WHAT? WHERE?

The Ashdown Forest, home to Winnie-the-Pooh and the Hundred Acre Wood, also plays host to Kidbrooke Mansion, where the Michael Hall Waldorf School has been located for a hundred years too. It is a magnificent backdrop for the fastest-growing alternative educational system in the world.

Its numerous outbuildings form the body of the school (the former stables are the Art & Design studios) as well as other purpose-built school buildings like the 400-seater licensed professional theatre.

To understand more about the pedagogy that underpins the Waldorf education method you can read the full Steiner story here, but what’s important to grasp is its basis in the belief that education should address the whole being – body, soul and spirit – at every stage of a child’s life.

Misconceptions of the Waldorf/Steiner method are rife but its multi-sensory and multi-disciplinary approach is exactly what some children need to thrive at school. Did we mention the Hollywood alumni? Yup, Jennifer Aniston and Julia Margulies are former Waldorf students and fans of the education system include Tilda Swinton (who built her own Steiner school in Scotland) and Cate Blanchett. Our advice would be to keep an open mind.

FACILITIES

The school’s facilities are outstanding; not only are there waterfalls, ancient woodlands and lakes in its surroundings, but the estate affords the school numerous buildings to transform into inspiring spaces. There is an iron forge in one for the students to experiment in and other Grade II Listed buildings house the admin offices, dining rooms and A-Level teaching spaces. School events happen in the Harry Potter-esque Long Room, Great Hall and outside on the Mansion Terraces.

There is a state-of-the-art sports hall, science labs and dance studios, a library, craft huts and a biodynamic status walled garden, plus a wood yard and water gardens. If environment influences your experience of the world, then the students are certainly getting a head start.

SPORT

Formal sports start in the Middle School (from Class 6, age 11-12 yrs) and are taught in three-week blocks. The core sports are hockey, volleyball, basketball, netball, and summer sports like cricket and softball. The Upper School also do rugby, orienteering and cross country running and there are county level teams for netball, basketball and volleyball.

The ethos of gym and games in Waldorf Education and the reason they start formal sports later, is for children to initially engage in sports as ‘play’ which is very different from being thrust into organised sports events for the sake of competition.

There are after school clubs for netball, basketball, volleyball, yoga and tennis. All these clubs are free of charge except tennis which is provided by an outside coach. There are also clubs/sport played during lunch breaks which change throughout the year and include football, basketball, circus skills, netball and table tennis. There’s no swimming pool but in the Upper School students go off site to play squash or racketball, swim,climb or row during the summer term.

CREATIVE ARTS

Children learn to paint from Kindergarten (age 2 yrs) and by the Upper School master art with skill and confidence. They also learn basket weaving, jewellery making, bookbinding, woodcarving and ironmongering throughout the Upper School. GCSE Art and Art and Design are both offered in the Upper School as well as Fine Art at A-Level.

Every class has weekly singing lessons, and recorder (along with basic music theory) is taught from Classes 1 – 7 (ages 6-13 yrs). In the Upper School there is a choir with performances throughout the year. For those who want to flex their musical talents beyond the recorder, peripatetic teachers offer 1:1 tuition for most stringed and wind instruments. There are also Main Lessons in the Upper School devoted to the history and development of music.

Drama is in a league of its own, so it’s no surprise Waldorf schools have produced stars of the stage and screen. Drama is taught throughout the school and by Class 9 –11(ages 14-17 yrs), they stage a musical in the summer term (past productions have included Les Misérables and Guys & Dolls) and everyone takes part either behind the scenes or on stage. There’s a lot of drama and art, so by the time they leave public speaking is not an issue.

Perhaps important to note here is an additional subject on the curriculum termed Eurythmy, originating from Steiner’s work in collaboration with his wife Marie. It is a movement art which expresses language and music through gesture and movement and can also be used therapeutically. It aims to help students learn intentional movement through exercises, patterns and games that increase in complexity as they move through the school. It’s all about cultivating self-confidence and self-esteem, what parent doesn’t want that for their kids?

SCHOOL

It’s important at this point to explain the different set-up in terms of year groups and transition through the school. Formal learning doesn’t begin until Class 1 (age 6-7 yrs) when the ‘learning through doing’ in Kindergarten transforms into teacher-led learning. Lower School goes up to age 10-11 yrs (Class 5). According to the pedagogy this is when the child begins to think independently and reason logically.

Middle School begins in Class 6 and continues to Class 8 (age 12-14 yrs) where children begin their journey through adolescence to young adulthood. They are ready for a new kind of teaching and new subjects, so their Main Lesson may include subjects such as Ancient Rome, Geometry, Astronomy, Anatomy or the Italian Renaissance. The progression of solid skills such as English, maths, science, languages, geography and history continue in the Middle School as they prepare for GCSEs in Class 9 (14-15 yrs). ICT is introduced in Class 8 so that kids can begin to mirror their peers in mainstream education in terms of technology.

The most striking difference to mainstream education is the Main Lesson that takes place during the first two hours of the day and is devoted to a single subject for three to four weeks. This topic lead learning facilitates in-depth exploration of a particular topic so that the pupils’ minds are focused, not divided or distracted by other subjects. The Main Lessons in the younger years also include some movement and/or musical activities throughout the morning often building on the related Main Lesson theme. It usually begins with an activity, it might be reciting a poem, mental math, singing, or a movement activity, inspiring a child’s creative thinking and deep learning first through action.

PASTORAL CARE & SEND

The school has moved significantly forward with its provision for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (known as ‘Inclusion’ at Michael Hall). There is a dedicated Pastoral Room hosted by the Pastoral Lead (another former pupil) offering students a quiet space to have a conversation, to talk through their problems or simply to drop by for a cup of tea. A walk in nature might also be offered, or they can help with a building project or get their hands dirty in the school garden. There is a belief that children thrive when individual needs are nurtured through positive relationship. The Wellbeing & Inclusion department at Michael Hall gives them a range of tools to nurture, support and grow emotional resilience.

Another nuance with the Waldorf education system is that assessment and oversight of the children’s progress is primarily carried out by the class teacher, who stays with the children from the age of 6-14, watching their academic, physical, emotional and spiritual development. The teacher will then gain a deep bond with each child and a full picture of their educational needs.

ACADEMICS

If you’re concerned this softer approach might not prepare your child adequately for GSCEs and A-Levels, fear not. The GCSE and A Level results are robust. In 2024, 75% gained A-C in A-Levels with a 92% pass rate and in GCSEs 91% achieved Level 9-4 (A*-C) and a 100% pass rate for students taking Further Maths.

In Upper School, students can choose from a range of GCSE subjects to study alongside English, maths and science. Optional subjects include Geography, History, German, Spanish and Art and you can also do a BTEC in Art & Design Practice. Students still benefit from the Music, Eurythmy, Drama, Gym & Games, Ethics, Arts & Crafts subjects which are interspersed in their day.

For sixth-form entry, there is an interview and GCSE grade C (or higher) is required to study selected subjects. Likewise, by Class 11 and 12, the primary A-Level subjects are offered as well as other subjects like Psychology and Photography and they can also opt to do an EPQ. Entrance is non-selective and there is no streaming for A-level.

Passing exams is not the be-all and end-all at Michael Hall; Steiner did not believe in putting children under stress. A huge emphasis is put on balancing the academic with the creative and Arts & Crafts in Classes 9, 10 and 11 include basketry, bookbinding, joinery, metalwork and pottery. This adds weight to the ‘head, heart and hands’ approach at a Waldorf School whereby an artistic or creative endeavour can help alleviate the intellectual pressures of the Upper School.

Former famous pupils include beauty entrepreneur Charlotte Tilbury, designer Bella Freud Harry Potter actor Frank Dilane and American novelist Winslow Elliot . Alumni are highly sought after by top UK universities, including Russell Group unis for their strong sense of purpose and critical thinking skills.

THE HEAD

No headteacher; rather an Acting Principal in the form of sparkly-eyed Emmeline Hawker. A former Brand Manager at Unilever, Emmeline swapped the fast-paced world of marketing for teaching, becoming a teacher of Psychology A-Level at Reigate College. She discovered the Steiner system when her son was born, fell in love with it, took the Heart of Teaching Course at Michael Hall and went on to become Class teacher for eight years.

If her enthusiasm for Michael Hall is anything to go by (the aforementioned sparkly eyes stayed sparkly for her whole part of the tour), she is the best person to promote and preserve this unique place and its identity and ethos and her palpable positivity trickles down to the pupils and teachers alike.

WHAT ELSE?

Educational visits are organised to banks, newspapers, oil refineries, breweries, hospitals and care homes. It’s safe to say overseas adventures like the Italy trip are major highlights.

This year the school community is celebrating its centenary, honouring its past, celebrating its present and embracing the future.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more community-focused school than Michael Hall – many pupils return as teachers and send their own children here, believing the education and the community to be so rewarding.

QUIRKS

Every year Michael Hall hosts over 320 students visiting from 23 Waldorf schools in England, Wales, Scotland, Cyprus and Norway for their homegrown version of the Olympics. The pupils set up camp on the school grounds and take part in training ahead of the main event which includes a Mini-Marathon, Discus, Javelin, Palm to Palm Wrestling, Long Jump, High Jump and Relay.

A trumpet-call from deep in the woods and two torch-bearers run into the arena, bringing the Olympic flame to the children chosen to lead the procession of athletes and light the Olympic torch.

Medals are then presented in recognition of Olympic qualities shown by the athletes, like grace, perseverance, good sportsmanship and helping those around them. This annual event helps foster connection between the schools as well as encourages discipline. fairness, precision and courage in those that take part.

WRAP AROUND CARE

The Middle School starts at 8.10am (yes, early) and finishes at 3.10pm and the Upper School begins at the same time but finishes at 4.05pm, except on a Thursday when the whole school finishes at 3.10pm. There is an optional (and free) Homework Club from 3.15pm to 4.05pm every day.

After school sports clubs include volleyball, basketball, netball and yoga . The Waldorf ethos avoids over-scheduling children, hence the slightly limited clubs available. However, the restriction of modern-day parenthood is also recognised so students are encouraged to join local groups such as martial arts, dance, football and sailing on the nearby Weirwood Reservoir.

MOBILE PHONE POLICY

Michael Hall has a strict no phones policy, with students having to hand in their devices as they arrive.

TRANSPORT

There are 4 school buses covering 3 routes: Brighton, Tunbridge Wells and Lingfield/East Grinstead available from Class 3 (or earlier if travelling with an older sibling). Many children walk or cycle to school.

ISI REPORT

Steiner schools have never been rated with ISI, they were historically with SIS. When SIS disbanded, all the Steiner schools, on recommendation of Waldorf UK, were automatically moved to Ofsted, hence the new Ofsted rating of ‘Good’ they received in September (read the full report here). They are now able to move to ISI and are considering it for next September

FEES

Private sector Steiner schools tend to be on the lower end of the fee structure. Middle School (Class 6 – 8) £6,180 per term + VAT and Upper School (Class 9 – 12) £6,900 + VAT.

Sibling discounts are available and a Fee Assistance programme designed to help families with potential financial strains (read more here). No scholarships are offered at the school.

WORD ON THE GROUND

Parents who don’t prescribe to a ‘one size fits all’ education are fully paid members of the Waldorf Steiner fan club – especially when they have seen the transformational benefit to their kids who have often been failed by the current state system. You need to keep an open mind, but the scope for pupils to express themselves through imagination, creativity and exploration builds strength, resilience, inner calm and communication is huge. The students are well-balanced and happy, but the super academic may struggle with the slower pace.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

GOOD FOR: Creatively leaning, free-spirited, growth mindset types. That’s not to say the academically inclined won’t thrive here too, but if you’re after a holistic, well-rounded and rich alternative curriculum to enhance your child’s growth as a human as well as their wellbeing, then this is your mecca.

NOT FOR: Academically motivated pupils who prefer exams and straight lines to a slower, more practical, arts-based education with wiggly lines and wonderful adventures.

DARE TO DISAGREE: The next Upper School Open Day is Tues 11 Mar and Middle School Open Day is Tues 20 May . Book here. Taster Days are available for prospective pupils entering from Class 2 and above, on request.

Michael Hall Waldorf School, Kidbrooke Rise, Forest Row RH18 5JA, 01342 822275

REVIEW: Michael Hall Waldorf Upper School, Forest Row

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