Philosophy ~ Our Unique Curriculum

Waldorf Education is the fastest growing alternative education system in the world. Beginning nearly a century ago in 1919, the Steiner Waldorf curriculum is designed to work in harmony with the different phases of each child’s development.

Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner founded the first Waldorf School in Stuttgart, Germany in 1919. Steiner believed that schools should address the needs of children rather than the needs of the government or economic forces. So he developed schools that encourage creativity and free thinking.
Waikato Waldorf School was founded by a group of passionate individuals in 1996 and has grown over the years with Kowhai Tui Childcare being built in 2006.

Waldorf Early Childhood Education is delivered in an atmosphere of love and warmth, gratitude, reverence and wonder. It is an education where young children can learn through healthy play and through imitation. Children absorb and imitate everything that happens around them. Therefore, great importance is placed on the role of the adult in our centres. We nurture children’s holistic development and emphasize a non-academic approach during the first seven years. We protect the forces of childhood by respecting the need for children to engage in a process of experiential learning. Children learn through free movement, self-directed play, and natural exploration. This builds a solid foundation for healthy cognitive and physical development.