Steiner Academy Hereford
| Steiner Academy Hereford | |
|---|---|
| File:Steiner academy hereford jpg | |
| Address | |
 | |
, , HR2 8DL | |
| Information | |
| Type | Academy |
| Established | 2008 |
| Local authority | Herefordshire |
| Specialist | Natural Environment |
| Government | College of Teachers |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Age | 3 to 16 |
| Website | http://www.steineracademyhereford.eu |
The Steiner Academy Hereford is a Steiner-Waldorf Academy school in Much Dewchurch near Hereford, Herefordshire, UK.[1] It opened in September 2008 and is the first publicly funded Steiner-Waldorf school in the UK.[2]
In December 2009 it was bottom of the primary school league tables for England derived from SATS scores at Key Stage 2. Parents had opposed the testing and many children were absent for the dates.[3]
In contrast with assessment tests, in July 2013 Ofsted reported [4] that 'Pupils are well prepared for more formal learning', 'Pupils achieve well throughout the school, reaching above the expected levels', they 'Go on to successfully study and achieve wide ranging qualifications at GCE A level and beyond.', 'Older students develop strong independent working and thinking skills', 'Pupils’ artistic and practical achievements are impressive', 'Pupils have a strong sense of personal responsibility', and 'bullying is extremely rare'.
In September 2012, the school was accused by the British Humanist Association of including pseudoscience in its curriculum. Clarence Harvey, an acting principal of the Steiner Academy Hereford, responded:[5] 'It is not our aim to promote scientific orthodoxy, but rather to enable pupils to think and engage in independent verification of reality.'
See also
Curriculum of the Waldorf schools
Notes and references
- ^ Francis Beckett, Protests over plans for new Steiner academy, The Guardian, March 10, 2008. Accessed 2008-11-09.
- ^ First publicly-funded Steiner school in Britain passes major hurdle, NNA Nachrichten, 29 April 2005. Accessed 2008-11-09.
- ^ Gary Eason (1 December 2009). "Primary school league tables expose shortcomings". BBC News.
- ^ SAH Ofsted report 2013 hosted at SAH website accessed 2013-11-28
- ^ Times Educational Supplement article 'Homeopathy? Sorry, we're just not swallowing it' 17-09-2012 accessed 2013-11-28