Please your advice and info about steiner schools...

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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OrganicGreen
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Re: Please your advice and info about steiner schools...

Post by OrganicGreen »

pixiequeen wrote:
What sort of questions to ask??
I am going to try and be non-judgemental here. I have heard some horror stories but I know not all Steiner schools are the same. There is a very nice boy in my kids primary school who has come from a Steiner school. I'm not sure where he is academically but I don't get the impression he's miles behind/in front of the other kids.

I would ask:

What subjects will my child learn, and at what age?
How is the day arranged, how long are individual lessons?
How will you track my childs progress, and how often will I find out how they are doing? (reports, parents evenings etc)
How many GCSEs would you expect an average child to sit? How many A Levels?
How do you deal with bad behaviour?
How do you deal with bullying?
What if my child doesn't get on with their class tutor? (the website for the school says each class stays with the same tutor all the way through school)
What special needs support do you have?
How do you deal with mixed ability classes? Are there sets for some subjects? (or at least different groups of children within a class at primary level)

I would also ask what children who have left the school have gone on to do. Did they go to university? If so to study which subjects? Have they gone into the workplace? It's my guess that you won't find many that have ambitions to be lawyers and accountants.

The Steiner thing is very much a lifestyle choice. We don't subscribe to it ourselves, but we know quite a lot of people who try to embrace at least some of the principles of it. Some of the principles are quite sound - all very natural - holistic medicine, kids playing with traditional wooden toys, not wearing fashionable clothes (esp. nothing with TV characters on, since kids are not supposed to watch TV!) being outdoors a lot (even in the rain), not being made to learn to read etc. until they are ready.

I understand there are rules that you as a parent are expected to abide by but I'm no expert. If I were you I would get hold of a book on Rudolf Steiners philosophys and make sure you agree with his principles.

My biggest concern would be that a child educated in this environment may have trouble adjusting to the real world.

I'm in danger of launching in to a rant now so I'd better stop! :D

Pixiequeen
Thanks everyone for your comments. How do I measure the A level & GCSE results. I have looked at the results from the website and it looks to me that the GCSEs are above average for the children. Also how do I measure the A Level results? Is there a national average measurement for A levels? Would anyone be so kind as to look at the results here>> http://www.rsskl.org/information/exam-results.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Will ask them more about the philosophy. We like the nature and no TV watching thing ourselves 4 the kids and we are working towards the kids just watching educational TV. I have contact with a steiner mum who will be able to answer many of my questions on lifestyle that you have mentioned above.

My main concerned is about the education that my children will get and will the teachers encourage them to learn if they don't want to. Each school has it's own positive and negative so I will look at this school on it's own personal merits.. thank you again everyone for all your comments.
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hermanmunster
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Re: Please your advice and info about steiner schools...

Post by hermanmunster »

re the GCSEs - they are showing 220 exams for 30 children of which 23 results are below C and and 20 belong to forms other year 11. So just under 6 GCSEs per child.

25/30 got 5 A*.

Re A levels - difficult to get "national level" can be highly competitive at this stage and dependent on intake. Doesn't say how many A level kids there are there - the one doing japanese is presumably a native speaker?
OrganicGreen
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Re: Please your advice and info about steiner schools...

Post by OrganicGreen »

hermanmunster wrote:re the GCSEs - they are showing 220 exams for 30 children of which 23 results are below C and and 20 belong to forms other year 11. So just under 6 GCSEs per child.

25/30 got 5 A*.

Re A levels - difficult to get "national level" can be highly competitive at this stage and dependent on intake. Doesn't say how many A level kids there are there - the one doing japanese is presumably a native speaker?
Thanks hermanmunster. Does this mean the results are any good??? Is average getting 6 GCSEs a good???
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hermanmunster
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Re: Please your advice and info about steiner schools...

Post by hermanmunster »

It depends what you are comparing it with - presumably steiner is non selective and hence may have a full rnage of ability - so you would need to compare it with other non selective schools. Having said that, no independent school is truly non selective as the parents will be earning above average to afford a place there.

If you are asking if it is good compared with say, a grammar school, then no not great. the kids there will get nearer 10 on average I reckon. Many with a string of A* grades - (this grade was brought in after the info shown on the steiner school website I think??).

Also have to look at the subjects taken eg at A level - photography would not be considered to be v academic.

It all comes down to what you want from a school - if you want the kids to be able to compete academically in the big wild world then don't send them there, if you want them to discover themselves then fine - wish we could all do that, but hey have to earn some dosh somewhere!!! There can be more important things than exams met a girl once who had been at the Yehudi Menuhin school (on state funding) - she got one O level - was going to take a history one too but they were giving a concert in the USA at the time of the exam. Case where other talents supercede the need for paper qualifications. We don't have such talents here so exmas it is :roll:
OrganicGreen
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Re: Please your advice and info about steiner schools...

Post by OrganicGreen »

hermanmunster wrote:It depends what you are comparing it with - presumably steiner is non selective and hence may have a full rnage of ability - so you would need to compare it with other non selective schools. Having said that, no independent school is truly non selective as the parents will be earning above average to afford a place there.

If you are asking if it is good compared with say, a grammar school, then no not great. the kids there will get nearer 10 on average I reckon. Many with a string of A* grades - (this grade was brought in after the info shown on the steiner school website I think??).

Also have to look at the subjects taken eg at A level - photography would not be considered to be v academic.

It all comes down to what you want from a school - if you want the kids to be able to compete academically in the big wild world then don't send them there, if you want them to discover themselves then fine - wish we could all do that, but hey have to earn some dosh somewhere!!! There can be more important things than exams met a girl once who had been at the Yehudi Menuhin school (on state funding) - she got one O level - was going to take a history one too but they were giving a concert in the USA at the time of the exam. Case where other talents supercede the need for paper qualifications. We don't have such talents here so exams it is :roll:
Thanks 4 your comments. I can't really compare this school with grammar or private schools at the children are not initially selected on academic levels. I think I would check it against national or levels seeing that many parents move into the area for this school. I will look at your questions and definitely ask about them.

What is the national average results for A levels? what grades are average for A levels? Also does anyone know if UNi are OK with children taking their A levels a year later?
REad, Read and read some more. Learning is nothing but fun
OrganicGreen
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Re: Please your advice and info about steiner schools...

Post by OrganicGreen »

I have just found out that I can compare the A level point per pupil plus the Alevel point per subject.

I am going to ask the school the number of pupils entering into A level so that i can get this state.. Just need to find out what the average scores are for Alevel / subject and pupil for the national average.

Just found this
http://www.education.gov.uk/cgi-bin/per ... =b&Num=919" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Looks like the 2010 GCSEs are much above national average. Need to look at A level results.

A level results for 2009 are not that good. Need to call the school to get their states for 2010 A level results. http://www.education.gov.uk/cgi-bin/per ... =a&Num=919" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
REad, Read and read some more. Learning is nothing but fun
katel
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Re: Please your advice and info about steiner schools...

Post by katel »

Rearrange these words into a well known phrase or saying.

Pole touch with please barge don't it a.
hermanmunster
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Re: Please your advice and info about steiner schools...

Post by hermanmunster »

katel wrote:Rearrange these words into a well known phrase or saying.

Pole touch with please barge don't it a.
don't barge it with touch pole, please.

Really difficult with "different" schools. Read A S Neill's Summerhill - then the kids there were highly selected.

Organic Green , I think you are going to find communications with the school difficult if you are keen on asking about exam results and whether they are above average.
It is difficult to be below average at a indie (remembering of course that approximately 50% are above average I know that's not strictly right unless it is a normal distribution but I am watching harmonic tremors in iceland so please forgive ) - the steiner schools want people who are interested in things other than exam results and may feel it is not the right place for you if you are keen on getting really good grades.
jingle
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Re: Please your advice and info about steiner schools...

Post by jingle »

Please touch it don't barge with a pole. :D
OrganicGreen
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Re: Please your advice and info about steiner schools...

Post by OrganicGreen »

hermanmunster wrote:
katel wrote:Rearrange these words into a well known phrase or saying.

Pole touch with please barge don't it a.
don't barge it with touch pole, please.

Really difficult with "different" schools. Read A S Neill's Summerhill - then the kids there were highly selected.

Organic Green , I think you are going to find communications with the school difficult if you are keen on asking about exam results and whether they are above average.
It is difficult to be below average at a indie (remembering of course that approximately 50% are above average I know that's not strictly right unless it is a normal distribution but I am watching harmonic tremors in iceland so please forgive ) - the steiner schools want people who are interested in things other than exam results and may feel it is not the right place for you if you are keen on getting really good grades.

I see what you mean. Qualification is not their main focus... hmmm. We have to seriously think about this. My partner & I have visited the school and are OK/happy about what we see so far but I am concerned about qualifications. I will ask them about their results 2010.
REad, Read and read some more. Learning is nothing but fun
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