved into its new home at the Claver Castle.
Waldorf School of San Diego (WSSD) is an independent Waldorf school located in the Oak Park neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States. It offers preschool/kindergarten through 12th grade, and had an enrollment of 284 in 2011. Founded in 1981, it is one of approximately more than 250 independent North American and 1,000 worldwide Waldorf schools. The school is an accredited member school of the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America].
Al Falaah College is an independent Islamic school situated in the coastal city of Durban, in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Lorien Novalis School for Rudolf Steiner Education is a private, Steiner school located in Dural, a suburb in The Hills Shire, in northwestern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Established in 1971, the school teaches students from early learning, and Kindergarten to Year 12; and also offers playgroup services.
Steiner Schools Australia refers to the independent, private body of kindergarten, primary and secondary schools based on the Waldorf education system across Australia. Steiner Education operates in over 50 locations across the various states and territories in Australia, providing educational playgroups, kindergartens, primary schools and comprehensive K-12 school programs. Steiner Education is recognised by the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) as an ‘alternative’ form of education and operates mainly within private independent schools with a small presence within public schools as Steiner streams. Steiner schools in Australia are represented by Steiner Education Australia, a not-for-profit organisation. Steiner Education has also attracted debate and criticism for its similarities to religious forms of education from the various states and territories.
San Francisco Waldorf School (SFWHS) is an independent preK–12 school in San Francisco, California. The school is based on the principles of Waldorf education. The kindergarten and grade school are located at 2938 Washington Street and the high school is located at 470 West Portal Avenue. About 50% of students at the high school also attended the grade school, the rest coming from public, parochial, and other independent schools. It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA).
A number of national, international and topic-based studies have been made of Waldorf education. In 2005, British educational researchers Philip Woods, Martin Ashley and Glenys Woods evaluated Steiner-Waldorf schools for the United Kingdom's Department for Education and Skills. As part of their study, the authors evaluated the state of research as of 2005 and said
